South Africa’s Chenin Blanc Top 10 Revealed for 2026

South Africa’s Chenin Blanc Top 10 Revealed for 2026. Ten South African Chenin Blanc wines have been named winners of the 2026 Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge following three days of blind judging.

The competition assessed 150 entries from 97 producers across 36 Wine of Origin classifications. Six of the winning wines come from heritage vineyards aged 35 years or older, highlighting the contribution of old-vine plantings to South Africa’s Chenin Blanc production.

The 2026 winners are Beaumont Family Wines Hope Marguerite 2025 from Bot River, City on a Hill Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2024 from Swartland, DaschBosch Mossiesdrift Steen 2025 from Breedekloof, and Groot Phesantekraal Anna de Koning 2024 from Cape Town’s Durbanville region.

The list also includes Painted Wolf Wines Lightning Chenin Blanc 2024 from Wellington, Stettyn Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2025 from Stettyn, Stellenrust ArtiSons Mothership Chenin Blanc 2025 and Stellenrust 61 Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc 2025 from Stellenbosch.

Wildeberg Terroirs Chenin Blanc 2024 from Paarl and Zoetendal Chenin Blanc 2022 from the Coastal Region complete the winning selection.

The wines were assessed for qualities including fruit purity, freshness, elegance and texture. The results reflect the range of Chenin Blanc styles produced across South Africa’s wine regions.

According to the latest 2025 SAWIS vineyard statistics, Chenin Blanc accounts for 18.4% of South Africa’s total vineyard area, with 15,948.58 hectares planted nationally.

The Challenge has supported community development initiatives in wine-producing regions since 2014. Each winning producer receives R25,000 to contribute towards a social upliftment programme.

Projects supported through the initiative include education, food security, worker wellbeing, skills development and infrastructure. More than R3 million has been directed towards community development projects since the Challenge began.

For the first time, the competition has