Ken Forrester Wines

Ken Forrester is South Africa's undisputed Chenin Blanc champion. Known across the wine world as 'Mr Chenin', Forrester has spent decades transforming the perception of a grape variety that was once dismissed as a workhorse of bulk wine production into one of the country's most exciting and internationally acclaimed varietals. His estate, Scholtzenhof Farm, sits on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain in the heart of Stellenbosch, and from these vineyards he produces a range that spans from the cheerful everyday Petit Chenin Blanc to the legendary FMC -- widely regarded as one of the finest Chenin Blancs made anywhere in the world.

The FMC stands for Forrester, Meinert, Chenin -- the 'M' referring to Ken's long-time friend and collaborator Martin Meinert, with whom the wine was originally conceived. The FMC vineyard was planted in 1970, and for fifteen years the team has studied the site using drones and multispectral imaging, allowing parcellation of the vineyard and selective picking across ten to fourteen passes during vintage. The wine is fermented and aged for twelve months in French oak barrels, producing a wonderfully rich and layered expression of Chenin Blanc with stone fruit, dried apricot, honey, vanilla, and spice.

Beyond the Chenin Blanc programme, the estate produces The Gypsy -- a Rhone-style blend of Grenache and Syrah -- along with a range of Petit wines that offer excellent everyday value. The Reserve range includes Old Vine Reserve Chenin Blanc, which won Best in Show at the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards with a score of 97, as well as Reserve Sauvignon Blanc and Petit Pinotage.

The recently renovated Ken Forrester Wine Lounge welcomes visitors with views of the Helderberg Mountains. Tasting options include an Icon range tasting (R150), Reserve range tasting (R120), Chenin Blanc tasting (R150), and Petit range tasting (R90), with generous platters of Dalewood cheeses, Wagyu biltong, preserves, and biscuits. The Wine Lounge is open Monday to Friday 09h00 to 17h00 and Saturday 10h00 to 16h00, closed Sundays.

The estate is also home to the celebrated 96 Winery Road restaurant, which has been a Winelands hospitality landmark since it opened in 1996. The restaurant serves down-to-earth local food in a warm, welcoming setting. Ken Forrester's online wine shop offers free shipping on orders over R1500 within South Africa.