![South African wine regions](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/South_African_wine_regions.jpg)
The wine regions of South Africa were defined under the "Wine of Origin" (''Wyn van Oorsprong'') act of 1973. Mirroring the
French ''
Appellation d'origine contrôlée
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical bou ...
'' (AOC) system, all
South African wine
South African wine has a history dating back to 1659 with the first bottle being produced in Cape Town by its founder and gouverner Jan van Riebeeck. Access to international markets led to new investment in the South African wine market. Produc ...
s listing a "Wine of Origin" must be composed entirely of grapes from its region.
[T. Stevenson ''"The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia"'' pg 445-446 Dorling Kindersley 2005 ] The "Wine of Origins" (WO) program mandates how wine regions of South Africa are defined and can appear on
wine labels
Wine labels are important sources of information for consumers since they tell the type and origin of the wine. The label is often the only resource a buyer has for evaluating the wine before purchasing it. Certain information is ordinarily inclu ...
. While some aspects of the WO are taken from the AOC, the WO is primarily concerned with accuracy in labeling. As a result, the WO does not place adjunct regulations on wine regions such as delineating permitted varieties, trellising methods,
irrigation
Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has been devel ...
techniques, and crop
yields.
The WO system divides growing regions into four categories. The largest and most generic are Geographical Units (such as the
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...
region) which subsume the smaller, but still broad spanning Regions (such as
Cape South Coast). Under these are clustered districts (like
Walker Bay
Walker Bay is a large bay located in the south-western Western Cape province of South Africa. It is the next major bay between False Bay near Cape Town and Cape Agulhas to the south-east. The bay is famous for having some of the best land based w ...
) and within them are wards (such as
Elgin). Although these are geographic units, regions and districts are largely traced by political boundaries (wards are the segment most defined by unique, ''
Terroir
(, ; from ''terre'', "land") is a French term used to describe the environmental factors that affect a crop's phenotype, including unique environment contexts, farming practices and a crop's specific growth habitat. Collectively, these contex ...
'' characteristics).
[J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 162-163 Oxford University Press 2006 ]
Summary table
Geographical units
*
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...
- A large multi-regional designation covering every appellation except those in the Northern Cape.
*
KwaZulu-Natal - The whole Province was designated as a Geographical Unit in August 2005.
*
Eastern Cape - The
Eastern Cape Province was designated
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
’s newest wine region in 2009.
*
Limpopo
Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The capital and largest city in the province is Polokwane, while the provincial legislature is ...
*
Northern Cape
Regions
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...
*
Boberg - For use in respect of fortified wines from Paarl, Franschhoek and Tulbagh.
*
Breede River Valley
Breede River Valley is a region of Western Cape Province, South Africa known for being the largest fruit and wine producing valley in the Western Cape, as well as South Africa's leading race-horse breeding area. It is part of the Boland borderin ...
- contains three wine districts and fifteen wards.
*
Cape South Coast - contains five districts and 15 wards.
*
Coastal Region - contains eight districts and seventeen wards.
*
Klein Karoo
The Karoo ( ; from the Afrikaans borrowing of the South Khoekhoe !Orakobab or Khoemana word ''ǃ’Aukarob'' "Hardveld") is a semi-desert natural region of South Africa. No exact definition of what constitutes the Karoo is available, so its ex ...
- contains two districts and five wards.
*
Olifants River - contains three districts and five wards.
Northern Cape
*
Northern Cape - contains two districts and three wards.
Eastern Cape
*
Eastern Cape - contains no districts and one ward.
Districts
*Boberg -
Paarl
Paarl (; Afrikaans: ; derived from ''Parel'', meaning "pearl" in Dutch) is a town with 112,045 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is the third-oldest city and European settlement in the Republic of South Africa (after ...
,
Franschhoek
Franschhoek (; Afrikaans for "French Corner", Dutch spelling before 1947 ''Fransche Hoek'') is a small town in the Western Cape Province and one of the oldest towns in South Africa. Formerly known as Oliphants hoek (as there were vast groups of ...
and
Tulbagh
Tulbagh, named after Dutch Cape Colony Governor Ryk Tulbagh, is a town located in the "Land van Waveren" mountain basin (also known as the Tulbagh basin), in the Winelands of the Western Cape, South Africa. The basin is fringed on three side ...
*Breede River Valley -
Breedekloof,
Robertson
Robertson may refer to:
People
* Robertson (surname) (includes a list of people with this name)
* Robertson (given name)
* Clan Robertson, a Scottish clan
* Robertson, stage name of Belgian magician Étienne-Gaspard Robert (1763–1837)
Places ...
