Chenin Blanc is one of South Africa's undiscovered gems. Known locally as Steen, it is planted across the country and some of the vineyards are up to 90 years old! This is a really fresh, vibrant example. The nose starts out with raw white pear, some green apple skin and a touch of chalk and grass. Mild, clean and direct. The palate has great texture, nice flow and savouriness. Some salinity on the finish, wrapped up in the zingy acidity. Definitely in the chalky/sea spray territory here – a good, dry white that is refreshing and a great example of easy going South African Chenin.

Wellington Wines is living proof that often, the best results come about through collaboration, sharing, and the coming together of different visions and styles. While we’re all for small, boutique, and heritage-based wineries here at The Wine Gallery, there’s something truly impressive and heartening about the way Wellington Wines has come about. This co-operative was born by the joining of three separate wineries, their strengths combining to produce wines which are the very essence of their landscape. In 2013, the heads of Bovlei Winery, Wamakersvallei Winery, and Wellington Co-op Wines got around the table and decided together that the best way for them to spread their message of quality, modern, and forward-thinking South African wines was to join forces, and do what they all did best together. The praise and awards came thick and fast soon after, and it’s fair to say they’ve never looked back. This collection of wineries has access to some of the finest terroir in the Wellington region, where the sun-baked earth is tempered by cool breezes from the south. Here, classic South African wine grapes grow to full ripeness, maintaining their acidity and structure due to the warm days and colder nights. The Wellington crew have the decades and expertise to know to keep their yields small, their chemical use limited, and to trust the fruit to do its thing on the vine… all of which results in wines which really capture the character of this part of the northern Paarl wine region.