Hock of the Bay

Mention South Africa's wine regions and many people instinctively think of Stellenbosch, a half-hour drive east of Cape Town. But though it enjoys international celebrity, Stellenbosch produces just 11% of the country's winesmeaning that there are a great deal more wine districts to be discovered. Generating lots of buzz among oenophiles at the moment is Walker Bay, a relatively new wine-growing area a couple of hundred kilometers to the south. At harvest time, this coastal wine ward enjoys milder temperatures, thanks to the sea breezes produced by the Atlantic's cold Benguela current. The result, partisans claim, is enhanced grape aroma and...