The best of Chenin Blanc
Our Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2023 has been named Grand Master at the 2025 Global Chenin Blanc Masters – the highest honour of the competition, and the top wine overall. Our Seaward Chenin Blanc 2024 also earned a coveted Master medal, one of only three awarded this year.
These achievements follow our remarkable 2024 results, when Good Natured Chenin Blanc 2023 and 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2022 both secured Master medals at the awards, with Seaward Chenin Blanc 2023 earning Silver. On the strength of these wins, cellarmaster Johan Jordaan was named 2025 Chenin Blanc Master Winemaker at the prestigious Master Winemaker 100 awards in Paris.
Together, these honours place Spier among the most awarded wineries in the world for Chenin Blanc – recognition of our heritage, our team and South Africa’s flagship white grape.
Sunshine in a glass: The Chenin Blanc story
If ever there was a South African wine success story, it’s Chenin Blanc. Once known locally as Steen, this white grape has journeyed from humble workhorse to global champion. Its versatility is unmatched – capable of producing dry and wooded wines, luscious dessert styles, sparkling wines and even brandy. For decades, that adaptability meant Chenin wasn’t always taken seriously, until visionary producers began to uncork its true potential.
Today, international critics widely agree that South Africa leads the world in diverse Chenin Blanc expressions. At Spier, this belief is part of our DNA. Archives suggest the very first vines planted on our farm in the 1700s were most likely Chenin – a grape that has shaped our winemaking story from the very start.
Our Chenin spectrum
“Chenin Blanc is a wine built in layers,” Johan explains. “It’s a hands-on variety that demands deep understanding of your vineyards.”
Few understand – and love – this grape more deeply than Johan. That passion drives us to craft Chenin Blanc across our full range – from the heritage 21 Gables, showcasing old-vine complexity, to the coastal-influenced Seaward wines, alongside our certified organic Good Natured and Farmer Angus selections, and the accessible Signature range.
Stone fruit, tropical flavours, honeyed complexity – each expression tells its own story of terroir and technique, capturing Chenin Blanc’s spectrum from fresh and zesty to rich and layered.
Click HERE to explore and shop our award-winning Chenin Blanc collection.