South Africa’s wine industry has been hit hard by the pandemic, but there are ways that we can support it

South African wines are ideal for so many occasions. From great value, easy drinking everyday wines to complex, deep-flavoured gems clearly showing their link to individual soils and microclimates, South Africa has it. This country can also do terrific sparklers, fortified wines, old vines and over the 25 years that I have been visiting, South Africa has shown enormous progress in what used to be called “black empowerment”, but which is now a substantive programme giving fair opportunities for all.

Here are some of my favourite wines from this land of sunshine, fabulous scenery and wonderful places to stay. This week I concentrate on everyday, great- value wines. Next week, because my brain still wants to be in South Africa, I’ll look at more expensive options.

Bruce Jack

There is a little panic in hotels and restaurants because the 2021 New Zealand harvest was down by around 20 per cent and stocks of favourite brands are limited. However, South Africa can easily step into this gap so there is no need to go thirsty.

The coastal vineyards of the Cape, in particular the western coastline of Darling, and southern areas, including Constantia, Walker Bay and Cape Agulhas, can all produce vibrant, gooseberry-charged wines that capture the essence of good Sauvignon. And prices are competitive too.

Bruce Jack, formerly a winemaker with some of South Africa’s biggest brands, has now established his own label which is impossible to miss since his name is emblazoned across it. The new vintage of Bruce Jack Sauvignon Blanc 2021 is just arriving on shelves, and it is full of zesty, taste bud-tingling fruit. Find it at Asda and Sainsbury’s at £7.

Bruce also has other wine in the range including a rather good Pinotage Malbec blend which captures the cherry and spice of Pinotage with a base note of dark mulberry fruit from the Malbec. Find this at Sainsbury’s at £7, down to £6 until February 8.

Porcupine Ridge

I have long been a fan of the wines of Marc Kent, winemaker at Boekenhoutskloof. The main wines from this estate include a characterful Chocolate Block, a superb Cabernet Sauvignon and an ethereal Semillon which balances lime, honeysuckle and orange blossom notes with silky complexity and length.

But these are not everyday wines, which is why the great value Porcupine Ridge is such a good label to look for. This brand started out as a way of using wines that didn’t quite make it into the Boekenhoutskloof label, but they became too popular. Now they are specially made in another winery, still with Marc Kent keeping an eye on the style and quality. For me, they represent some of the best-value wines from the Cape.

Head to Majestic for Porcupine Shiraz Viognier (£9.99 a bottle or £8.99 when bought as part of a mixed six) for dark blackberry fruit, edged with pepper and if you look for it, just a lift of the aroma of violets. Porcupine Ridge Sauvignon Blanc is also well worth trying for its fresh green kiwi fruit, with touches of lemongrass, guava and citrus (Waitrose, £8.49).

Journey’s End

The Journey’s End estate stands halfway up a hill overlooking False Bay. It gets full-on sunshine during the day, with a breeze that blows up from the ocean, keeping temperatures down. It is surrounded by vineyards and the winery seems to melt into the green-covered hills. There are two reasons why I like the wines from this company.

The first is that it produces good wines at very good prices, while keeping a close eye on sustainability and wildlife. The second is the role the company played in keeping the people of the surrounding villages fed during the pandemic.

The government, probably for very good reasons, closed down the wine industry several times during the pandemic. Wine could not be sold in restaurants, shops, and on wine estates. This forced thousands of people out of work and without the cushion of furlough, many people were without an income.

The last time I had a conversation with Rollo Gabb, managing director of Journeys’ End, he said the foundation that the estate had established during 2020 provided 13,000 meals a week through a network of kitchens established in the Helderberg region of Stellenbosch.

The foundation is still working in the community because, without the regular influx of tourists and visitors, South Africa’s wine economy is still fragile.

And despite that work in the community, or maybe because of it, the wines are very good value. Taste the Difference Journey’s End Chardonnay 2020 is new on the shelves at Sainsbury’s (£10). With soft, rounded melon and citrus peel fruit, with a creamy, food-friendly texture, this is a delicious wine. Marks & Spencer has Journey’s End Honeycomb Chardonnay 2020, which is just a shade lighter in style (£9).

Also at M&S under its own Classics label is the Fairtrade Pinotage (£8) which comes from Journey’s End. With dark cherry and plum fruit and just the merest whiff of oak, this is the perfect wine to line up alongside a winter casserole.

I also like the Identity wines which feature a giant trebuchet on the label. A trebuchet is one of those catapults favoured by knights to knock down castles, and the Gabb family have one built and installed on a piece of land and they use it to raise money for their foundation by slinging old barrels at clapped out cars.

Apparently, it is great fun. Try the exuberant fruit and easy style of Identity Shiraz 2020 at Sainsbury’s (£9).