South African wine: your questions answered

It depends how big you like your reds. Libby’s Pride Merlot 2021 (£13.99) is fruity and medium bodied, with red and black berries and a hint of mint. Harold’s Pinotage 2019 (£15) has red berries, cinnamon and soft tannins, and handles spicy food well. Compagniesdrift Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2018 (£16.99) is the fullest of the three, with blackcurrant, plum and spice.

For something fruity, J9 Sauvignon Blanc 2021 (£13.99) has guava, green fig leaf and a hint of lychee. Seven Sisters Sauvignon Blanc 2021 (£15.99) is crisp and dry, with bell pepper and green apple. Ses’fikile Chenin Blanc Roussanne 2020 (£15.99) is aromatic, with pear, apple and honey.

Harold’s Pinotage 2019, from M’hudi, has red berries and cranberry, a touch of cinnamon, something like toasted marshmallow, and soft tannins. Pinotage was created in South Africa in 1925 by crossing Pinot Noir with Cinsault, and most of it is still grown there. Serve it at a cool room temperature.

Chenin Blanc is the most planted grape in South Africa. Our Ses’fikile 2020 blends it with Roussanne, which gives pear, apple and honey with balanced acidity. It’s 12.5% and goes well with chicken liver pâté or a goat’s cheese tart.

A blend of a white grape (Chardonnay) and a red grape (Pinot Noir). Compagniesdrift Chardonnay Pinot Noir is pale in the glass with a rose and mandarin tint, and tastes of cherry and red berry, then stone fruit. It’s the one to open when half the table drinks red and the other half drinks white.

J9 (13%, £13.99) is the fruitier one, with guava and lychee, and is best well chilled on a warm day. Seven Sisters (12%, £15.99) is crisp and dry, with bell pepper and green apple, and suits seafood, chicken or pork.

Seven Sisters Sauvignon Blanc is the lowest at 12%. Libby’s Pride Merlot is the strongest at 14.5%, followed by the Compagniesdrift Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot at 14%.

J9 Sauvignon Blanc and Libby’s Pride Merlot are both £13.99, and Harold’s Pinotage is £15.

The mixed case: one bottle each of six of our wines, three reds and three whites, for £69.99. It costs less than buying the six separately and ships free. Seven Sisters isn’t in it, but you can add a bottle.

Compagniesdrift Chardonnay Pinot Noir with the turkey: it has the red fruit for the cranberry sauce and the freshness of a white. We’ve written a full guide to Christmas dinner wine, course by course.

Harold’s Pinotage. Its sweet-tasting fruit copes with spice, and it also works with most red meats, venison and pizza.

Compagniesdrift Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot with roast lamb and rosemary. Open it about half an hour before you pour. Harold’s Pinotage also suits most red meats.

Seven Sisters Sauvignon Blanc with seafood, or J9 Sauvignon Blanc with smoked salmon.

Libby’s Pride Merlot with a board that’s mostly cheddar and Red Leicester. For goat’s cheese, Ses’fikile Chenin Blanc Roussanne.

Libby’s Pride Merlot, or Harold’s Pinotage with pizza.

Open a white and a red and let people choose. Our guide to wine with canapés matches all seven wines to party food, lightest first.

From us. On Cloud Wine started in 2021 to give South African winemakers a way to sell in the UK, and every wine we sell is South African. Browse the red wines, the white wines, the cases of six or the whole shop, or read more about us.

Any six single bottles get 10% off, and you can mix them. Each wine also comes as a case of six, which costs less than six single bottles. Newsletter sign-ups get 5% off their first order with the code WELCOME5, on orders of up to five bottles.

We deliver to UK addresses in 1-3 working days. Delivery is free on 6+ bottles or orders over £70, and otherwise costs £3 plus £1.50 a bottle. For Christmas, order by 20 December. You must be 18 or over to buy. You can return unopened bottles within 14 days of delivery; the details are in our return policy. Anything else, email emily@oncloudwine.co.uk.