View along a green vine row to a valley and a rock face

Grape variety · White

Chenin Blanc

Smooth, rounded river stones beneath the vines, as if someone had planted an old riverbed. That is what the soils of the Breedekloof look like. More Chenin Blanc grows here than anywhere else in the country.

WOSA describes the Breedekloof soils as alluvial deposits over river stones. Chenin Blanc covers 2,739 hectares here, the largest area of any region in South Africa. In the Slanghoek Valley, Opstal builds on the grape: a family estate in its seventh generation with winemaker Attie Louw and the Sixpence, Estate, Heritage and Single-Site ranges. At the Cape the grape is traditionally called Steen.

of South Africa's vineyards, SAWIS, as of 31 December 2025
18.4%
of Chenin Blanc, the country's most planted grape
15,949 ha
in the Breedekloof, more than any other region
2,739 ha
minimum vine age for the Old Vine seal
35 years

SAWIS counts exactly 15,949 hectares nationwide at the end of 2025, 18.4 per cent of the vineyard area. The share has barely moved since 2018, when it was 18.5 per cent. The range is wide: WOSA lists dry and sweet wines, sherry-style wines and sparkling wine, and Chenin is also distilled for brandy. Even the country's first bottle-fermented sparkling wine, the 1971 Kaapse Vonkel, was originally a Chenin.

After the Breedekloof come the Paarl statistical region with Franschhoek and Wellington (2,530 hectares), Worcester (1,753), Robertson (1,570) and Stellenbosch (1,192). The Old Vine Project awards a seal to vines of 35 years and older, with the planting year printed on it, and some South African Chenin clones are considered extinct in France and are being preserved there in clone gardens. Spier near Stellenbosch entered four Chenins in the Global Chenin Masters 2026 and holds the title 2025 Grand Master Chenin Blanc.

Our tipIn the Slanghoek Valley you can pair Chenin with lunch: the Opstal Eat restaurant is open daily from 9am to 5pm, with the kitchen closing mid-afternoon. Book at weekends (as of September 2026).

Chenin Blanc to order

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Chenin Blanc: frequently asked questions

What does Steen mean on a South African wine label?

Steen is the traditional South African name for Chenin Blanc. At 18.4 per cent of the vineyard area, Chenin Blanc is the country's most planted grape (SAWIS, as of 31 December 2025).

Where does South Africa grow the most Chenin Blanc?

South Africa's largest Chenin Blanc plantings are in the Breedekloof, with 2,739 hectares. The Paarl statistical region with Franschhoek and Wellington and Worcester follow.

What does the Old Vine seal on a bottle of Chenin Blanc mean?

The Certified Heritage Vineyards seal of the Old Vine Project goes on wines from vines at least 35 years old. The seal shows the year the vineyard was planted.