Match for its rivals

Where South Africa has lost out in the past was on a big brand to really get some volume sales. All that is changing with the appearance of First Cape which now provides reasonable flavour for money and is widely available from small shops to supermarkets. At present the soft, lush, black cherry fruit of the Limited Release Merlot and the crisp, citrussy fruit of its partner Chenin Blanc are now on offer at Tesco (4.99), and they make good weekday suppertime wines.

Moving a step up in quality, Zalze is another name well worth looking out for. During my last visit to South Africa I tried the full range of these wines over dinner in Stellenbosch with Ross Sleet, the marketing manager of Kleine Zalze where there wines are made.

He explained that the team had spent a great deal of time developing them, not just for their mix of grape varieties but on building a more rounded texture which makes them particularly food-friendly. Even at full price, they offer great flavours.

My favourite is the Zalze Shiraz Mourvdre Viognier 2008 blend which captures deep, dark fruit flavours and a streak of peppery spice, while the Chenin Blanc has remarkable freshness and delicious notes of honeydew melon on the palate. Both wines are available at Waitrose, normally at 6.49, but they are on special offer until April 13 at 4.99. There is a good ros in the range which also over-delivers on flavour with herb-edged, strawberry fruit and a crisp style. This is also on offer at Waitrose.

Over at Majestic, Zalze crops up again, this time with delicious deep, plum-crumble flavours of Pinotage but without the usual streak of road-mender's tar which can appear in some versions. The 2008 Pinotage costs 4.99 on multibuy.

Also at Majestic you can find Porcupine Ridge Syrah Viognier (2007 vintage, 5.99 on multibuy) which comes from Marc Kent at Boekenhoutskloof and which I rate as one of South Africa's best value wines. It is made in the small-tank, hand-plunged, slightly obsessive way that a much more expensive wine is usually made, and that attention to detail shows in the lively mulberry fruit and layers of spice. Privately Marc admits that he could make a lot more money by selling this wine elsewhere but he likes seeing it on UK shelves and we certainly seem to enjoy drinking it. Waitrose stocks the Sauvignon Blanc and the Syrah versions of Porcupine Ridge at 6.99 and even at full price they are well worth the money.

But there is a lot more to South African wines than the ones hovering around the 5-6 mark. The last 10 years have seen rapid investment, not just in equipment but in vineyards and in winemaker skills. Some of South Africa's most expressive wines come from the Swartland region, a hot dry area with occasional cooler coastal breezes situated a couple of hour's drive north of Stellenbosch.

This rolling landscape used to be best known for its endless wheat fields but there were always some old vineyards dotted across the landscape. Mainly planted to Chenin with some old Pinotage bush vines, the rich, complexity of the wines they made were discovered just a few years ago, first by Charles Back who created his distinctive Spice Route range (Harrogate Fine Wine 9.99) and then by the talented winemakers who followed him into the region.

Eben Sadie was the winemaker who made the first vintages of Spice Route and he packed so much character into the wine by his careful interpretation of the fruit that, in turn, Spice Route made his reputation. Now he has his own label and his own vineyards but he also buys in from across the region, selecting parcels of grapes if they come up to his exacting standards.

He understands the terroir of this place, the way that each piece of land delivers different flavours and intensities and he likes to blend varietals, creating a wine that delivers complexity and structure. Sadie does not believe in varietal wines and so he misses out on the great commercial level of wine, but frankly he doesn't care.

He spent most of our interview time telling me about the effect of moving his top wine Columella into large barrels instead of smaller oak. This was not time-wasting – he has an intense, research-station level of knowledge about the way tannins interact as the wines age. His wines are expensive but they are an experience and show that South Africa is more than just a place to grow cheap wine. Harrogate Fine Wine (01423 522270) has three vintages of Columella at 41.99 each. I tasted the Syrah Mourvdre 2007 blend and it is still a baby, needing perhaps a decade to really express itself.

The flavours were intense with dark chocolate, savoury and damson notes adding to an overall spicy, herby effect. Buy it, and try to keep your hands off it for at least a couple of years.

Adi Badenhorst is a relatively new arrival in Swartland but already he is making exceptional wines. He was the winemaker at top-property Rustenberg for eight years and delivered some of

their most impressive wines. Then he and his family bought an old wine property and they are busy renovating the winery and its vineyards. He also likes blends, and one of his wines has so many grape varieties in it that he loses count of them.

His Family White 2007 is a blend of Grenache Blanc and Roussanne with a splash of Viognier and others, is reminiscent of a top white Chteauneuf, with freshness, aromatics and weight. The Family Red 2006 is the one made from a long list of varietals and I thought it was stunning for its smoky, plum-rich complexity. Both are available at Great Northern (01765 711703) at 22.50. Even at that price, they are bargains, the red in particular.

Secateurs Red and White are the two cheaper, bigger volume wines which will pay Adi's bills until he gets established. At 8.99 and 9.99 for the white and red they are well worth a try.