Pinotage Turns 100: Celebrating South Africa’s Proudly Homegrown Icon!

October 2025 is a monumental year for South African wine. Why? Because Pinotage, the country’s signature red grape is finally turning the big 100! The proudly South African cultivar is hitting its century mark, which in human years means it’s officially too old for TikTok but still insists on being at every braai. The rainbow nation is ready to celebrate this geriatric grape and give it the renewed appreciation it deserves.

Pinotage’s journey is a powerful symbol of South African ingenuity. It’s like discovering a national treasure was actually just a happy accident! So, get your corkscrew ready. It’s time to raise a glass to a century of bold flavour, distinctive character, and a legacy that’s still being written.

A Tale of Two Grapes

The story of Pinotage begins in 1925 in the garden of Professor Abraham Izak Perold at Stellenbosch University.

• The Scientist: Perold, the first Professor of Viticulture at the university, sought to combine the delicate elegance of a classic European grape with the hardiness suited to South Africa’s diverse climate.
• The Parents: He successfully crossed the highly-prized, but notoriously difficult to grow, Pinot Noir with the resilient and productive Cinsaut (which was known in South Africa at the time as “Hermitage”).
• The Name: The resulting hybrid was christened Pinotage—a portmanteau of its parent grapes, Pinot and Hermitage.

The new grape was nearly lost to the history books, only to be rescued from an overgrown garden by a young academic, Dr. Charlie Niehaus. Through the dedication of these pioneers, Pinotage was propagated, and the first barrel of wine was made in 1941. It wasn’t until 1961 that the name Pinotage first appeared on a wine label (Lanzerac 1959 Pinotage), beginning its public journey.

From Local Staple to Global Star

Despite a rocky patch in its early years, where inconsistent quality saw its reputation suffer, Pinotage has emerged as a wine of extraordinary character and versatility.

The establishment of the Pinotage Association in 1995 spurred a revolution in winemaking, focusing on quality and unlocking the grape’s true potential. Modern Pinotage showcases a spectrum of styles:

• Classic Reds: Deeply coloured wines with smoky, earthy, and bramble notes, often displaying ripe red and dark berry fruit.
• The “Coffee” Style: A more recent, commercially successful style characterised by pronounced roast coffee bean, dark chocolate, and mocha aromas, usually imparted by specific oak-toasting techniques.
• Lighter & Elegant: A newer trend focuses on more delicate, Pinot Noir-like expressions, offering bright red fruit and finesse.
• Cape Blends: Pinotage is a mandatory component (30–70%) in a “Cape Blend,” demonstrating its role as the backbone of unique South African red blends. It is also used in Rosé and even White Pinotage styles.

Today, Pinotage is the third most planted red grape in South Africa, basically cemented its spot in the national family album. It’s not just a signature variety; it’s the tireless, slightly eccentric relative that carries the entire red wine side of the family on its back. Clearly, after 100 years, the vine decided to stop messing around and just get on with being important.

Centenary Celebrations

This year Wine.co.za reported on the flagship event, the annual Absa Top 10 Pinotage Awards, highlighting the country’s finest expressions of the varietal in 2025.

The main party, International Pinotage Day (October 11th), was grand, but don’t panic because you didn’t crack an invite! The centenary party is still raging throughout the rest of October and November. Wine Estates across South Africa are keeping the festivities alive with special tastings, food blowouts, and deep dives into those dusty museum vintages. You’ve still got time to raise a glass to our 100-year-old rockstar grape!

Pinotage has truly proven its staying power, like that one relative who turns up uninvited but always brings the best snacks. It’s successfully navigated a century of wine snobs, awkward dinner parties, and very public opinion changes. This centenary isn’t just a moment to appreciate the audacious spirit of Professor Perold, who clearly didn’t believe in arranged marriages for grapes. It’s also about the sheer passion of winemakers who looked at a weird crossbreed and said, “Ja, we can make this rock.” It’s the ultimate South African underdog story, and we’re just here for the next chapter!

Spit or Swallow? When it comes to Pinotage, I say SWALLOW as I appreciate the taste of 100 years of South African wine heritage!