South Africa’s grape-growing history dates back more than 350 years, but its sparkling wine production is a mere half-century old. Produced similarly to Champagne using the traditional method, or méthode Champenoise, Cap Classique is a tribute to the legendary French bubbles.
But while South African sparklers are popular in upscale wine bars and restaurants in Cape Town, or on safari during sundowners in the bush, they haven’t received the same attention internationally as other sparkling wines like Prosecco or Cava. But that’s starting to change.
The country is getting more creative with its sparkling wine production. Winemakers are crafting Méthode Cap Classique or MCC wines in unexpected areas like Cape Agulhas, the most southerly part of Africa, and working with the country’s star grape, Chenin Blanc, to produce bubbles that feel as South African as prized liqueurs like creamy Amarula.
“Our producers, unlike our Champagne-based counterparts, have the freedom to play around with other varietals,” says Lloyd Jusa, wine program manager at Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa in Johannesburg. “This creates wines of startling originality, layered with texture, lifted by vibrant acidity and infused with a sense of place that is unmistakably South African.”
What is Cap Classique?
The first traditional-method sparkler in South Africa was born in the early 1970s at Stellenbosch estate Simonsig Family Vineyards after founder Frans Malan returned from a trip to Champagne.
Dubbed Kaapse Vonkel, which translates to “Cape Sparkle,” the sparkling wine was originally crafted from Chenin Blanc. Today, the country’s estimated 225-plus Cap Classique producers lean more toward Champagne’s traditional grapes to craft a mix of styles like blanc de blancs and rosé that range from zero-dosage to brut and demi-sec.
Lloyd Jusa, wine program manager, Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa, Johannesburg
“What’s exciting is how our winemakers are now pushing the envelope using amphora, native yeasts, and low-intervention methods, creating Cap Classiques with raw, textural elegance.”
— Lloyd Jusa, wine program manager, Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa, Johannesburg
“Repositioned [more recently] as ‘Cap Classique,’ specifically to highlight its quality, when you see a sparkling wine bottle with this label, you can be confident you’re drinking a product made using the traditional method, a technique honed by time,” says Jusa.
Cap Classique undergoes traditional bottle fermentation and is required, by law, to spend a minimum of 12 months on the lees. Still, most producers mature their Cap Classique wines even longer to create richer, complex profiles.
“Unlike many sparkling wines globally that use shortcuts, true Cap Classique is about patience,” says Jusa. “What’s exciting is how our winemakers are now pushing the envelope using amphora, native yeasts, and low-intervention methods, creating Cap Classiques with raw, textural elegance.”
The process of making Cap Classique
“When it comes to winemaking practices in the cellar, many closely mirror Champagne,” says Wayve Kolevsohn, group beverage manager of The Royal Portfolio, which includes La Residence in the Franschhoek Valley. “Night or very early morning harvesting, use of traditional Champagne grapes only, extended lees contacts, extended bottle ageing, and all for a very reasonable price tag.”
Some of the more prestigious cuvées in South Africa spend as long as 10 years on the lees at estates like 300-year-old Twee Jonge Gezellen in Tulbagh, which produces vintage-only Krone Cap Classique.
“More and more fine examples are coming to the U.S., like Pieter Ferreira Blanc de Blancs and Rosé, which are a minimum of six years on the lees,” says Ann Ferreira, who works alongside her husband, “bubble master” Pieter, at the boutique Pieter Ferreira Cap Classique label.
The grapes used in Cap Classique wines
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the signature grapes in Cap Classique wines, with Pinot Meunier occasionally making an appearance.
“Most of our premium South African Cap Classiques are at the same quality level as some of the best Champagnes in the world, since they’re produced in the same way from the same grapes,” says Kolevsohn. “What makes Cap Classique different in terms of flavor is that, like most other South African wines, it has this wonderful, bright, and juicy fruit character resulting from our warm and sunny growing season.”
The Western Cape, flanked by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and the Indian Ocean in the south, receives cooling maritime breezes that sweep across the slopes and keep grapes from getting scorched.
Wayve Kolevsohn, group beverage manager, The Royal Portfolio, Franschhoek Valley
“Most of our premium South African Cap Classiques are at the same quality level as some of the best Champagnes in the world, since they’re produced in the same way from the same grapes.”
— Wayve Kolevsohn, group beverage manager, The Royal Portfolio, Franschhoek Valley
“While Champagne is so special and so unique because of its chalky soil and unique terroir, there are definitely pockets in the Cape Winelands that are very high in limestone, which add this fantastic, fresh mineral character to the wines,” says Kolevsohn.
At One & Only Cape Town, where the wine list highlights every wine-producing region and area in the Western Cape, with a capacity for over 5,000 bottles onsite, head sommelier Luvo Ntezo says that he’s seeing a large number of producers moving away from conventional Cap Classique grapes. Instead, they’re returning to the sparkling wine’s roots. They’re working with Chenin Blanc — the most-planted grape variety in the country, responsible for more than half of the world’s production — and Pinotage, a South African-bred cross of Cinsault and Pinot Noir.
