The 16 best wine estates for tasting Shiraz

For a deep dive into Syrah, make a beeline for this boutique estate tucked into the upper reaches of the Blaauwklippen Valley. Syrah is the star of the show at Kleinood, and the best way to explore it is through the three-hour Kleinood Way. The private experience takes in the vineyards, gardens and cellar before finishing with a guided tasting and seasonal platter. More serious enthusiasts can also enquire about the Secret Syrah Society, an intimate tasting held in a secluded corner of the winery. Visits are strictly by appointment. The Tamboerskloof John Spicer Syrah is  Kleinood’s limited, site-specific flagship.

Upper Blaauwklippen Road, Stellenbosch

Syrah gets plenty of attention at this polished Franschhoek estate. Cellarmaster Edmund Terblanche has worked at La Motte for more than two decades and is a skilled hand with Syrah (and Rhône-inspired blends). The cellar sources fruit from several areas, including Franschhoek, Paarl and cooler sites towards the South Coast, meaning there’s plenty of variety in the range. Tastings at La Motte range from an introduction to recent releases to glass-specific and vinoteque tastings, allowing you to explore how vineyard site, vintage and stemware influence the wine. 

R45 Main Road, Franschhoek

The road may be long and winding, but the reward is well worth it. Cederberg Winery is home to one of the Cape’s most remarkable vineyard sites, set at more than 1000 metres above sea level and surrounded by rugged mountains. Fifth-generation owner-winemaker David Nieuwoudt leads the cellar, working with fruit grown in a largely virus-free mountain environment. The tasting room is open Monday to Saturday, with flights covering the main Cederberg ranges and a separate option focused on the premium Five Generations wines. 

Dwarsrivier Farm, Cederberg

Hartenberg has bottled an Estate Shiraz in every vintage since 1968, giving this Stellenbosch estate South Africa’s longest continuous record for the variety. That heritage is explored in the Hartenberg Shiraz Vault of older vintages and limited releases. On the estate, tastings include the Estate Shiraz, The Stork, and the single-site Gravel Hill Syrah, the flagship from a small parcel of vineyard.

Bottelary Road, Stellenbosch

This small Polkadraai cellar has earned an outsized reputation for Syrah. Boschkloof was founded by Jacques Borman in 1996 and is now run by his son, Reenen Borman, who has helped steer the wines towards a fresher, more contemporary style. The range includes Boschkloof Syrah, the Grenache-Syrah Kottabos blend and the sought-after Epilogue. Tastings are offered on weekdays in the renovated tasting room, with guided flights and small plates available. It is an excellent final stop for drinkers interested in the new wave of Stellenbosch Syrah. The 2021 vintage scored 100 points from Tim Atkin and was named his South African Red Wine of the Year, so you might struggle to get your hands on a bottle!

Polkadraai Road, Stellenbosch

Most visitors come to the Hemel-en-Aarde in search of  Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but the cool climate of the Creation vineyards suits Rhône-style blends and Syrah too. Maritime air and clay-rich Bokkeveld shale soils produce wines with fragrance, spice and freshness. Syrah appears in several forms, including a Syrah-Grenache blend, but it’s the Ridge Syrah that is the sophisticated choice. Taste your way through the range with Creation’s wonderful à la carte tasting experience. 

Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, Hermanus

The Swartland has become a magnet for cutting-edge winemakers, but Allesverloren was there long before the trend arrived. The Malan family has farmed the slopes beneath Kasteelberg for six generations, and Fanie Malan currently oversees the vineyards. Shiraz thrives in the shale and sandstone soils around the historic cellar and is part of the estate’s regular tasting alongside Cabernet Sauvignon, Tinta Barocca, Touriga Nacional and fortified wines. The Allesverloren Shiraz offers a solid introduction to traditional Swartland Shiraz: ripe red fruit, plum and spice.

R311, Riebeek-West

With the mountains of the Tulbagh Valley rising dramatically behind the cellar, Saronsberg certainly has the scenery-box ticked off. Shiraz has been central to the estate since its first vintage in 2004 and appears in everything from the approachable Provenance Shiraz to the flagship Saronsberg Shiraz and the limited Sekelmaan release. Visitors can choose between the Classic Tasting and the more extensive Full Circle Tasting, but don’t miss the Saronsberg Shiraz 2022, which won gold at Syrah du Monde and five stars in the Platter’s Guide. 

