Chardonnay remains the top-selling wine in the US , but recently released ACNielsen statistics for retail grocers' sales in 2005 in the US , which is set to become the world's biggest market by 2008, show that the next most popular wine is Merlot. The news might come as a blow to those who relished in the dissing of the varietal in the film Sideways . Those same moviegoers will be relieved to hear that the star of Sideways , Pinot Noir, is garnering massive support with sales in food stores rising 70% on 2004. Third in line is White Zinfandel, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon. Reds are marginally more popular than whites, accounting for almost 42% of sales, and whites, 41%. Blush, or Rosé, wines make up the balance of 17%. But could it be that there are red or white blends individually more popular than Chardonnay or Merlot?

Not so, according to Rory Callahan, who is the US agent for Wines of South Africa. He says that apart from Rosé wines, considered in a category of their own, blends have not assumed the popularity in the US they have in other markets.

The picture for the UK , still the world's biggest wine market, is rather different. Figures presented by Jonathan Butt of the Thresher Group, who was recently on a visit to South Africa , showed that for the 12 months leading up to August 2005, just over 10% of wine sales through multiple grocers were of what are rather blandly described as "unidentified reds". This term includes all red blends unless otherwise specified.

Next up are the "unidentified whites" with just under 10%, while Chardonnay comes in third, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz/Cabernet blends (not to be confused with Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz, ranked rather lower on the list). Regrettably, no such statistics are available for wine sales in South Africa .

But a look at the sales of bottled wines in the premium category and above produced by Distell, the country's biggest producer of wines, tells a story that to some extent mirrors what is happening in the UK.

By far and away the most popular wines are dry red blends, with Nederburg Baronne a front ranker. Dry white blends come in second, followed by Rosé, with Nederburg in the lead once again. The single most popular varietal, though, is Sauvignon Blanc. Cabernet Sauvignon is right behind, Chardonnay is in sixth place, followed by Pinotage and then Merlot. ( delWine Editor's Note: There's something ironical about the humble ranking of Pinotage in its home country because South Africa is where it was invented.)

Says Misti Fowler, who's Nederburg's Brand Development Manager: "Since the start of the decade, South Africa has shown itself capable of producing world-class Sauvignon Blanc in the flinty green and fuller, tropical styles, both drawing praise internationally. This has given producers the confidence to expand their offerings. There are excellent Sauvignon Blancs now across the price spectrum. Many of them are easy-drinking, crisp and refreshing, making them ideally suited to our climate, which is partly the reason for their local popularity."

Michael Olivier of Pick'n Pay agrees. "Although not our single biggest seller - red blends and white blends take precedence - Sauvignon Blanc features prominently for us. I think its zippy, crisp freshness works very well for local consumers. But, interestingly, Cabernet Sauvignon is a more popular varietal than Sauvignon Blanc in our stores. During the festive season, we also find sparkling wines sell exceptionally well."

Caroline Barton, Makro's national wine buyer, believes the reason for Sauvignon Blanc's popularity is threefold. "Yes, it is very well suited to South African lifestyle, but it is also very fashionable right now and is buoyed by major marketing spends from the leading producers."

Makro's biggest sellers are also red blends, followed by white blends, a situation echoed at Tops at Spar. Says Barton: "The status of blends is based largely on price. Red blends under R25 and white blends under R20 are bought most frequently because of the value they offer.

"In our experience, sparkling wines occupy third position. Most of these wines tend to be in the sweeter-tasting spectrum and they are enjoyed by consumers widely, not just for celebratory occasions. They have become a year-round phenomenon. But Sauvignon Blanc is our single most popular varietal, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, which is a good old stalwart and has long been a part of the South African wine landscape."

A representative from another leading grocers' chain, who asked not to be named, said the company's best sellers were red and white blends with Merlot becoming increasingly popular. Rosés, too, are a great favourite and the way South Africans like them is "sweet, sweeter, sweetest," which is a very different story from the UK market, where the drier style is gaining wider currency. (R = Rand , the South African currency)

Ray Edwards points to the increasing popularity of Shiraz at Tops at Spar. "It is running neck and neck with Cabernet Sauvignon and could overtake it. It will be interesting to watch this race, but I don't see Pinotage providing any real competition," he says.

So, ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) Club members can take heart that at least for South Africans buying from the grocers' chains, Chardonnay, while still a very big seller, is not among the big five. Says Fowler: "Wine is as susceptible to fashion as food. Trends come and go. In my parents' day, Grand Cru was the flavour of the month. Then it was Blanc Fumé, followed by Chardonnay. That is part of the evolution of wine. Five years hence, the popularity rankings will probably be very different from how they currently are."

This article was first published in the Nederburg e-Letter, May 2006. It was reproduced in www.wine.co.za, the official web site of Wines of South Africa, with permission from Distell and as part of the brand's sponsorship agreement with WineNews .