Welcome to the Western Cape
Imagine a place where you can start your morning tracking wildlife through the bush on safari, spend the afternoon eating wild-caught fish on a pristine white-sand beach and end the day in the pin-drop silence of the Karoo desert – where the night sky is so unblemished you feel like you could reach up and pluck the stars with your fingers.
In South Africa’s Western Cape, almost all of it is clustered within about a two-hour drive. Easily reached from the vibrant metropolis that is Cape Town.
And somewhere out there – between the freezing Atlantic coast and the vast, dusty Karoo – some of the wine world’s greatest treasures hide in plain sight.
We’re talking about gnarly, decades-old bush vines clinging to the sides of mountains. We're talking about ancient granite soils that have been waiting half a billion years to produce world-class wine.
For years, the global wine elite simply drove past them, convinced that the Cape was only good for cheap, cheerful juice.
That’s fine by us though. Because while the critics were looking the other way, fiercely independent winemakers have been doing the hard work on the ground – mapping out hidden gems, rescuing forgotten vineyards before they were ripped up for apple orchards, and tenderly coaxing brilliant, trailblazing wines out of the rugged landscape.
Today, South Africa is a premium producer of world-beating wines. It is one of the most exciting – and far-too-overlooked – wine frontiers on the planet.
So to show you exactly what it has to offer, we’re handing the map over to two of our independent South African winemakers – Naked legends who can act as your personal travel gurus.
Meet your winemaker guides
Johan Kruger: the Cape nomad
"Welcome to the Cape! I'm Johan. I was born and bred here, growing up rather wild close to the ocean and mountains. If you need me during harvest, you'll have to catch me first – I drive about 2,500 kilometres a week between growers, vineyards, and production facilities. I don't own a massive estate, but I do know exactly where the best, most forgotten old vines are hiding. Let's go find them."
Bruwer Raats: the King (of Chenin) in the hills
"Hello, I'm Bruwer. I’m the 9th generation of my family living in South Africa, and my forefathers have played a significant role in agriculture here for over 300 years. My life is entirely centred around the dolomitic granite soils of the Polkadraai Hills. As founding members of this ward, my family’s life story is intertwined in the vines. Grab a glass of Chenin Blanc, and let me show you what three centuries of local knowledge tastes like."
The landscape: splendid isolation
Look at a map of the wine-producing world. Europe is clustered together. The Americas keep each other company. Australia and New Zealand are relatively close neighbours. But South Africa? It's hanging off the very bottom of the continent, thousands of miles from any other major wine region. It is, arguably, the most isolated winemaking country on the planet.
As Bruwer points out, that isolation brings serious challenges: "Farming at the southern tip of Africa you are isolated from neighbouring wine producing countries... most of Southern Africa is also quite arid therefore we are constantly faced with drought and extreme weather making farming conditions challenging."
But there’s a flipside, South Africa’s rugged isolation has blessed it with a staggering diversity of soils and microclimates – able to support grape varieties of all colours, shapes and sizes.
It also breeds a culture of fierce independence. Because they aren't bound by centuries of hyper-strict European wine laws, South African winemakers have the freedom to just go and do their own thing.
"South Africa, especially the Western Cape, is a very diverse country," explains Johan. "Ranging from seaside villages, winelands in and around Stellenbosch, mountains... and then the more arid Karoo. All these amazing different areas and terroirs make for wines which really express where they grow."
The wines: total freedom
Because of that incredible diversity and a refreshing lack of rules, the Cape is a true winemaker's playground. They grow everything from Sauvignon Blanc to Chardonnay, Shiraz to Cabernet Sauvignon. And even their own native cross-breed, Pinotage (a mix of Pinot Noir and Cinsault).
Then there’s Chenin Blanc. South Africa has made this grape one of its own, pioneering a style that is dry but bursting with ripe, tropical fruit.
Bruwer himself was one of the pioneers of this style. In fact, the Raats family were the first producers in South Africa to specialise in Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc.
And if big reds are more your speed, the Cape produces world-class Bordeaux blends too – led by gorgeous, sun-ripened Cabernet Sauvignon. Johan’s Kruger Family Elements is a perfect example.
South Africa isn't just about pioneering new styles though. It's also about fiercely protecting its deep-rooted history. The Cape is home to a treasure trove of heritage vineyards – so much so, that they are the first country in the world to have a certified Old Vine Project dedicated to protecting vines older than 35 years.
"This is winemaking at its finest expression," Johan says of his old vines.
The harsh reality with old vines, however, is that they cost more to farm, yield far fewer grapes, and require back-breaking hand-harvesting. Because they aren't always commercially viable, these historic sites are constantly under threat.
Back in 2017, a 40-year-old Chenin Blanc vineyard was about to be destroyed to make room for a more profitable apple orchard.
Thankfully, Johan got the backing of 20,000 Angels to step in and save the old vines. The first vintage he made sold out in two months, and Johan reinvested the money to do even more good – rescuing even more historic old vine vineyards from the bulldozers.