, and
Worcester
Worcester may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England
** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament
* Worcester Park, London, Engla ...
*Cape South Coast -
Cape Agulhas
Cape Agulhas (; pt, Cabo das Agulhas , "Cape of the Needles") is a rocky headland in Western Cape, South Africa.
It is the geographic southern tip of the African continent and the beginning of the dividing line between the Atlantic and Indian ...
,
Overberg
__NOTOC__
Overberg is a region in South Africa to the east of Cape Town beyond the Hottentots-Holland mountains. It lies along the Western Cape Province's south coast between the Cape Peninsula and the region known as the Garden Route in the ...
,
Plettenberg Bay
Plettenberg Bay, nicknamed Plet or Plett, is the primary town of the Bitou Local Municipality in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. As of the census of 2001, there were 29,149 population. It was originally named Bahia Formosa ("beautifu ...
,
Swellendam
Swellendam is the fifth oldest town in South Africa (after Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Simon's Town, and Paarl), a town with 17,537 inhabitants situated in the Western Cape province. The town has over 50 provincial heritage sites, most of them ...
and
Walker Bay
Walker Bay is a large bay located in the south-western Western Cape province of South Africa. It is the next major bay between False Bay near Cape Town and Cape Agulhas to the south-east. The bay is famous for having some of the best land based w ...
*Coastal Region -
Cape Peninsula
The Cape Peninsula ( af, Kaapse Skiereiland) is a generally mountainous peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean at the south-western extremity of the African continent. At the southern end of the peninsula are Cape Point and the Cape ...
,
Darling,
Franschhoek/Franschhoek Valley,
Paarl
Paarl (; Afrikaans: ; derived from ''Parel'', meaning "pearl" in Dutch) is a town with 112,045 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is the third-oldest city and European settlement in the Republic of South Africa (after ...
,
,
Swartland
The Swartland is a region of Western Cape Province that begins some north of Cape Town and consists of the area between the towns of Malmesbury in the south, Darling in the west, Piketberg in the north, Moorreesburg in the middle and the Riebee ...
,
Tulbagh
Tulbagh, named after Dutch Cape Colony Governor Ryk Tulbagh, is a town located in the "Land van Waveren" mountain basin (also known as the Tulbagh basin), in the Winelands of the Western Cape, South Africa. The basin is fringed on three side ...
,
Tygerberg
Tygerberg is a district in the northern suburbs of Cape Town in South Africa. It is also the name of the range of hills in the area. The main Tygerberg farms were Pampoenkraal (became Durbanville), Stellenburgh (became part of Bellville), Ev ...
and
Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by metr ...
*Klein Karoo -
Calitzdorp
Calitzdorp is a town on the Western side of the Little or Klein Karoo in the Western Cape Province
The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provi ...
and Langeberg-Garcia
*Olifants River -
Citrusdal Mountain,
Citrusdal Valley and
Lutzville Valley
*Northern Cape -
Douglas
Douglas may refer to:
People
* Douglas (given name)
* Douglas (surname)
Animals
* Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking
*Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civi ...
and
Sutherland-Karoo,
Wards
![Stellenbosch sauv blanc](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Stellenbosch_sauv_blanc.jpg)
Western Cape:
*Breedekloof district of the Breede River Valley -
Goudini and
Slanghoek
*Robertson district of the Breede River Valley -
Agterkliphoogte,
Bonnievale,
Boesmansrivier,
Eilandia,
Hoopsrivier,
Klaasvoogds,
Le Chasseur,
McGregor
McGregor may refer to:
People
* McGregor (surname)
* Clan MacGregor, a Scottish highland clan
* McGregor W. Scott (born 1962), U.S. attorney
Characters
* Mr. McGregor, a fictional character from Peter Rabbit
Places
in Canada:
* McGregor Lake ...
and
Vinkrivier
*Worcester district of the Breede River Valley -
Aan-de-Doorns,
Hex River Valley
The Hex River Mountains ( af, Hexrivierberge) make up the second highest mountain range in the Western Cape province of South Africa and are located 120 kilometres (75 miles) north-east of Cape Town. They form part of a large anticline in the Ca ...
,
Nuy and
Scherpenheuvel
Scherpenheuvel-Zichem (; french: Montaigu-Zichem) is a city and municipality located in the province of Flemish Brabant, Flemish Region, Belgium, encompassing the towns of Averbode, Messelbroek, Okselaar, Scherpenheuvel, Schoonderbuken, Keibe ...
