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Semillon estates

Estates where Semillon is a signature, not just a line on the list. Once the Cape's most planted grape, now a specialist's one. Textured, waxy whites that tend to age well.

Read the story: Semillon in Stellenbosch

At a glance

Closest to Cape Town
Bertha, about 45 min by car
Highest rated
Idiom (4.1)
Open on Sundays
3 of 3
Serve lunch
3 of 3
Have somewhere to stay
2 of 3
Areas
Helderberg (1)

3 wineries

Red-led

Idiom

Italian varieties such as Sangiovese and Nebbiolo are the focus, poured at a tasting centre and restaurant on the upper slopes of the Helderberg near Sir Lowry's Pass. Alberto Bottega, born in Milan, founded Idiom with his wife Valerie as a family legacy, and the estate also keeps Vinotria, a library of Italian wines.

DailyLunch
Wines
4.1
Visit
4.7

Bubbles on the list

Quoin Rock

Sommeliers guide tastings of Quoin Rock and Knorhoek wines, seated inside or out with the Simonsberg vineyards in view, and oysters or a cheese and charcuterie platter can be added. Quartz Restaurant serves lunch, and guests can stay in the Manor House. Tastings are booked online, and younger children come by prior arrangement.

DailyLunchStay
Wines
4.0
Visit
4.5

Close to Cape Town

Bertha

Tastings at Weltevreden run every day, from a guided flight to a premium option that adds a walk past sculptures by Ruhan Janse van Rensburg. The short range of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Rosé and Shiraz is named after Bertha, the mother of the Bezuidenhout family who bought the estate. The homestead is a National Heritage Monument, with the Jonkershuis Restaurant and guest accommodation on site.

DailyLunchStay
Wines
3.9
Visit
few reviews yet

The story

Semillon in Stellenbosch

In 1822 Semillon covered about 93% of the Cape's vineyards. Today only a handful of estates still make it a focus.

Semillon was once almost the only grape at the Cape, and now it is a rarity. In Stellenbosch you will mostly meet it in textured whites and in blends with Sauvignon Blanc, at a small number of estates.

From nearly every vine to a few

In 1822 an official estimate put Semillon at about 93% of the Cape vineyard. It was so common that farmers called it groendruif, green grape, or simply wyndruif, wine grape. A red-skinned mutation grew alongside it and is now officially recognised as Sémillon Gris.

By 1979 Semillon was down to 3.4% of plantings, and it has kept shrinking. What remains is often old, and the wines from it are worth seeking out because so few are made.

Semillon in Stellenbosch

Where to taste it on our list

Semillon is waxy and broad rather than aromatic, with lemon, lanolin and beeswax, and it tends to gain honeyed, toasty notes with age. On its own it makes a serious, slow wine. With Sauvignon Blanc it adds weight and length.

Only a handful of estates here make it a focus. Bertha bottles a Reserve Semillon. Idiom on the Helderberg makes a varietal Sémillon and a Sauvignon Blanc-Sémillon blend. Quoin Rock folds it into the Namysto Sauvignon Blanc-Sémillon, and Tokara's Director's Reserve White pairs the two grapes from the farm's highest slopes.

Semillon in Stellenbosch

Questions people ask

What does Semillon taste like?
Young Semillon is fairly quiet on the nose, with lemon, apple and a waxy, rounded texture. With a few years in bottle it develops honey, toast and nutty notes, which is why it is often made to age.
Was Semillon really the main grape in early South Africa?
Yes. An 1822 estimate put it at about 93% of Cape vineyards, where it was known as groendruif. By 1979 it had fallen to 3.4% of plantings, and it is now a minor grape.
What is red Semillon?
It is a red-skinned mutation of Semillon that grew in old Cape vineyards alongside the green form. It has been officially recognised as Sémillon Gris, and a few producers now bottle it on its own.

Updated October 2026.

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