“From my personal standpoint, I have seen how Chenin Blanc produces an extraordinary Cap Classique, as the grape seems to do no wrong, being able to create every variant from a dry, unwooded white wine to full-bodied all the way to noble late harvest and natural sweets,” says Ntezo. “Because of this, we’ve seen it appear more and more in our local sparkling wines, allowing us to take a centuries-old method and make it truly our own, something proudly South African.”
Why Cap Classique is misunderstood
Cap Classique’s more affordable price tag in relation to its premium European counterparts gives wine drinkers the impression that it’s lower in quality, which is untrue.
Lloyd Jusa, wine program manager, Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa, Johannesburg
“Cap Classique is a category that reflects South Africa’s altitude, sunlight, and soul. We don’t replicate Champagne, we reinterpret the method through African terroir and creativity.”
— Lloyd Jusa, wine program manager, Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa, Johannesburg
“People often think Cap Classique is a cheaper Champagne imitation, a grave misconception which completely misses the point,” says Jusa. “Cap Classique is a category that reflects South Africa’s altitude, sunlight, and soul. We don’t replicate Champagne, we reinterpret the method through African terroir and creativity.”
Melissa Genevieve Nelsen, founder of Genevieve Méthode Cap Classique, known for minimal intervention and crisp blanc de blancs, adds that most people don’t realize the complexity of crafting a Cap Classique. “They must be whole bunch-pressed, which produces lower juice yields but adds to the distinct flavor profile,” she says.
The best way to drink Cap Classique wines
Chefs and sommeliers agree that Cap Classique is among the most versatile to pair with food. “It has amazing acidity and cleansing bubbles, because it often has lees-derived flavors and that extra touch of fruit, offering a diversity of extra flavors,” says Kolevsohn.
A blanc de blancs is the perfect go-to for oysters, the brininess complemented by the acidity of the sparkling wine. “Fresher bubbles are also a great combo with fried food, while more complex Cap Classiques can take on creamier dishes, enhancing the lavishness of both,” says Nelsen.
Cap Classique wines that have spent more time maturing on the lees also pair well with crispy roast chicken, since their “rich flavors almost mirror each other,” adds Kolevsohn.
A simple dessert of fresh berries and cream served with a Pinot Noir-driven Cap Classique would accentuate the red berry notes in the wine.
“With rosé, you can go for bolder pairings, like duck and quail, or even red meats,” says Ferreira. “A demi-sec would be great with fried chicken or any dessert.”
South African Cap Classique wines to try
2018 Graham Beck Cuvée Clive ($70)
Food & Wine / Graham Beck Estate
One of South Africa’s premium Cap Classiques, this bottle rivals some of the top Champagnes on the market. Aromas of white peach and toasted almond blend beautifully with notes of zesty citrus and pear on the palate, giving this sparkler incredible depth and intensity that can pair with rich dishes.
2018 Pieter Ferreira Birdsong Rosé ($45)
Food & Wine / Pieter Ferreira Cap Classique
Considered the godfather of Cap Classique, Pieter Ferreira, who spent more than three decades at the helm of Graham Beck, produces a 100% Pinot Noir-based rosé that’s one of the most elegant expressions in the country, packed with notes of red berries, peaches, and petals. It’s full-bodied and concentrated, with balanced acidity and a bright finish.
2022 Krone Amphora Blanc de Blancs ($41)
Food & Wine / Krone Cap Classique
Sourced from a high-elevation vineyard in Elandskloof, one of the defining features of the Chardonnay used in this wine is a wild sage note, which acts as the backbone for this small-batch blanc de blancs. Naturally fermented in clay amphora with zero dosage and bottled unfiltered on the lees, it’s both fresh and savory, with elegant bubbles and terroir-specific characteristics like lemon rind and lime blossom that shine brighter with every sip.
2018 Silverthorn Jewel Box Brut ($54)
Food & Wine / Silverthorn Wines
Winemaker John Loubser, half the duo behind the husband-and-wife-run Silverthorn Wines, modeled Jewel Box on his favorite Champagnes: Krug and Bollinger. Known to be innovators in texture and precision, this blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir is the perfect example of their mastery of the Cap Classique technique. It’s rich and opulent, with a complexity of aromas that marries notes of roasted almonds and marzipan with hints of strawberry and cherry compote.
Colmant Brut Reserve NV ($40)
Food & Wine / Colmant
Colmant’s Brut Reserve is an equal blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grown in some of the Western Cape’s top wine-producing areas like Franschhoek and Elgin. Fresh and crisp, with notes of brioche and mature stone fruit, this sparkler can hold its own as an aperitif but also pairs wonderfully with seafood like langoustines, shrimp, or lobster, its fruitiness enhancing the natural sweetness of the shellfish.