Chenin

Rosé estates

Every estate here makes at least one rosé. The ones with the most on the list come first.

At a glance

Closest to Cape Town
Hazendal, about 34 min by car
Highest rated
Kanonkop (4.1)
Open on Sundays
44 of 61
Serve lunch
36 of 61
Take walk-ins
4 of 61
Have somewhere to stay
25 of 61
Areas
Helderberg (11), Bottelary (6), Banghoek (4)

61 wineries

The story

Rosé in Stellenbosch

The colour of a rosé tells you nothing about its sweetness, so ask whether it is dry.

Stellenbosch rosé is made from red grapes given only brief contact with their skins, and it ranges from bone-dry to sweet. Pinotage, Cabernet Franc and Mourvèdre all turn up in local pinks, and several estates also make a sparkling Cap Classique rosé.

How it's made and what to ask

Colour comes from the skins of red grapes. Some cellars press the grapes straight away, some let the juice sit on the skins for a few hours, and some bleed off juice from a tank of red wine, a method called saignée.

The useful question at the tasting counter is whether it is dry. Cape rosé covers everything from bone-dry to sweet, and the colour won't tell you which.

Rosé in Stellenbosch

Where to taste it on our list

Delaire Graff makes a Cabernet Franc Rosé and Waterkloof a Mourvèdre rosé under its Circumstance label. For the local grape, L'Avenir has a Rosé de Pinotage and Lanzerac, the name on the first bottle ever labelled Pinotage, makes a Pinotage Rosé.

For bubbles, Simonsig makes Kaapse Vonkel Brut Rosé. More on how that's made is on our sparkling wine page.

Rosé in Stellenbosch

Questions people ask

Is rosé made by mixing red and white wine?
Usually not. Most rosé gets its colour from brief contact between the juice and red grape skins, either by pressing quickly, a short soak or bleeding juice off a red wine tank, called saignée.
Is South African rosé sweet or dry?
It can be either. Cape rosé runs from bone-dry to noticeably sweet, and the colour is not a reliable guide, so check the label or ask at the tasting counter.
Which grapes are used for rosé in Stellenbosch?
Almost any red grape. On our list you'll find rosé from Pinotage, Cabernet Franc, Mourvèdre and Petit Verdot, and sparkling Cap Classique rosé as well.

Updated October 2026.