Pinotage was born in South Africa — bred in 1925 from a crossing of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut by Professor Abraham Perold at Stellenbosch University. No other country grows it. No other country understands it. And nothing proves how badly it has been misunderstood — dismissed for decades as rustic and heavy — like a properly made Pinotage in full flight. This case brings together six distinct expressions: the legendary Diemersfontein Coffee Pinotage with its cult coffee and dark chocolate profile, the Swartland terroir intensity of Survivor, the silky and precise Asara 2018, Maasbaai’s coastal-spiced take, Stettyn’s award-winning everyday expression, and an XCellar Limited Edition Pinotage Reserve of remarkable quality. Six shades. One case.
The Pinotage Story
Pinotage is the only truly South African grape — and for a long time, that was held against it. Early expressions were often harsh and inconsistent. Critics dismissed it. Then something changed. A new generation of winemakers began to understand Pinotage on its own terms: as a warm-climate grape that, when farmed well, produces wines of extraordinary concentration, with layers of dark fruit, mocha, tobacco and spice that reveal themselves slowly over hours in the glass.
Diemersfontein in Wellington transformed the conversation with their Coffee Pinotage — an intensely flavoured, market-defining wine that brought a whole new audience to the variety. Swartland producers began harvesting it from old bush vines for wines of serious terroir complexity. The Platter’s Wine Guide now regularly awards 90-plus points to Cape Pinotages. The world is catching up. This case is a celebration of where South Africa’s signature grape has arrived.
What’s in the Box
XCellar Pinotage Reserve 2021 – Western Cape — XCellar Limited Edition
An XCellar Limited Edition — unlabelled for maximum value, sourced from a partner estate that produces a Pinotage of exceptional quality. Aged for 16 months in oak, it delivers a dense core of dark fruit — blackberry, black cherry and plum — lifted by hints of marzipan and fruitcake spice. Rich, smooth and structured, with a long, satisfying finish. This is the XCellar take on South Africa’s signature grape at its most refined.
Diemersfontein Coffee Pinotage 2023
The wine that changed South African Pinotage. Diemersfontein’s Coffee Pinotage is one of the most recognisable bottles in the country — intensely flavoured with coffee, dark chocolate and baked plums. Indulgent, characterful and utterly distinctive. If you’ve never tried it, this case is where you start. If you already know it, you know why it’s here.
Maasbaai Pinotage 2023
Bold, juicy and proudly South African. The Maasbaai Pinotage 2023 delivers dark cherry, plum, mocha and a soft coastal spice that reflects its origins near the Cape coastline. Every bottle sold contributes R5 to Clean C, helping fund beach clean-ups and protecting South Africa’s coastline for future generations — a wine with both character and conscience.
Asara Pinotage 2018
The Asara Pinotage 2018 is a pure, distinct expression of the variety at its most refined. Layered black fruit, plum, dark cherry and coffee mocha with a smooth, silky mouthfeel and beautifully balanced juicy tannins. Asara produces elegant, food-friendly wines from their Stellenbosch estate — and this Pinotage is among the most precise in the collection.
Survivor Terroir Pinotage 2023
A bold Swartland Pinotage with real terroir intensity — dark cherry, plum and warm spice on a rich, velvety frame. The Swartland is not Pinotage country in the conventional sense, but Survivor has made it their own: producing a wine with the concentration and mineral depth of old-vine bush-vine fruit and the warmth of one of the Cape’s most dramatic growing regions.
Stettyn Pinotage 2023
Bold, fruity and proudly South African. Stettyn’s Pinotage 2023 delivers dark berries, ripe plum and that signature smoky kick — Pinotage the way it should be. Award-winning and carrying a Vivino 3.8/5, this is the approachable expression in the collection: characterful enough to stand on its own, easy enough to open on a weeknight without ceremony.
How They’re Made
Pinotage at its best is harvested early enough to preserve freshness — the variety can quickly tip into overripeness if left too long — and fermented at controlled temperatures to protect the fruit. Whole-berry fermentation is increasingly favoured by progressive producers to add complexity and a lighter, fresher character. The variety responds exceptionally well to careful oak management: typically 8 to 16 months in French oak, with older barrels preferred to let the fruit speak. Coffee Pinotage styles like Diemersfontein achieve their distinctive coffee-and-chocolate profile through careful oak selection and extended lees contact. The finest examples — like Survivor’s Swartland bush-vine wines — are aged in old wood with no additions beyond a little sulphur, producing wines of genuine complexity and place.
Food & Wine
- Pinotage Reserve 2021: Slow-roasted lamb with rosemary and garlic, or a mature Cheddar or Gouda.
- Diemersfontein Coffee Pinotage 2023: Dark chocolate desserts, a rich chocolate fondant, or spiced brisket with a coffee rub.
- Maasbaai Pinotage 2023: Braai classics — boerewors, lamb chops or a sosatie over a wood fire.
- Asara Pinotage 2018: Duck breast with cherry reduction, or aged beef fillet. Elegant enough for fine dining.
- Survivor Terroir Pinotage 2023: Karoo lamb, wild mushroom risotto or a spiced tomato bredie.
- Stettyn Pinotage 2023: Boerewors and the braai. Exactly that.
Awards & Recognition
- Stettyn Pinotage 2023: Award-winning | Vivino 3.8/5
- Diemersfontein Coffee Pinotage 2023: South Africa’s most iconic Pinotage expression
- Asara Pinotage 2018: Stellenbosch estate-grown | Silky and precise
The 6 Shades of Pinotage collection is the definitive home tasting of South Africa’s only indigenous grape — six wines, six styles, one story. Available at Vinty while stock lasts.