*Cape Agulhas district of the Cape South Coast -
Elim
*Overberg district of the Cape South Coast -
Elgin,
Greyton
Greyton is a small town in the Overberg area in the Western Cape, South Africa.
Early history
Before Greyton was established in 1854, the verdant plains and forested ravines of the area were home to the Hessequas Khoikhoi tribe who had their k ...
,
Klein River and
Theewater
*Swellendam district of the Cape South Coast -
Buffeljags,
Malgas
Malgas (or Malagas) is a settlement on the right (southwest) bank of the Breede River in the Overberg region of the Western Cape. It is situated 25 kilometres north-west of the Breede River mouth at Witsand, and 30 kilometres south-east ...
and
Stormsvlei
*Walker Bay district of the Cape South Coast -
Bot River
Bot River is a river in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The river mouth is located at Fisherhaven. Its tributaries include the Swart River. It falls within the Drainage system G. Nicky Scarfo aka Jayden was born in this river.
Se ...
,
Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge,
Hemel-en-Aarde Valley,
Sunday's Glen,
Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
*Other wards from the Cape South Coast -
Herbertsdale and
Stilbaai East
*Darling district of the Coastal Region -
Groenekloof
*Paarl district of the Coastal Region -
Simonsberg-Paarl,
Voor Paardeberg, and
Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by metr ...
*Stellenbosch district of the Coastal Region -
Banghoek,
Bottelary,
Devon Valley,
Jonkershoek Valley,
Papegaaiberg,
Polkadraai Hills and
Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
*Swartland district of the Coastal Region -
Malmesbury
Malmesbury () is a town and civil parish in north Wiltshire, England, which lies approximately west of Swindon, northeast of Bristol, and north of Chippenham. The older part of the town is on a hilltop which is almost surrounded by the upp ...
and
Riebeekberg
*Tygerberg district of the Coastal Region -
Durbanville
Durbanville is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, part of the greater Cape Town metropolitan area. Durbanville is a semi-rural residential suburb on the north-eastern outskirts of the metropolis and is surrounded by farms prod ...
and
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
*Other wards in the Coastal Region -
Constantia and
Hout Bay
Hout Bay ( af, Houtbaai, meaning "Wood Bay") is a harbour town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is situated in a valley on the Atlantic seaboard of the Cape Peninsula, twenty kilometres south of Cape Town. The name "Hout Bay" can ...
*Other wards in the Klein Karoo Region -
Montagu,
Tradouw,
Tradouw Highlands,
Outeniqua and
Upper Langkloof
*Citrusdal Mountain district of the Olifants River region -
Piekenierskloof
*Lutzville Valley district of the Olifants River region -
Koekenaap
Other wards in the Olifants River Region -
Bamboes Bay,
Spruitdrift,
Vredendal
Vredendal is a town in the northern Olifants River Valley in the Western Cape province of South Africa, with a population (according to the 2001 census) of 16,164 people. It is situated north of Cape Town on the banks of the Olifants River at th ...
,
Cederberg,
Ceres
Ceres most commonly refers to:
* Ceres (dwarf planet), the largest asteroid
* Ceres (mythology), the Roman goddess of agriculture
Ceres may also refer to:
Places
Brazil
* Ceres, Goiás, Brazil
* Ceres Microregion, in north-central Goiás ...
,
Lamberts Bay
Lambert's Bay is a small fishing town in the Western Cape province of South Africa situated north of Cape Town. It is part of the Cederberg Municipality.
The coast town has been proclaimed 'the Diamond of the West Coast' because of its white bea ...
,
Prince Albert Valley and
Swartberg
The Swartberg mountains (''black mountain'' in Afrikaans) are a mountain range in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is composed of two main mountain chains running roughly east–west along the northern edge of the semi-arid Little ...
Northern Cape:
*Wards of the Northern Cape -
Hartswater,
Central Orange River and
Rietrivier FS
Eastern Cape:
*Wards of the Eastern Cape -
St Francis Bay
St Francis Bay ( af, St Francisbaai) is a holiday town in Sarah Baartman District Municipality in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, roughly one hour’s drive from Port Elizabeth.
On 11 November 2012 a fire destroyed 76 homes, almost ...
See also
*
List of wineries in South Africa
This is a list of wineries in South Africa arranged by wine region. A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides ...
*
History of South African wine
*
South African wine
South African wine has a history dating back to 1659 with the first bottle being produced in Cape Town by its founder and gouverner Jan van Riebeeck. Access to international markets led to new investment in the South African wine market. Produc ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wine Regions Of South Africa