2025 Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top Ten winners announced

Friday, 22 August, 2025

Chenin Blanc Association

This year’s Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top Ten Challenge winners, selected after six flights of blind tastings, are all from the 2024 vintage.

Once again, Stellenbosch dominates, with four wines among the top ten. Three of the four are from #Stellenrust, the most consistent winner in the history of the competition. Other regions represented include Franschhoek, Paarl, the Swartland and Breedekloof.

Retail prices of the wines in the line-up range from R99 to R925.

Brendan Jacobs, Head of Agribusiness, Standard Bank South Africa, said every wine on the list had earned the winning producer a cash prize of R25 000, with the condition that it be directed towards an initiative benefitting the wine-worker communities involved. To date, Standard Bank has donated almost R3m for community projects, from education and youth development to housing and health.

Until this year, enthusiasts have had to track down individual winners across a variety of channels, from wine clubs to individual producers. “We’ve listened to Top Ten Challenge supporters and tried to simplify access to the winning wines as far as possible,” said Jacobs.

Consequently, for the first time in the 12-year history of the event, a high-street retailer will carry all ten wines. Although still in limited supply, stocks will be available in bigger quantities than in the past. He confirmed that from September 30, the top ten Chenin selection would be available at Tops! at SPAR countrywide, or from the producers themselves.

The winning wines would also be presented in a joint event hosted by the Chenin Blanc Association (CBA), organisers of the annual challenge and the Old Vines Project at September’s international trade exhibition CapeWine. Then in November, they would be showcased at ProWine Shanghai, China.

“Our participation at ProWine Shanghai demonstrates how we're transforming South Africa's agricultural excellence into tangible export opportunities. Leveraging our strategic relationship with ICBC Bank in China, we provide our clients with end-to-end trade solutions - from identifying premium products through competitions like the Chenin Blanc Challenge to facilitating market access through matchmaking with potential Chinese buyers,” Jacobs added.

Ken Forrester, CBA co-founder and chair said at today’s (August 22) announcement of the challenge winners, that Chenin as South Africa’s flagbearer, stood to benefit in a big way, specifically now that the world was turning increasingly to white wines over red. “Industry pundits are predicting a growing public appetite for the grape, thanks to its stylistic versatility and ability to produce wines of freshness.”

He was referring to a recent report issued by the French wine organisation Inter Loire in which this industry body highlighted a Wine Trade Monitor survey of wine trade professionals in nine countries in Europe, North America and Asia. The researchers saw Chenin earmarked as one of six varieties set for medium-term international growth. When narrowing down to whites specifically, Chenin was predicted to be one of the top three varieties, along with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Together, South Africa and France account for over 80% of all Chenin vineyards worldwide.

Last year, according to Inter Loire, 136 million bottles of Chenin Blanc were sold, with volumes rising 7% over the past five years in defiance of declining global consumption trends.

“South African Chenin exports have been holding steady since 2022. This is despite a volume drop in the country’s total wine exports, in line with so many other wine-producing countries. Inter Loire research tells us that in Germany and France, amongst the world’s biggest markets for the grape, as well as in the US and the Netherlands, Chenin consumers are typically younger than 35. The trend bodes well for the future of Chenin and that very much includes South African Chenin.”