South African Sauvignon Blanc: Aldi's $5.99 Summer Gem from Cambalala

Send us a text

Ever wonder if a $5.99 wine could actually be worth drinking? The Cambalala South African Sauvignon Blanc 2024 from Aldi not only answers that question with a resounding yes but might actually change how you think about budget wines altogether.

This surprisingly sophisticated sipper from South Africa's Western Cape brings a subtle, refined take on Sauvignon Blanc's characteristic profile. Unlike the aggressive grassiness that dominates many New Zealand versions, Kambalala offers a gentler experience with delicate floral aromas leading to flavors of nectarine, dried pineapple, honey, and subtle tropical fruits. There's an interesting textural quality—a silky, almost syrupy mouthfeel despite being completely dry—that adds dimension without compromising refreshment.

The wine's name perfectly captures its essence - "Cambalala" means "take it easy" or "chill" in South African parlance, and that's exactly what this wine encourages. It's not complex enough to demand deep contemplation but far too good to be dismissed as merely acceptable. Instead, it occupies that sweet spot where enjoyment meets exceptional value, making it perfect for casual entertaining when you want something tasty but don't want to break the bank. Stock your refrigerator with a couple of bottles (it's only $12 for two!), and you're instantly ready for impromptu gatherings on the patio. The screw cap closure—albeit a surprisingly tight one—makes it all the more convenient for summer sipping.

Have you tried South African Sauvignon Blanc before? If not, this approachable, affordable bottle might be the perfect introduction to what this region can offer. Give it a proper chill, invite some friends over, and discover how sometimes the best wine values come from unexpected places. Subscribe to our podcast for more hidden gems that deliver serious bang for your buck!

Check us out at www.cheapwinefinder.com

or email us at [e-mail]

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome, it's Domain, dave.
Again, as always,cheapwinefindercom With another
podcast for a wine review.
We wrote up on theCheapWineFindercom website, like
we do three times a week.
Here we got a summer wine, eventhough it's not quite summer
yet.
It's from Aldi and it's a 599South African Sauvignon Blanc.

(00:30):
It's called and I'm not surewhere to put the accents on this
it's spelled C-A-M-B-A-L-A-L-ACome balala, south African
Sauvignon Blanc 2024.
They're south of the hemisphere, so their winters and summers

(00:53):
and winters and all that aredifferent than ours.
And these inexpensive SauvignonBlancs don't need aging, don't
need a lot of time to mate, andit's $5.99.
I know almost nothing aboutthis other than what it tastes
like.
Kambalala is, as a name, isowned by Aldi and looking in the

(01:19):
internet, they seem to have abunch of South African wines
under this name.
I've only seen this one, $ one,599 Sauvignon Blanc.
Also, I put a link on thewebsite of all the wines
available at Aldi in the UK andtheir wine selection puts our

(01:41):
wine in US shops to shame.
There were three pages of about25 wines a page, all available,
all inexpensive, and we get thesame things over and over again
.
But we got this one now atleast, at least in chicago for
my uh.
So how was it?
It?

(02:02):
It was nice.
This is not a bad.
I don't know who made it.
It's from the Western Cape ofSouth Africa.
Western Cape is kind of likethe general area where all the
different growing areas are andlike most of the most of the
vineyards are.
So it doesn't you know, itdoesn't narrow where it came
from.
Don't know who made it.
Don't know exactly where itcame from, don't know who made

(02:25):
it.
Don't know exactly where it wasgrown, don't know how they made
it.
Those South African I mean notSouth African Sauvignon Blanc
wines are kind of, if there'sany wine that's farmed to market
, it's Sauvignon Blanc.
Because they pick the grapes.
The winemaker might use adifferent batch of yeast,
because different yeast bringout different flavors, and they

(02:47):
might decide which temperatureto ferment it at, because
there's some leeway there.
But other than that, they justpress the grapes, do their thing
when it's fermented, bottle itor let it rest for a month or
two, bottle it and let it restanother month and out the door
it goes.
So when you see a 599 SauvignonBlanc, it's not like oh,

(03:11):
there's no way they can make itfor 599, especially from South
Africa and ship it all the wayto the Midwest where I'm at, but
they kind of can because itdoesn't.
You know it's this.
It goes from being grapes tobeing wine in a fairly simple
and quick method.
I'm going to take a sip.
It reminds me of a milder, moresubtle new zealand savion blanc

(03:45):
.
It's got that grassiness, butnot too much.
It's got the same flavors.
For the most part there is a um, there was a syrupy little
nature to to the mouthfe, whichisn't all that bad.
It's kind of you ever hadpeaches and syrup canned peaches
.
It kind of has that kind ofsyrup to it, though it's a dry
wine.
It's not a sweet wine.

(04:05):
It's got all the flavors.
It's got nectarine and I founddried pineapple and a little bit
of honey.
Honey and peaches, pears, apple, some tropical fruit.
I mean for $5.99 SauvignonBlanc.
And it had a decent nose too.

(04:26):
The nose was subtle but it wasnice and floral.
I mean it did all the thingsyou'd expect a Sauvignon Blanc
to do and it did it for $5.99.
Did I say that three or fourtimes already?
So there you go.
This is a, you know, this is awho knows what.
This is a wine that they don'ttalk about.

(04:46):
But you don't need to.
There isn't all that much tosay about it because it's so
simple to make and it turns out.
South Africa is a pretty niceplace.
Most of where the grapes aregrown are either coastal or
mountain or both.
So where the grapes came from,it's fine, and whoever made it

(05:08):
knew how to make Sauvignon Blanc.
This is perfect patio.
I mean, this is the kind at$5.99.
You grab a couple of bottles,put it in the refrigerator when
friends come over and you'regoing to sit out in the deck or
wherever you're going to sit,it's a screw top.
I actually had to get a wrenchto take the screw top off
because it was on so tight.

(05:28):
But you know, maybe, uh, maybeyou're stronger, but but even
though I did get it, I wasn'tgoing to let anything stop me
from opening it up.
But yeah, this is a perfectwine to have just waiting.
You know, put it in therefrigerator.
You know you don't want to putwine in the refrigerator too
long, but you know, for a whileit'll be fine.

(05:50):
Someone comes over.
You spend 12 bucks on twobottles.
You sit, you talk.
You don't have to think toomuch about the wine.
It's not one of those winesthat you have to contemplate,
your neighbor.
So at $5.99, it tastes prettygood and it's really well-priced
, you really can't complain.

(06:10):
Yeah, you might say well, Ilike this Sauvignon Blanc better
than that.
It's a $15, $20 Sauvignon Blanc.
No kidding, you might like thembetter, but when you compare
the value, that might changethings.
Adios, this is Domain DaveCheapWineFightercom.
Like us where you like yourpodcasts.

(06:31):
Kambala Ala, south AfricanSauvignon Blanc 2024.
Oh, and Kambalala means take iteasy, chill.
You know that's what it meansand it's a good wine for that.
And plus, put a chill on thebottle, it makes it even better.
So, adios, keep it cheap andI'll be talking to everybody in
a couple of days.
Adios, bye-bye.