Waveren Road, Tulbagh

One estate, three very different takes on Shiraz. De Grendel Shiraz comes from its Durbanville vineyards, Op die Berg Syrah is grown high on the Ceres plateau, and the limited Elim Shiraz is sourced from the windswept Agulhas Plain. The Elim bottling is a peppery, maritime expression, made in small quantities and not always included in the standard tasting, so check before setting off. Happily, Op die Berg Syrah and the estate wine are just as delicious. 

Plattekloof Road, Durbanville

For a more intimate take on Swartland Shiraz, head to the foothills of the Kasteelberg outside Riebeek West. Knolfontein is the boutique label of Du Toit Family Wines, launched in 2022 by fourth-generation wine-grower Pieter du Toit to put a name to fruit his family had farmed for generations. The original Knolfontein range focused on three Swartland stalwarts – Chenin Blanc, Cinsaut and Shiraz – and tastings are hosted by Pieter in the farm’s former wine cellar, dating to the mid-1800s. Tastings are by appointment only (on Saturdays), but are worth it for the chance to sample Pieter’s famous plankie-steak alongside the Shiraz.

Riebeek Valley, Riebeek West

You can almost taste the ocean in the wines from Strandveld Winery. Set just nine kilometres from the Atlantic in the Elim ward, the vineyards are exposed to strong winds, cool temperatures and regular sea mist. These conditions extend the ripening season and help preserve the peppery freshness that defines the estate’s Syrah. Taste the wonderful Strandveld Syrah in their laid-back tasting room on the estate. Overnight cottages may tempt you to stay a little longer.

Strandveld Vineyards, Elim

Come for the gardens, stay for the Shiraz. Babylonstoren’s sleek glass-walled tasting room offers a polished introduction to the estate’s wines, and Shiraz is crafted as both a single varietal and as the largest component in Babel, the estate’s popular red blend.

For a deep dive, take the cellar tour that heads through the vineyards, production spaces and underground wine tunnel before ending with a master tasting and food pairing.

Klapmuts–Simondium Road, Simondium

Piet Dreyer planted the first vineyards in the Klein River valley in 1999, choosing a relatively cool site influenced by air moving inland from both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. His son, Josef Dreyer, has handled winemaking since the 2007 harvest, and today their gravity-flow cellar produces a broad range of reds, from Pinotage and Sangiovese to Cabernet-led blends. But the  Raka Biography Shiraz remains one of the farm’s standouts. The full range can be tasted at the relaxed cellar door.

R326, Klein River, Stanford

Red wine has been the focus of the Engelbrecht family for half a century, and while their Cabernet Sauvignon may steal much of the limelight, the estate’s Syrah is well worth seeking out. The current tasting includes Estate Vineyards Syrah alongside Estate Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon and the flagship Rust en Vrede Estate blend. The shaded courtyard makes an especially appealing spot for a tasting on warmer Stellenbosch days.

Annandale Road, Stellenbosch

Tucked away at the far end of the Jonkershoek Valley, Stark-Condé Wines is happily set apart from Stellenbosch’s busier wine routes. The same could be said of their take on Syrah. You’ll find two distinct styles of Syrah here: a broader Stellenbosch bottling and the more intriguing Three Pines. This one is the standout. Made in tiny quantities from an older, elevated vineyard, it is Stark-Condé’s most site-specific and concentrated expression of Syrah. Tastings take place beside the estate dam, with the tiny island tasting room reached by a short wooden bridge. Postcard Café is on hand for lunch afterwards.

Jonkershoek Valley, Stellenbosch

Winemaker Jacques Cilliers oversees the three-tier Shiraz portfolio at this historic Robertson Valley property, which was among South Africa’s earliest producers of bottled Shiraz. Zandvliet’s Shiraz Master Tasting lines up the Estate Shiraz, Kalkveld Shiraz and Hill of Enon Shiraz, first in standard glasses and then in varietal-specific Riedel stemware. It is a fascinating demonstration of how much the shape of a glass can change a wine, and a snack platter is included to keep things civilised.

Zandvliet Wine Estate, Ashton