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Matthieu Joannon, Unsplash
Matthieu Joannon, Unsplash | Robertson, Paarl and Stellenbosch are some of the largest planted regions of chardonnay in South Africa.
Matthieu Joannon, Unsplash

Best wine estates for tasting Chardonnay

From the limestone soils of Robertson to the cool ocean breezes of Hemel-en-Aarde, every glass tells a different story.

Ilse Zietsman
Written by Ilse Zietsman
City Expert, Time Out Cape Town
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You can’t beat a nice glass of chardonnay after a really long, hard day. Not only then, over a leisurely lunch too. Let’s just say, a glass of chardonnay always goes down well.  

Chardonnay is known for versatility which means it expresses the flavours of the terroir where it is cultivated. Thus, you can have a refreshing crisp chardonnay, a fruity one or one with a creamy, rich finish, each one showcasing the individual winemaker’s style.

According to the Chardonnay Association of South Africa the most planted regions as of 2024 is, from largest down, Robertson, followed by Paarl and Stellenbosch. Chardonnay is also planted in Franschhoek, the West Coast, Elgin, the South Coast and the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. In South Africa two wine regions stand out as far as chardonnay is concerned, Robertson and Hemel-en-Aarde. 

In the words of Jancis Robinson, British wine writer and journalist, voted the world’s most influential wine critic in various international polls, “South Africa is well able to produce the sort of refreshing Chardonnays that are fashionable today, thanks to cooling ocean currents, and in some cases to usefully high vineyards where nights are cool.”

There’s even an international Chardonnay Day, celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday in the month of May. 

Here’s some recommended chardonnays of different styles, from crisp and refreshing, to buttery and rich, at wine destinations that will woo you from the moment of arrival.

Best wine estate for tasting Chardonnay

1. De Wetshof Estate

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  • Cape Town
De Wetshof Estate
De Wetshof Estate
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The story of chardonnay in South Africa started with Danie de Wet of De Wetshof in Robertson who played a pioneering role in introducing this grape locally, believing that it’s the greatest white wine in the world. Since then, chardonnay has become synonymous with De Wetshof.

At De Wetshof there are seven chardonnays on offer, with De Wetshof Bateleur Chardonnay at the top of the range. The lower-priced De Wetshof Limestone Hill is a firm favourite too. Chardonnay-philes are in for a treat when they visit this estate to taste this range of chardonnays. 

Winemaker Peter De Wet explains that all (their chardonnays) are “site specific to give each a unique identity”. 

De Wetshof chardonnays are consistently doing well all over the world; in the past two years they have received 8 gold awards at the Michelangelo Awards and 5 golds at Veritas. Also, in June 2025 the highly regarded Wine Advocate Robert Parker from America gave 5 of their chardonnays 90+ out of 100. 

Another treat, a visual one, is the buildings on the farm, designed by Louis Michel Thibault, the Cape Colony’s first trained architect. A bit of history is thrown in here too as the cellar façade was based on the Old Customs House, later used as a Granary in Cape Town and the tasting room and offices resemble the Koopmans-De Wet House, the oldest house museum in South Africa, also in Cape Town. 

Private library tastings in the De Wetshof Wine Library can also be booked.

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2. Rietvallei Wine Estate

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  • Cape Town
Rietvallei Wine Estate
Rietvallei Wine Estate
Rietvlei Wine Estate Facebook

Established in 1864, Rietvallei Wine Estate is one of South Africa’s oldest family-owned wine estates. 

Owner and winemaker Kobus Burger is passionate about chardonnay. He says that “the elegance, complexity and ability of our chardonnay reflect our unique terroir; I also believe that our three Chardonnay offerings namely Rietvallei Chardonnay, Rietvallei Calcrete and John B Brut Chardonnay also show how diverse this wonderful cultivar can be”.

Their Rietvlei Chardonnay expresses their terroir to the fullest; no wonder then that at the National Wine Challenge 2025 the Rietvallei Chardonnay 2023 won a Double Platinum award, the Rietvallei Calcrete Chardonny 2024 a Double Gold.

The Rietvallei tasting room is housed in the original homestead dotted with historic photographs and artifacts that tell the story of the estate’s past.

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3. Hamilton Russell Vineyards

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  • Cape Town
Hamilton Russell Vineyards
Hamilton Russell Vineyards
Hamilton Russell Vineyards

Hamilton Russell Vineyards is one of the most southerly wine estates in the country; they’re internationally renowned for their classic chardonnays (and pinot noirs) that are sold in more than 50 countries.  

As a well-known wine writer wrote, these days it would be nearly impossible to imagine a local wine landscape without the chardonnays of Anthony Hamilton Russell, amongst others, especially from this valley.

This is echoed by winemaker Emul Ross who says: “Throughout our 45 vintages, our Chardonnay serves as the most pure mouthpiece as an expression of our unique, ancient, and marginal clay-rich Bokkeveld shale soils—its character shines through beyond any winemaker’s influence. Always delivering a wine … with a unique sense of place.”  

According to Tim Atkin, an award-winning wine writer and Master of Wine with over 30 years’ experience in the world of wine, “Hamilton Russell’s excellent chardonnay has been a benchmark for as long as (he) can remember”.

From the beautiful estate of Hamilton Russell with its thatched roof buildings reflecting in the dam on a wind-still day, you head up to the rest of the Hemel-en-Aarde valley. 

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