South African wines take centre stage at Nairobi tasting event

As a wine enthusiast, I was particularly excited to experience wine tasting in its purest form: an opportunity to discover new flavours, learn about the history behind different varietals and, perhaps most importantly, appreciate the art of winemaking in the company of fellow wine lovers.

This was exactly what I found when I attended the Wines of South Africa (WoSA) three-day showcase, held from October 30 to November 1.

The event offered three days of wine discovery and education, with each day dedicated to a different South African wine variety. Friday explored Pinotage, Saturday celebrated Chenin Blanc, while Sunday brought the sparkling elegance of Cap Classique.

I chose Saturday, eager to discover more about Chenin Blanc and the stories behind one of South Africa's most celebrated grape varieties.

From 12:00 pm, WoSA held a masterclass at Artcaffé's cellar, a dedicated wine space stocked with a diverse selection of labels from South Africa and other wine-producing regions around the world.

The cellar also regularly hosts wine tastings, offering enthusiasts an opportunity to sample different varieties and learn about their origins.

At around 2:30 pm, the masterclass came to an end, and it was time for the part I had been looking forward to most: the wine tasting.

This was where the experience truly came alive.

A selection of South African wines awaited guests, ranging from refreshing Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay to the more robust Cabernet Sauvignon and distinctive Pinotage.

The wines, distributed in Kenya through local partners including Meridian Kenya, Wine Routes and Vergelegen, offered an opportunity to explore the diversity of South Africa's wine industry without having to travel thousands of kilometres.

With every glass, there was something new to discover. Some wines offered crisp, refreshing notes, while others introduced deeper, more complex flavours. It was an opportunity to slow down, savour each sip and engage with the people and stories behind the wines.

One of my most memorable discoveries was a wooded Chenin Blanc 2025 bearing the name 'Thokozani'. I learnt that Thokozani is a Zulu expression associated with joy and celebration, a fitting sentiment reflected in the bottle's logo of two hands coming together.

It was a simple but fascinating lesson in how wine can carry more than just flavour. It can tell stories about language, heritage, community and the people who make it.

And that is perhaps the beauty of wine tasting. Beyond comparing flavours, every bottle offers a little window into the culture and traditions of the place it comes from.

WoSA's engagement in Kenya forms part of a wider strategy to tap into emerging intra-African trade opportunities.

Market projections by StrategyHelix indicate that Kenya's wine industry could grow from USD 950 million (approximately Ksh.122 billion) in 2024 to more than USD 1.5 billion (approximately Ksh.193 billion) by 2030.

Interestingly, this growth is expected to be driven largely by value rather than increased consumption volumes, which have remained relatively stable at approximately 8,000 metric tons annually since 2019.

As Kenya's wine culture continues to evolve, experiences such as the WoSA showcase are helping introduce consumers to new varieties, encourage appreciation of premium wines and make wine education more accessible.