His favourite site? “My Old Vines Chardonnay is made from the third oldest Chardonnay vineyard in South Africa, planted in 1986 on the Paardeberg Mountain close to Malmesbury – this wine sings its terroir through the glass… grown on a mountain top valley on a cooler site in a warmer region, it gives an amazing expression of complexity and sense of place.”
And when he's not saving history, he's making it: Johan recently released the very first South African Piquepoul – named after his son Lukas – aged in clay amphorae and oak. It’s been a revelation.
It perfectly captures the fearless, pioneering spirit of South African winemaking. Out here, there’s no stuffy committee telling winemakers what they can and can't plant – meaning creative winemakers like Johan are free to ask themselves, “What happens if we try this?”
Detour: a few more gems
A little away from Stellenbosch, head down to Elgin, where Master of Wine Richard Kershaw makes his wines. Famous as the home of Appletiser, this cool-climate apple country is arguably the closest parallel to Burgundy for Chardonnay anywhere on earth.
Or, if you fancy a truly extraordinary red, look out for Reenen Borman and his Syrah. His 'Epilogue' often takes the title of the best wine in all of South Africa. It’s an absolute must-try (if you can get your hands on it – as only a handful of bottles are made every year).
The itinerary: fire, food and finding the stars
Now, let Johan and Bruwer tell you what to do when you aren't swirling a glass in a cellar. To truly experience the Cape, you have to get out into it.
Johan recommends soaking up the energy of the city: "Cape Town as a city is just amazing with many top restaurants, great wine bars, and Table Mountain."
If you want to escape the crowds, he points to the West Coast for "great seafood and beaches for miles" or heading inland to the Karoo “where you can literally pick the stars with your fingers at night.”
Bruwer’s perfect itinerary leans into the wild and the scenic: "a safari in the Sabi Sands, exploring Stellenbosch and then sunset at Buffelsbaai in the Garden Route."
After all that exploring, you're going to be hungry. And out here, food means fire.
Must experience: the braai
Whatever you do, do not call a braai a BBQ in front of a South African.
Sure, you can see the similarities – it’s a cultural institution that involves standing around the flames debating the best way to cook the meat. But out in the Cape, it’s taken to a whole new level.
It is so culturally important that braais are often permanently built right into the architecture of people's homes, fully rigged up with their own brick chimneys just like a dedicated outdoor fireplace.
And like any good cultural institution, there are healthy debates around the “right” way to braai. With purists decrying charcoal – because really, you should only ever cook with proper wood on the braai.
It’s a perfect excuse to fire up some boerewors – a wonderfully spiced, coarsely minced local sausage spiral that is a must-try. Although when our winemakers are manning the grill, they like to go all out.
"As South Africans, we love to braai!" says Johan. "I would go for a wild-caught fish called Kabeljou (Cob)... amazing straight from the braai grid only with salt and lemon juice. Or the best lamb meat in the world from the Karoo."
When it comes to matching the wine to the food, Bruwer has it perfectly dialled in: "With Cabernet Franc, undoubtedly lamb and rosemary."
And if you want to step away from the flames for a brilliant pairing? "With Chenin Blanc, light style curries such as Cape Malay or Thai Green Curry."
Even better, why not take Bruwer's advice and pair that ice-cold Chenin with a sunset fire at Buffelsbaai, or follow Johan back into the Karoo to pick those stars right out of the sky.
One final takeaway…
At Naked, we feel massive pride for our South African winemaking family. And "family" really is the right word.
From Bruwer and Johan, to Reenen Borman, Richard Kershaw, Carmen Stevens and more – this is a tight-knit community who looks out for one another, swapping knowledge and sharing a collective determination to show what their country is capable of.
And if you take one thing away from this trip, let it be this: it's time to ditch the "cheap and cheerful" stereotype for good. South African wines offer some of the most astonishing value in the world right now. And the quality is world-beating.
Johan backs this up with hard proof: "South Africa has worked hard to up the image of its wine on the world stage. We recently showcased 20 of our top Chardonnays against the top examples of the rest of the world. The conclusion from top journalists was that we do not look out of place in terms of quality, but over deliver on price!"
Ready to stamp your passport?
It’s easy to see how a wildly beautiful place like this gets under your skin.
As Johan perfectly summarises: “Like most countries in the world today, we have our challenges, but I always maintain that if you look around you, at the ocean, mountains, amazing vineyards and people, we still live in the land of milk and honey – and many visitors to us can testify to that.”
If you want to continue the tour in real life, our winemakers love showing our Angel members their backyard. If you are lucky enough to be visiting the "land of milk and honey" soon, head over to our Cellar Door page to book a visit and meet the legends in person.
Of course, you don't need a plane ticket to experience the magic of the Cape. Every bottle from the likes of Bruwer or Johan is a direct ticket to those rugged coasts and granite hills.
So grab a corkscrew, fire up the braai and taste it for yourself.
