Platter’s by Diners Club has released its 2026 edition, marking 46 years of guiding consumers, producers and industry stakeholders through South Africa’s evolving wine landscape. Featuring more than 900 wineries, merchants and brands and over 8,000 locally produced wines and grape spirits, the guide remains one of the agricultural sector’s most valuable indicators of quality, regional performance and emerging trends.
Compiled by a respected panel of tasters under the editorship of Philip van Zyl, the guide continues to offer an authoritative record of producer achievement, vintage strength, stylistic direction and viticultural progress country-wide.
Showcasing Producer Achievement
The 2026 edition presents 316 five-star wines, brandies and husk spirits, each scoring 95 points or higher. These top-rated wines undergo a second blind tasting to determine the 36 Wines of the Year — the leading performers in each varietal or style category. For producers, these results play a significant role in market perception, export potential and long-term brand positioning.
The guide also identifies 430 Highly Recommended wines (94 points), 168 Hidden Gems recognised for individuality and innovation, 115 Superquaffers offering standout value, and a noteworthy list of age-worthy “Buy Now, Drink Later” selections. Together, these categories provide a detailed snapshot of quality across regions and price levels, supporting both producer benchmarking and industry analysis.
Top Performing Wineries
This year’s highest honours reflect significant achievement within the sector.
Diemersdal Estate earns Top Performing Winery of the Year for achieving the most five-star ratings in the final tasting round.
Alheit Vineyards receives the Editor’s Award Winery of the Year for sustained excellence and leadership, particularly in Chenin Blanc.
The Newcomer Winery of the Year, The Saldanha Wine & Spirit Co, made an exceptional debut with two wines scoring 95 and 96 points, highlighting the emergence of new coastal terroirs and innovative production methods.
These accolades carry substantial weight for producers, supporting reputation building, trade relationships and export visibility.
Wine Tourism: A Growing Economic Driver
Beyond its tasting notes, Platter’s continues to play a pivotal role in wine tourism — a vital contributor to South Africa’s rural economy. The 2026 guide includes extensive information on tasting rooms, cellar tours, estate hospitality, dining, accommodation and farm attractions across Cape Town and the winelands.
With wine tourism contributing significantly to job creation, seasonal income stability and farm diversification, the guide’s detailed maps and route-planning tools support continued growth in visitor numbers. Listings of specialised wine tour operators also underline the expanding professional tourism infrastructure around the sector.
For agricultural readers, this synergy between farming, winemaking and tourism highlights the increasingly integrated value chain sustaining rural communities.
Industry Insight and Accessibility
The guide opens with an overview of key developments shaping viticulture and the wine economy, offering useful context for producers navigating market shifts, climate considerations and global competition. Updated summaries of winegrowing regions, grape varieties and winemaking styles further support knowledge sharing within the sector.
The 720-page hardcover edition will be available in early December at R429. Digital subscriptions — covering the website and both mobile apps — are accessible via www.wineonaplatter.com.