Delheim Pinotage Rosé 2025

Back in 1976 Delheim were the first Cape winery to turn Pinotage into a rosé, pioneering a style that works very well and is now quite widely seen. It has a touch more flesh and fullness than the most razor-cut, mineral rosés, so the texture feels nicely rounded rather than austere. Colour-wise it’s on the pale-salmon side and the flavours follow suit – ripe strawberries, a bit of cranberry bite and a pink-grapefruit twist, all wrapped up in fresh, well-judged acidity.

A handy all-rounder – just as happy on its own as it is next to bright salads, sushi or gently spiced Asian dishes, where the fruit and freshness stand up without overwhelming anything.

Delheim Wines is a long-established family estate on the Simonsberg slopes above Stellenbosch, tucked into the hills where vines and fynbos run side by side. Michael ‘Spatz’ Sperling, who arrived on the farm in the 1950s, is the one who, through his energy and drive, really built its reputation and put it on the Stellenbosch map. It remains very much in family operation today. They were among the first to take wine tourism seriously, helping to establish the Stellenbosch Wine Route in 1971 and setting a pattern that hundreds of Cape wineries have since followed. While not one of the Cape’s ‘big names’ or a ‘cutting-edge’ producer, they’re simply a well-respected estate going about their business with skill and dedication.