South Africa

Cap Classique

Cap Classique is bottle-fermented sparkling wine from the Cape, made by the traditional method.^1,2 The term and the producers' association both date from 1992.^1,2 According to the association, more than 250 producers made over ten million bottles a year in 2021.²

The 12-month minimum on the lees is the figure stated by the association. The legal minimum under the national Wine of Origin scheme was not verified for this page.²

The first vintage

The association credits the first Cap Classique to Frans Malan of Simonsig Estate, who made Kaapse Vonkel from the 1971 harvest and released it in 1973.²

Disputed: the 1971 "first" is the association's account. Earlier claims of bottle-fermented sparkling wine in South Africa have been reported, so the date is presented here as a tradition, not a settled fact.

Grapes

The first Kaapse Vonkel was made from Chenin Blanc. Today most Cap Classique uses Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.²

Not yet covered

National statistics for all South African sparkling wine, including tank-method wines, were not collected for this page. Full details are on the Cap Classique page.

In numbers

All figures from the Cap Classique Producers Association.^1,2