Mullineux revives historic Cape grape Sémillon Gris
By Christian Eedes, 6 August 2026
-
Share:
4
A forgotten piece of Cape wine history has been given a new lease on life. After more than a decade of selection, propagation and certification, Sémillon Gris has been recognised internationally as a distinct grape variety, with Mullineux establishing the world’s first officially certified Sémillon Gris vineyard at their Roundstone property in the Swartland.
The near-hectare vineyard represents the culmination of work led by Andrea and Chris Mullineux, together with viticultural specialists and industry bodies, to preserve and formally establish a grape that has been part of the Cape’s history for centuries.
Sémillon arrived in the Cape in the 17th century and, by the 19th century, was one of the region’s dominant varieties. Known locally as Groendruif, it once accounted for the vast majority of Cape plantings. Over time, a natural pink-skinned mutation emerged in vineyards alongside Sémillon Blanc. Known as Rooi Groendruif or Sémillon Gris, it was harvested and vinified together with the white-skinned form and was never formally recognised as a separate variety.
As vineyard replanting accelerated after phylloxera, Sémillon Gris gradually disappeared, surviving only in isolated old vineyards. Interest in the variety grew as South Africa’s wine industry began looking more closely at historic vines and varieties that had adapted to local conditions over generations.
The Mullineux project began in 2012 in a dry-farmed Swartland vineyard planted in 1960, where Sémillon Blanc and Sémillon Gris still grew together. Selected vines were propagated in collaboration with Vititec, SAWIS and the Department of Agriculture, with the certified mother block established at Roundstone in 2022.
The vineyard has now been entered on the International List of Vine Varieties of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) as a distinct variety, giving Sémillon Gris formal international recognition for the first time.
Mullineux has worked with Sémillon Gris for more than a decade through its Cape Winemakers Guild auction wine “The Gris”, made from selected grapes in an old Swartland vineyard where the variety was not yet officially recognised.
Future releases from Roundstone will be among the first wines in the world able to carry the Sémillon Gris name officially, turning a once-overlooked mutation into a recognised part of South Africa’s viticultural heritage.
-
Share:
Related articles
Reviews
Mullineux Single Terroir new releases
19 August 2026
Want access to this content? Reviews and Reports are initially reserved for subscribers. Get immediate access to exclusive insights and data. SUBSCRIBE NOW Already subscribed? Login
0
Reviews
Mullineux Signature new releases
20 March 2026
“The Signature range is the absolute focus of what we do,” says Chris Mullineux of the eponymous Swartland label and volumes of the new releases are substantial: 20,850 bottles of...
4
News
Mullineux’s Roundstone earns SA’s first regenerative organic certification
3 March 2026
Swartland property Roundstone, part of Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines, has become the first South African vineyard to receive official Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) status. The global certification recognises farms...
Louis | 7 August 2026
An important milestone for the Mullineux, particularly in achieving official certification. However, it’s also important to recognise the broader Cape effort to revive Sémillon Gris. Producers such as Jasper Wickens of Swerwer and John Seccombe of Thorne & Daughters have also been crafting outstanding wines from this rare and fascinating mutation over the past few vintages. It’s encouraging to see more Cape winemakers helping preserve and showcase this historic variety.
Kwispedoor | 7 August 2026
Yes! Let’s not forget that Jasper and Franziska Wickens planted what was probably the world’s first Semillon Gris vineyard in 2013. The journey of this mutation is so cool, from developing naturally here over such a long time, to people starting to isolate the grapes for dedicated bottlings, to people making skin contact wines from it, to the establishing of that first single vineyard. And now to the Mullineuxs, grafting hard and investing much to establish the mother block of certified, virus-free material. Long live Semillon Gris!
Kwispedoor | 7 August 2026
I was happy to be schooled by Andrea: looks like theirs and the Wickens’s vineyards are only the most modern pure Semillon vineyards. Apparently as much as 40% (!!) of all vineyard material in the late 19th century was made up of Semillon Gris, making it very likely that there were plenty of Gris vineyards way back then. Cheers to the revival!
I’m hoping that a large commercial producer will have the foresight and guts to get some of this new material and produce some cool wine with it. It’s such a heritage-rich grape and with some good marketing and a large producer’s efficient distribution tentacles, it might do much to help spark a revival of something great and interesting that’s truly unique to South Africa.
keith | 8 August 2026
Great news. I am pleased that I still have a few bottles of the Andrea Mullineux CWG 2013 and 17 . The 13 is developing into a really outstanding wine and it appears to age as well as Semillon . Maybe even the legendary Hunter Valley VAT 1 which I have been a fan of for many years ? Hope I live long enough to find out 😉