The Western Cape is the umbrella region that contains almost all of South Africa's serious wine production, wrapped around the country's southwestern coast where cooling Atlantic and Indian Ocean influences moderate an otherwise hot climate. It spans everything from Stellenbosch and Paarl's granite mountains to Swartland's dry-farmed plains and the cool coastal pockets of Walker Bay and Elgin, giving South African wine an unusually wide range of styles for a single broad appellation.

Key grapes: Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinotage