The best wines from Wellington in South Africa

Wellington is an ancient South African wine region. The terroirs of the vineyards in Wellington vary enormously and so does the quality of the wines. From supermarket level to top class. It is warm in Wellington and that is why the best vineyards are higher on the flanks of the surrounding mountains. Chenin Blanc is the most widely planted grape, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot.

The name Wellington has existed since 1840 and owes its name to the winner of the Battle of Waterloo. Before that, the area was called Limit Valley. Wellington is already an old designation of origin for South African wine. Until 2012, Wellington was a Ward within the Paarl district. Since then it has been an independent wine district.

Wellington is a patchwork of all kinds of different terroirs. In general it is a warm area. The vineyards located on the slopes of the Hawequa mountain or the Groenberg produce the best wines. They have a bottom of granite and sandstone and benefit from cooling winds. In the cold winters they are covered by a layer of snow, which provides the soil with the necessary moisture in the spring. Not an unnecessary luxury, because rainfall is limited and irrigation is very common.

There are several very large producers and cooperatives active in Wellington that focus on European supermarkets. But there are also several dozen small producers who make very interesting quality wines. Some of the country's best wines come from Wellington.

Chenin Blanc is the most planted grape in Wellington, followed by blue grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot. Due to the heat, relatively little Sauvignon Blanc has been planted and some more Chardonnay.