SA drought breaks

SA may be in the grips of a pernicious drought. But while the gods of rain divert their attention to the deserts of the Middle East, Bacchus is providing rivers of whites to parched S’effrikens. A laundry list of my picks is featured in my tiny organ in The Times today.

Prepare yourself for a dry white season

The holiday season is lubricated by wine. Whites are in order while you watch the braai or wait for a quattro formaggi pizza at the table on the pavement so someone can smoke. South African whites are as cheap as chips, they taste great and they don’t stain the tablecloth when you spill the odd glass.

The Berrio Sauvignon Blanc 2010

At dinner with the Chinese modern dancer Jin Xing last week, this was her favourite white. Jin is transgender and this wine has transformed, too. Four years in bottle has replaced a nettley sharpness with a rich complexity. If only we could all age the same way. R39, www.getwine.co.za

Alianca Vinho Verde

If Bartolomeu Dias had packed vines instead of stone crosses when he came exploring to the Cape, we’d all be drinking vinho verde today with salty sardines and fat octopus steaks. This one comes from a producer owned by Joe Berardo who made his first fortune reclaiming the gold dumps of Jozi, so he understands the taste of Gauteng. R66, www.salewine.co.za

Stellenbosch Hills Chenin Blanc 2015

One of the least expensive wines from Stellenbosch is also one of the freshest with abundant apricots and white peaches. It’s so good, one online e-tailer “discounts” it to R45 a bottle in mixed cases. R35, Shoprite Checkers

GetWine Sauvignon Blanc 2015 by Steenberg

Constantia estate Steenberg, owned by Kentucky racehorse breeder Antony, son of the late coal miner Graham Beck, has a problem we wish we all had. It produces too much wine. So a sizeable volume is sold off to Johan Wegner at getwine who dispenses with a label and discounts it to those folk who drink wine for taste and aroma and not packaging. R35, www.getwine.co.za

Meerlust Chardonnay 2014

Meerlust makes only one white and this is it. If you’re a label drinker, the umber capsule alone gives prodigious Burgundian pleasure. But nestling beneath the cork is a classic mix of lemon peel and oatmeal. R200, Meridian Wine Merchants 011-531-4700

De Wetshof Bateleur 2013

Danie de Wet is king of chardonnay and this bold beauty is his flagship. It is also one of the first CVC wines. Cape Vintage Classification is a club of estates who aim to crystalise quality via a qualification. The wine is made according to strict rules and evaluated by an independent panel of experts. For serious sippers. R345, www.dewetshof.com