Best Cap Classique sparkling wines: 12 value picks

Cap Classique glasses — (Image credit: Curly–photo / Moment / Getty Images)

The 1st September marks the start of spring in the Southern Hemisphere and it's also Cap Classique Day. South Africa’s signature fizz has plenty to offer wine lovers.

Made in the same way as Champagne, with a secondary fermentation in bottle, Cap Classique usually costs a fraction of the price, with an array of styles to choose from.

Admittedly Cap Classique hasn't been on the sparkling scene for as long as its French cousin. But although it only celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2021, it has been one of South Africa’s fastest-growing wine categories in recent years.

A brief history of Cap Classique

Cap Classique was first made at Simonsig in 1971 by the late Frans Malan, who dubbed his traditional-method brut sparkling wine Kaapse Vonkel – or Cape Sparkle.

At a time when most of the country’s fizz was cheap, sweet and carbonated, the sophisticated style of Kaapse Vonkel stood out. But it would be another decade until a second South African winery – Boschendal – also decided to make a dry traditional-method sparkler in the 1980s.

Since then, the style has gained momentum gradually. As producers began to share knowledge and ideas, the name Méthode Cap Classique was adopted to identify their premium product. The Cap Classique Producers Association (CCPA) was founded in 1992.

So what is Cap Classique?

The CCPA has a series of guidelines for production of Cap Classique. First, the wine must ferment on its lees in the same bottle that it will be sold in. Second, that period of lees ageing must be for a minimum of 12 months (though it is often longer for top wines).

Since the 2023 harvest whole-bunch pressing is mandatory. The CCPA also requires its members to use only the first 450 litres of juice from pressing 1,000kg of grapes to make their top expressions. That figure rises to 600 litres for simpler styles.

The main styles of Cap Classique are defined by their residual sugar levels. Brut must have below 12g per litre of residual sugar, Extra Brut below 6g/L and Brut Nature below 3g/L.

What grapes are used to make Cap Classique?

Harvesting Chardonnay grapes in South Africa — Harvesting Chardonnay grapes in the Western Cape

Perhaps surprisingly there are no legal restrictions on permitted grape varieties for Cap Classique. While the CCPA recommends the classic Champagne varieties – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier – other grapes including Chenin Blanc and Pinotage are used.

Unlike Champagne, there are no regional restrictions on Cap Classique. It can be made anywhere in South Africa and cross-regional blends are permitted.

Names to know

Cap Classique sparkling wines — Cap Classique vineyards on the Bon Courage estate in Robertson

Although Cap Classique can be made across South Africa, certain regions have become known for their quality. The hardened limestone soils of Robertson produce elegant Chardonnay-led Cap Classiques, assisted by cooling ocean breezes, funnelled by the Langeberg and Riviersonderend mountains.

Other names to look out for on labels are: Elgin, Darling, Durbanville, Overberg, Plettenberg Bay and Walker Bay. These cooler regions are a good source for the Pinot Noir used in Cap Classique blends.

While pioneering wineries Simonsig and Boschendal continue to make Cap Classique, they are no longer lone rangers. The CCPA has grown from just 14 founding members in 1992 to more than 100 today.

How to drink Cap Classique

Cap Classique should be served chilled, at between 6°C and 8°C. Any colder and you'll likely mute the flavours and aromas of the wine. Any warmer and again, you might start to lose more detailed flavours and some sparkle.

Like all sparkling wine, Cap Classique is a great aperitif. It helps to open your palate before a meal. Its bright acidity makes your mouth water and the bubbles add excitement, with a lively texture on your tongue.

It pairs perfectly with canapes such as smoked salmon blinis and is a great choice to match with seafood in general, from oysters to lobster and crab. Vintage Cap Classique will stand up to richer fish dishes, grilled prawns and even roast chicken. I also enjoy it at the end of a meal alongside soft cheeses.

What's the difference between Cap Classique and other sparklers?

So what makes Cap Classique stand out on a global stage? The minimum of 12 months lees ageing for Cap Classique positions it neatly between the nine-month minimum for French crémant or Spain’s Cava and the 15-month minimum for non-vintage Champagne.

Not as cheap as Prosecco, but cheaper than Champagne or English sparkling wine, Cap Classique is a style of fizz that hugely over-delivers for the price. So if you want to find a fine bottle of fizz for under £24, try one of these Cape crusaders…

Best Cap Classique: value picks

Cap Classique: South Africa’s sparkling success story

Panel tasting results: Superb vintage Cap Classique

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Julie Sheppard joined the Decanter team in 2018 and is Regional Editor for Australia, New Zealand and South Africa & Spirits Editor.

Before Decanter, she worked for a range of drinks and food titles, including as managing editor of both Imbibe and Square Meal, associate publisher of The Drinks Business, senior editor of the Octopus Publishing Group and Supplements editor of Harpers Wine & Spirit. As a contributor, she has over 20 years’ experience writing about food, drink and travel for a wide range of publications, including Condé Nast Traveller, Delicious, Waitrose Kitchen, Waitrose Drinks, Time Out and national newspapers including The Telegraph and The Sunday Times.

Best Cap Classique sparkling wines: 12 value picks to seek out