Comprehensive yet engaging, and welcoming of newcomers to the vine, the 2026 Platter’s by Diners Club Wine Guide released today is the perfect independent companion for anyone who lifts a glass of South African wine.
The new edition celebrates a remarkable 46 years of the guide showcasing South Africa’s winegrowers and grape-spirit distillers, through winery profiles, wine descriptions and ratings, wine-country maps and much more.
All the best-selling features of the collectible editions are present and fully updated for the 2026 guide, in which well over 900 producers, merchants and brands are featured, including more than 30 new ones, and over 8,000 locally produced wines, as well as brandies, husk spirits and sherry-style wines.
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The guide’s descriptions and ratings, compiled in association with a team of leading experts, make it easy to find the right wine for any occasion, while the good-value indicators highlight those bottlings which are especially budget friendly across all quality levels.
Platter’s 2026 also packs extensive information on where to go and what to do in wine country. Winetasting options are covered in detail, along with many winery amenities, attractions and activities, plus dining and accommodation options in Cape Town and the winelands. Easy-to-use maps and quick look-up tables provide invaluable help for visitors planning their own wineland rambles, while listings of specialised wine tour operators offer a variety of alternatives for those who prefer a guided experience.
Fully updated notes on the major winegrowing regions, grape varieties, winemaking styles, winetasting terms, and the major wine competitions and awards, as well as listings of wine educators country-wide form part of a wide-ranging offering.
As always, the new guide is prefaced by an insightful and thought-provoking overview of important developments and trends in South Africa and the wider wine world.
A much-anticipated feature of the guide is the reveal of the cover look. This year it is a vibrant orange and white combination, which the Platter’s team named “Table Bay Sunset”.
A highlight of any new edition is the five star wines line-up – the exceptional bottlings which emerge from a second round of tasting of the wines with the highest rating on the Platter’s scale of 0 – 5 stars (“Somewhat less than ordinary” to “Superlative. A South African classic”). In this edition 316 wines, brandies and husk spirits receive a five-star rating, equating to 95 or more on the 100-point international scale.
Of the five-star-awarded wines, the highest scorers within each category receive the sought-after accolade, Wines of the Year. This time there are 36 such category winning wines.
Also noteworthy are 430 Highly Recommended wines, brandies and husk spirits which narrowly miss five stars but are nonetheless extremely fine and collectable in their own right, earning a rating of 94 on the 100-point scale.
Then there are the just over 130 red and white wines showing particular potential for cellaring (they appear under the banner “Buy Now, Drink Later”); the 168 Hidden Gems, wines which tasters feel are particularly worthy of note, being interesting, attractive, unique or representative of an important trend; and the 115 Superquaffers, wines that are exceptionally drinkable and well-priced.
The three prestigious Winery of the Year awards are the highest accolades bestowed by Platter’s. The Top Performing Winery of the Year goes to the winery that achieves the most five stars after the annual final tasting round. This year the recipient is Diemersdal Estate.
The Editor’s Award Winery of the Year award recognises a winegrowing individual or team who, based on performance in the current edition as well as track record, are ambassadors par excellence for South African wine. This year the award goes to Alheit Vineyards, which has shown consistently stellar form since its debut in the 2012 edition.
The Newcomer Winery of the Year is awarded to a producer who debuted in Platter’s this year and achieved the highest scores. The well-deserved recipient of this distinction is The Saldanha Wine & Spirit Co, with two stunning wines earning 95 and 96 points.
Platter’s 2026 hardcover is available from selected bookstores and retailers nationwide from early December 2025. The recommended retail price is R429.00 incl VAT.
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