Pinotage vs Merlot: South Africa’s Signature Red, Compared with the World’s Softest

Pinotage is one of the few grape varieties created entirely in South Africa. Merlot is one of the most planted red grapes on the planet. They share a shelf in almost every Stellenbosch wine shop, and the question we hear most often in the tasting room is which one to pick.

This guide answers that question without the mystique. We will cover where each grape comes from, what they actually taste like, and the food they each want on the plate.

By the end, you will be able to walk into a wine shop, read two unfamiliar labels, and pick the one that suits your meal.

The quick answer

Choose Pinotage when you want a red with character. Smoke, dark fruit, a bit of grip, and a story behind it. It suits braai food, slow-cooked stews, and bobotie better than almost any other red.

Choose Merlot when you want a softer red that everyone at the table can enjoy. It is plummy, smooth, and easy to pair. Good with pasta, roast lamb, mushroom dishes, and lighter cuts of beef.

If a guest tells you they do not really drink red wine, pour Merlot. If they say they want to try something properly South African, pour Pinotage.

Pinotage 101: born in Stellenbosch, 1925

Pinotage was bred at Stellenbosch University by Professor Abraham Izak Perold in 1925. He crossed Pinot Noir with Cinsaut, hoping to combine the elegance of Pinot Noir with the heartiness of a warm-climate grape. The result is a variety that grows almost exclusively in South Africa.

For decades, Pinotage had an image problem. Some older bottlings developed a burnt rubber or acetone character that became infamous on the international wine scene. Modern winemaking has solved most of that. Today’s Pinotage is fresher, fruitier, and far more refined.

Pinotage grows best in warm sites with deep soils. The Stellenbosch and Swartland regions produce most of the country’s best examples. The grape ripens early and gives wines with deep colour, real body, and a distinctive smoky edge.

Merlot 101: Bordeaux’s softest red

Merlot is from Bordeaux, on the right bank of the Gironde river. It is one of the two grapes (with Cabernet Sauvignon) that built the reputation of red Bordeaux. Merlot is the soft one of that pair. Lower in tannin, rounder on the palate, and easier to drink young.

The grape has spread everywhere. It is widely planted in Italy, California, Chile, Australia, and South Africa. It does well in cooler sites where Cabernet Sauvignon struggles to ripen, and it does well in warmer regions too. That flexibility is part of why Merlot is the world’s second most planted red wine grape.

In South Africa, Merlot is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon to make the country’s classic Bordeaux-style red blend. It is also bottled on its own, especially from Stellenbosch and Paarl.

How each one tastes

The two grapes have very different signatures in the glass. A side-by-side tasting makes the difference obvious.

Pinotage tasting notes:

• Dark plum, blackberry, and ripe red fruit
• A distinctive smoky or “fynbos-smoked” character
• Notes of liquorice, mocha, and dark chocolate in oak-aged styles
• Medium to full body, with firm tannins
• A slightly grippy finish, especially in younger wines

Merlot tasting notes:

• Red plum, ripe cherry, and bramble
• Soft hints of cocoa, vanilla, and cedar from oak
• Almost no green or vegetal character when picked at full ripeness
• Medium to full body, with soft, round tannins
• A long, gentle finish without grip

The clearest way to spot the difference is the texture. Pinotage has bite. Merlot is smooth. Hold a sip on your tongue for five seconds and the contrast is unmistakable.

A side-by-side comparison

What food each one wants

Pinotage is one of the great braai wines. Its body and smokiness match smoke from the fire, and its tannin holds up against fatty cuts of meat.

Choose Pinotage for:

• Braai meat, especially lamb chops, sosaties, and boerewors
• Bobotie and other Cape Malay spiced dishes
• Slow-cooked oxtail or short rib
• Game meats, including kudu, springbok, and venison stew
• Sharp, mature cheddar
• Anything cooked over coals

Choose Merlot for:

• Roast lamb or lamb shanks
• Pasta with tomato-based sauces and beef ragu
• Roast chicken with mushrooms and herbs
• Filet mignon and other lighter cuts of beef
• Hard Italian cheeses like parmesan and pecorino
• Burgers and a Friday-night pizza

A small note on heat. Merlot is one of the best red wines to pair with mildly spicy food. The soft tannins do not amplify the chilli the way firmer tannins do. Pinotage handles smoke beautifully but can clash with very chilli-heavy dishes.

The “Pinotage tastes burnt” myth

If you have heard that Pinotage tastes like burnt rubber, the impression is out of date.

In the 1980s and 1990s, some bottlings did develop an acetone or solvent character. The cause was a mix of fermentation issues and vines pushed past their ideal ripeness. The reputation stuck even after winemakers solved the problem.

The modern Pinotage is a different wine. Lower yields, earlier picking, better fermentation control, and gentler oak handling have changed the style completely. The best examples are now mentioned alongside top New World Syrah and Zinfandel in international reviews.

If your only memory of Pinotage is a wine you drank fifteen years ago, try a contemporary bottle. The smoke is still there. The unwanted notes are not.

How to spot a great bottle

A few label clues help with both grapes.

For Pinotage, look for:

• Stellenbosch, Swartland, or Paarl on the label
• “Single vineyard” if you want a more concentrated style
• A producer with a strong reputation for the grape, since Pinotage rewards careful winemaking more than most varieties
• A vintage no older than five years for everyday styles, eight years for premium

For Merlot, look for:

• Stellenbosch, Paarl, or Helderberg if you want classic SA Merlot
• A pure Merlot rather than a “Bordeaux-style blend” if you want the grape’s character on its own
• A vintage from the past five years for everyday bottlings, ten years for top examples

Pick Pinotage if, pick Merlot if

The short version.

Pick Pinotage if:

• You are putting meat on the braai
• The meal has smoke, char, or spice
• You want to drink something local with a story
• You like reds with grip and body
• You enjoy a wine that has its own opinion

Pick Merlot if:

• You are cooking pasta, lamb, or mushroom-based dishes
• Your guests are mixed in their wine preferences
• You want a smooth, gentle red
• You prefer wines without much tannin
• You want a bottle that suits midweek meals as easily as Sunday lunch

Try both at the cellar

The fastest way to settle this is to taste them side by side at the source. Our Kottabos Pinotage is made in the same hands-off, single-vineyard style as the rest of our range. We also bottle a Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot blend that shows what Merlot brings when paired with a firmer partner.

Book a guided tasting at the cellar

Or shop the red wines online and run your own comparison at home.

Frequently asked questions