Ten South African Chenin Blanc wines have been named the winners of the 2026 Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge, following three days of blind judging that assessed 150 entries from 97 producers across 36 Wine of Origin (WO) classifications.
Source: Supplied
Six of the winning wines come from heritage vineyards aged 35 years or older, highlighting the depth of old-vine plantings alongside the stylistic diversity of South Africa’s most widely planted grape variety.
The 2026 Chenin Blanc Top 10
The winning wines are:
1. Beaumont Family Wines Hope Marguerite 2025 – WO Bot River, Walker Bay
2. City on a Hill Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2024 – WO Swartland
3. DaschBosch Mossiesdrift Steen 2025 – WO Breedekloof
4. Groot Phesantekraal Anna de Koning 2024 – WO Cape Town (Durbanville)
5. Painted Wolf Wines Lightning Chenin Blanc 2024 – WO Wellington
6. Stettyn Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2025 – WO Stettyn
7. Stellenrust ArtiSons Mothership Chenin Blanc 2025 – WO Stellenbosch
8. Stellenrust 61 Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc 2025 – WO Stellenbosch
9. Wildeberg Terroirs Chenin Blanc 2024 – WO Paarl
10. Zoetendal Chenin Blanc 2022 – WO Coastal Region
The wines were selected for characteristics including purity of fruit, freshness, elegance and texture, with the results reflecting the range of styles being produced across South Africa’s wine regions.
Chenin Blanc remains a major wine crop
Chenin Blanc accounts for 18.4% of South Africa’s total vineyard area, according to the latest available 2025 SAWIS vineyard statistics.
The statistics record 15,948.58 hectares of Chenin Blanc planted nationally out of a total 86,524.93 hectares under vine. Of South Africa’s 2,176 grape growers, 2,008, or 92.3%, grow Chenin Blanc.
Its widespread presence, combined with diverse growing conditions, old-vine plantings and different winemaking approaches, makes the variety a significant part of South Africa’s wine industry and agricultural landscape.
Supporting wine communities
The Challenge has also directed funding towards community development in wine-producing regions since 2014.
Each winning producer receives R25,000 for a social upliftment programme, with projects covering areas such as education, food security, worker wellbeing, skills development and infrastructure.
More than R3m has been directed towards community development projects through the Challenge since its inception.
“We wanted the Challenge to be about more than simply winning a cash prize. From the outset, it was important that the prize money was invested back into the farming communities that underpin our wine industry, rather than being spent on an arbitrary item. 13 years on, we are incredibly proud that more than R3 million has gone towards initiatives making a real difference to people’s lives.”
Winning wines enter retail
For the first time, the Challenge has partnered with Brice & Burnett as its exclusive retail partner, making all ten winning wines available through a single specialist retailer.
Brice & Burnett has secured an allocation of each of the Top 10 wines.
