Big Easy Chenin Blanc
£17.49
£23.32 per litre · incl. 20% VAT
Out of Stock
Named after Ernie Els' famously smooth golf swing, this is Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc at its most welcoming. Sunshine in a glass, ripe peach, passionfruit and honeysuckle, with a zip of citrus to keep it fresh. No oak, no fuss, just pure South African fruit. Perfect for the first warm evening of the year.
Not for sale to persons under 18. Adult signature required on delivery.
UK wide delivery
Expert curated
Our Verdict
We listed the Big Easy because it does what so many crowd-pleaser whites can't, it delivers genuine Stellenbosch character at a midweek price. The Ernie Els name gets it noticed, but Louis Strydom's winemaking is what keeps customers coming back. There's a precision underneath all that tropical generosity that lifts it well above the usual unoaked Chenin crowd. Send a bottle to a homesick South African friend, take one to a summer dinner party, or just pour yourself a glass on a Tuesday, it's that kind of wine, and we wouldn't be without it.
Tasting Notes
A summery, fruit-forward Chenin that opens with honeysuckle, white peach and passionfruit, lifted by a whisper of fynbos, that aromatic Cape scrubland character you don't find anywhere else. The palate is juicy and generous: ripe melon, yellow stone fruit and a citrus edge that keeps everything fresh. Medium-bodied and lush, with bright acidity carrying the fruit through a persistent, youthful finish. No oak, no fuss, just clean, expressive Chenin doing what it does best.
Tropical Abundance
Passionfruit and ripe melon lead the charge, the kind of sun-soaked tropical character that defines Cape Chenin in a warm vintage.
Stone Fruit Core
White peach and yellow stone fruit give the wine its juicy heart, with a fresh-cut apple crunch sitting underneath.
Honeysuckle Lift
Honeysuckle blossom and a subtle fynbos note, that wild Cape herb character, add aromatic complexity to an otherwise easy-going style.
About This Wine
If you've been waiting for a white wine that does the work for you, this is it. The Big Easy Chenin Blanc takes its name from Ernie Els' legendary golf swing, effortless, confident, generous, and the wine drinks exactly the way that sounds. South African golf royalty meets Stellenbosch winemaking craft, with cellar master Louis Strydom shaping the grapes into something that's both serious and seriously drinkable.
Pour a glass and you're straight into the Cape summer. Honeysuckle and passionfruit lift out of the glass first, followed by yellow peach, ripe melon and a hint of fresh apple. There's that distinctively South African touch of fynbos on the nose too, the wild Cape scrubland that gives the country's whites their unmistakable character. On the palate it's juicy and medium-bodied, with bright citrus acidity keeping all that tropical fruit beautifully in check.
Fruit comes from low-yielding vines across Stellenbosch, Durbanville and Perdeberg, fermented in stainless steel with no oak, so what you taste is pure fruit, pure place. Two months on the lees adds a subtle creamy depth without weighing things down.
This is the bottle you reach for when friends drop by unannounced, when the sun finally appears, or when the menu reads grilled prawns, Thai green curry, or a goat's cheese salad. Delivered across the UK, it's the easiest yes on the wine list.
Food Pairing
Built for summer eating. Try it with grilled prawns and a squeeze of lemon, a Thai green curry where the tropical fruit echoes the lemongrass and coconut, or a simple roast chicken with herby new potatoes. It's also brilliant solo on a warm afternoon, the kind of bottle you open without thinking and finish without realising.
- —Grilled prawns with lemon and garlic
- —Thai green chicken curry
- —Roast chicken with tarragon and new potatoes
- —Smoked trout salad with horseradish crème fraîche
- —Goat's cheese and roasted pepper tart
How to Serve
Temperature
Properly chilled but not ice-cold. An hour and a half in the fridge, or twenty minutes in an ice bucket.
Decanting
No decanting needed, this is a fresh, unoaked style designed for immediate enjoyment. Just pull the cork, pour, and let the aromatics open up in the glass.
Glass
A standard white wine glass with a slight tulip shape concentrates the honeysuckle and stone fruit aromatics nicely.
Ageing & Cellaring
Made for drinking young while the fruit is at its brightest. Enjoy over the next two to three years, beyond that, the youthful vibrancy that makes this wine sing will start to fade. No cellaring required.
The Land
The home vineyards sit on Helderberg granite, with clay-rich Tukulu and Oakleaf soils underneath. Granite gives wines a certain lift and minerality; clay holds water through the dry Cape summers, keeping the vines unstressed and the fruit pure. North and north-east aspects catch maximum sunshine, building the ripe, fruit-forward character that runs through the Ernie Els range.
The Winemaking
Fresh, unoaked, and made to show the fruit at its most expressive. After sorting, the grapes are destemmed and gently crushed, with the juice settled overnight before being racked clean. Fermentation happens in stainless steel to preserve those bright tropical aromatics, and the wine then spends around two months on its lees, stirred weekly. That lees contact is the secret, it adds a soft, creamy weight to the palate without ever muting the citrus lift or the crunch of fresh peach.
About the Producer
Ernie Els
Ernie Els needs little introduction on the fairway, but his wine project is the real deal too. Founded in 1999 on the slopes of the Helderberg, the estate sits in what locals call Stellenbosch's Golden Triangle, prime Cabernet country. From the start, Ernie brought in Louis Strydom as cellar master, one of the Cape's most respected red-wine makers, to build a portfolio that began with serious Bordeaux-style blends and has since grown to include the more approachable Big Easy range. The name is a nod to Ernie's famously fluid golf swing, the nickname that followed him around the PGA tour. The philosophy: same Stellenbosch craftsmanship, friendlier price, everyday drinking.