There's no shortage of wine worth drinking in SA. The latest Platter Guide - one of the most reliable stocking-fillers for even occasional wine drinkers - reviews more than 7000 different current releases. At least half of them score ratings of three-and-a-half or more stars out of five. You could argue, with at least a grain of truth, that this is as much a measure of the generosity of the tasters as it is a yardstick of the average quality of Cape wine. That said, most three-star wines make a perfectly acceptable complement to the average Joburg restaurant meal.

On the strength of this slightly equivocal endorsement, you would be entitled to assume it's hard to go wrong, whatever you order. If this were entirely correct, wine writers would have to pack up their laptops and head for Parliament to find something worthy of their aesthetic acuity. Happily for us, the average quality of what is in general distribution is not a perfect microcosm of what is produced.

Wineries that gear their production to the needs of wholesalers, supermarkets and chain stores are the first to sacrifice individuality on the alter of standardisation. They may get the lion's share of the high-volume trade because their wines hardly ever deliver any real surprises (good or bad), though the price of this strategy is that they lose more adventurous punters. Half the fun of wine is its propensity to excite, to exceed expectation. The unspoken converse is that for most hilltops there must be the commensurate valley.

Over the past few weeks, I have been soldiering through some pretty substantial line-ups of current releases - a few hundred samples . There have been a few scary wines, a vast number of very ordinary, perfectly safe offerings, some better- than-merely-good bottlings and a few whiplash-inducing, consciousness- changing masterpieces.

It's a good idea not to set out with great expectations when it comes to Rosé. However, the Hazendal De Haas is more than acceptable and the Haut Cabriere unwooded Pinot 2011 - marketed as a light red rather than a Rosé - has lovely red berry aromas and ample flavour and texture.

Tasting through a vast array of Sauvignon Blancs, I was struck by the average quality of what is on offer: no rubbish and a few standout examples: Jordan's "The Outlier" 2009; La Motte's Pierneef 2011; Constantia Glen's 2010; Kleine Zalze's 2010; and Gabrielskloof 2010 were among my favourites.

Other white wines that made an impression included some very decent Chenins - a delicious Beaumont Hope Marguerite 2010; an equally splendid Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection 2010; an elegant, unshowy Cocoa Hill Chenin from Dornier; and a perfectly pleasing 2010 Allée Bleue.

The Chardonnay selection saw line honours shared between Glen Carlou's Quartz Stone 2009 and the Rhebokskloof 2009, both new world in style, with new oak and ripe fruit the hallmark features.

The Altydgedacht Gewurztraminer - long an industry benchmark - lived up to its reputation in the aromatics class.

Among the reds, Springfield's Whole Berry Cabernet 2008 was undoubtedly the best on offer, while the Swartland Winery's Bush Vine Pinotage 2010 was the most striking example in an admittedly limited offering. The Shirazes included some of the worst wines of the tasting (though the very commercial Obikwa, sampled, like all the wines , unsighted, delivered the least offensive glass ). The Merlots averaged higher scores, with the Veenwouden Reserve 2009 comfortably the best of them all.

Festive-season desserts - often life-threatening to all but the best titanium-lined gastro-intestinal tract - can be made safer and more enjoyable if complemented by the right sweet wine. Undoubtedly the best available is the Nederburg Winemaster's Reserve Noble Late Harvest. The wisest diners skip the dessert and just drink this instead.

From Business Day, 9 December 2011