Intro to African Wine\n\nAfrican wine begins, for most of the world, in the Cape — but the story is far older and wider. From the cool slopes of the Drakensberg to the Atlantic-cooled coast of Luanda, the continent grows wine in more places than people realise.\n\n## What makes African wine distinct?\n\n- **Old vines.** South Africa's bush vines are among the oldest commercial plantings in the world.\n- **Altitude.** Lesotho and Zimbabwe ripen at altitudes most European regions cannot match.\n- **Heritage cultivars.** Pinotage, Chenin Blanc, and Cinsault find their best expressions on African soil.\n\n## Where to start\n\nTry a flight: Chenin Blanc from Stellenbosch, Shiraz from Marondera, and a late-harvest Hanepoot from the Zambezi.