Summer is the best season for getting together with friends, dining outside in the sun, and drinking crisp and refreshing wine.
After a warm day in the sun, there’s nothing as thirst-quenching as a glass of crisp chardonnay or sweet rosé.
Thankfully, there are a number of whites, reds, and sparkling wines that are perfect for sipping in the sunshine.
Below, Cape Wine Auction director and organiser of the annual Summer Wines Festival, Darielle Robertson, together with some of the country’s best winemakers from top estates, share some of the amazing summer wines that you should try this season.
1. Cap Maritime Chardonnay 2020
Winemaker Gottfried Mocke describes this gorgeous white wine as having aromas of ripe citrus, fresh pineapple, yellow apple, and subtle whiffs of vanilla, nutmeg, and preserved lemon.
The lime and pineapple of the nose follow through, with flavours of white peach, apricot, poached pear, and notes of lemon curd, honeysuckle, and burnt caramel on a juicy, balanced palate.
The ideal food pairing would be grilled salmon with roasted sweet potato, served with a corn and feta salad, with balsamic dressing.
2. Holden Manz Manz Rothko Rosé 2022
Cellarmaster Thierry Haberer says: “The Holden Manz Rothko Rosé fits our slogan #roséallday! It is crisp, refined, full of strawberry and watermelon fruit with a wonderfully smooth finish”.
This wine is ideal for sipping by the pool and goes beautifully with fresh Mozambican prawns on the braai with a touch of red chilli garlic butter and lots of friends.
3. L’Ormarins Private Cuvée
This gorgeous Cap Classique is made by Zanie Viljoen who says: “The palate is tangy and refreshing and full of vivid lemon and marmalade flavours.
It is sumptuous, elegant, vibrant and fresh yet creamy, rich and statuesque and has a wonderful lingering finish”. The wine is perfect for summer drinking and pairs well with steamed crayfish or lobster tails or a lovely grilled snapper.
4. Rupert & Rothschild 2021 Baroness Nadine Chardonnay
Winemaker Kayla Oertle-Morse’s wine is the epitome of an elegant summer wine – crisp white pear and melon fruit on the palate with lingering toasted macadamia nougat and brioche.
This seamless balance between freshness and delicate texture invites you to enjoy it all year round.
5. Lynx Blanc de Noir 2022
This is “one of the valley’s first releases,” says winemaker Pierre Louw. The wine is made for the hot summer months and boasts watermelon, rosewater, and strawberry candy floss on the nose and palate, with a lingering zesty fresh acidity to complete this summer wine.
6. Terra Del Capo Pinot Grigio
With a light yet appealing subtle lemon leaf nuance to a bouquet of stone fruit and nectarine, this wine from winemakers Estan de Wet and Mark van Buuren has a vivacious and lively palate that offers up vivid nectarine flavour, along with a tangy yet crisp citrus element.
Refreshing and succulent with good body and length. Perfect for balmy and hot summer days.
7. La Motte 2022 Vin de Joie Rosé
Cellarmaster Edmund Terblanche says “it will bring joy to both everyday moments and special occasions. The colour of this wine is delicate, the palate juicy and the after taste refreshing. It’s all you want from a summer wine!”
8. Leopard’s Leap Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir
“This beautiful bubbly is vivacious and versatile. The crisp bubbles make it playful on the palate and a brilliant partner for what you have on your plate”, says winemaker Renier van Deventer.
9. Mont Rochelle Sauvignon Blanc
Mont Rochelle Sauvignon Blanc is described by winemaker Michael Langenhoven as “a true reflection of the perfect harmony of cool and warm climate grapes. This wine portrays beautiful tropical fruits and a broad palate with a lovely freshness and complexity which makes it the perfect wine for Summer. It displays fresh passion fruit, gooseberries, and lime on the nose. It is like summer in a glass.
10. Nederburg The Winemaster’s Grenache Carignan Rosé
From winemaker Pieter Badenhorst, this wine “has a bouquet of tempting aromas of ripe orange melon, cling peach and subtle caramel with a shy hint of cherry and pomegranate with melon, cherry, and pomegranate with revitalising juiciness and a subtle floral note on the palate”. Rounded and ripe with pleasantly refreshing acidity throughout, it goes superbly well with smoked salmon, risotto, summer salads, or vegetarian dishes.
10. Warwick Professor Black Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Cellarmaster JD Pretorius says of this wine: “It has a complex nose of elderflower, peach, lime, green fig, and herbs. As the wine opens aromas of citrus blossom, fresh-cut grass, and fynbos appear. The palate is well balanced and full of energy with lime, herbs, green figs, and passion fruit, beautifully textured with bright lingering acidity and pairs wonderfully with grilled salmon and Thai noodle salad.”
