Decanta · Wine of Origin
Wine of Origin
The letters on the back label are a certified claim about where the fruit came from.
What it certifies
South Africa’s Wine of Origin scheme, enforced by law since 1973, certifies origin, vintage and cultivar. It checks that the claim is accurate. It is not a judgement of quality.
Three figures
- Origin, 100%. If a label names a Wine of Origin area, every grape came from it.
- Vintage, at least 85%. A stated year means at least 85% of the wine is from that harvest.
- Cultivar, at least 85%. A wine labelled Chenin Blanc is at least 85% Chenin Blanc.
How the units nest
From largest to smallest: geographical unit, region, district, ward. Western Cape is a geographical unit. Stellenbosch is a district. Constantia is a ward.
Estate wine is grown, produced and finished on one registered unit. A single vineyard may not exceed six hectares.
Why the ward matters
Western Cape covers more ground than many wine countries. Hemel-en-Aarde Valley is a cool strip behind Hermanus. The narrower name tells you more.
Who certifies it
The Wine Certification Authority. Until 1 August 2023 it was the Wine and Spirit Board, renamed under the Liquor Products Amendment Act of 2021.
Two Cape grapes
Chenin Blanc is South Africa’s most widely planted wine grape. SAWIS, as at 31 December 2025, records 15,949 hectares, about 18.4% of 86,525 hectares. On older Cape labels it was often called Steen.
Pinotage is Pinot Noir crossed with Cinsaut at Stellenbosch University in the mid-1920s. Cinsaut was called Hermitage at the Cape, which is how the name was formed. SAWIS records 6,619 hectares as at 31 December 2025, about 7.6% of the vineyard.
Sources: Wines of South Africa, Wine of Origin Scheme, and the Wine Certification Authority. Verified 19 September 2026. Vineyard figures are from SAWIS, as at 31 December 2025, published by Wines of South Africa. Where this page and the authority disagree, the authority is correct.
