“THIS YEAR will be remembered as a world-class Top 10,” said Kleine Zalze winemaker RJ Botha, chairman of Sauvignon Blanc South Africa. There were 157 wines entered by 96 producers in the 2021 edition of the association’s competition, with four of the winning wines having achieved the feat before – from Kleine Zalze and Spier of Stellenbosch, Nitida of
Read moreON THE EVE of the 100th test match between the Springboks and the All Blacks, on a rugby field in Australia, came the news that the countries’ winemakers had all but shared the spoils in an encounter featuring some of their top Sauvignon Blancs. The overall winner was South Africa, however the two top-scoring wines were from New Zealand, namely
Read moreWHO WOULD have thought that of the Top 100 winery destinations in the world, seven are in Lebanon, three in Russia? None in China, surprisingly enough, but there’s at least one worth seeking out in Japan, and one in India too! In the third year of the World’s Best Vineyards Academy awards organised and compiled by William Reed Business Media
Read more10 000 WINES from 46 countries, more than 300 judges on the panels tasting ‘blind’, labels out of sight, nine days of deliberation… Belgium’s international Concours Mondial du Bruxelles is one of the world’s largest wine competitions, and while the event was dominated by France, Spain, Italy and Portugal, South Africa came away with seven Grand Gold medals, 16 golds
Read moreCELEBRATING excellence and innovation, the ‘Great Wine Capitals’ Best Of Wine Tourism Awards recognise the top experiences on offer to those visiting the 11 greatest wine regions of the world, although, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only six of the 11 regions participated in the 2020 contest. The participants this year comprised 200 entrants in the winelands surrounding Adelaide (Australia),
Read moreWHAT a lovely line-up of champions in the Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge. Not one from a cellar in the Swartland, Bot River or Paarl in 2020… But hey, two wines from Worcester winery Alvi’s Drift, a first-time winner in this competition convened by the Chenin Blanc Association of South Africa. And while Stellenbosch didn’t dominate, four cellars from
Read moreSTELLENBOSCH and the Cederberg are where South Africa’s grand gold medallists at Mondial 2020 originated. The 2019 Stellenbosch Vineyard Selection from Chenin champions Kleine Zalze, the flagship Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2017 vintage of David Nieuwoudt’s Private Cellar in the Cederberg and the Cape’s 18 gold medallists did the country proud at the three-day international competition hosted this year in
Read moreREGULAR LAUREATES at the Pinotage Association’s annual Top 10 awards, Rijk’s of Tulbagh and Beyerskloof of Stellenbosch have fared particularly well again in 2020, each with more than one wine included among the 20 finalists announced by the Pinotage Association in advance of the trophy presentations. Begun almost a quarter of a century ago, the Absa Top 10 has grown
Read moreIN THE Liquid Assets column of Independent Media’s Personal Finance magazine published in the first quarter of 2020 (see below), four of South Africa’s leading wine producers were in the spotlight for their success on the world stage in 2019. Three are among the Top 30 in the SA Cellar Classification and all have wines in the country’s Top 100
Read moreTOP SCORE OVERALL to a Chardonnay from a boutique producer off the beaten track. Only one double gold for Shiraz, one of the most keenly contested categories in which 149 wines were entered! The Veritas Awards are seldom without some surprises or discoveries. As one South Africa’s major wine and spirit competitions – attracting 1491 entries in 2019 – the
Read moreTHERE WERE 183 entries from 107 producers in the 2019 FNB Sauvignon Blanc Top 10 competition and/but very few surprises in terms of the results which included three repeat winners – the 2019 vintage of De Grendel Koetshuis, Diemersdal Wild Ferment and Tokara Reserve Collection winning this year after victory with earlier vintages last year. The panel of judges were:
Read moreYOU MIGHT well scratch your head on hearing the results of South Africa’s National Wine Challenge. Convener Robin von Holdt of BuyBetterWine chooses to release the results in tranches, and whereas it might seem logical to either build up to a climax or begin with the most special awards, he prefers to kick off with a function where only the
Read moreTHERE were 9150 wines from 46 countries judged at the 2019 edition of Concours Mondial de Bruxelles in Aigle, Switzerland. Spain won 626 medals, followed by France (614), Italy (383) and Portugal (365). The host country won 172 awards and South Africa was also among the 10 most successful wine-producing nations in the competion, with a medal haul of
Read moreTHERE ARE SOME cellars whose reputations hinge on a single wine. Some have just one flagship. Nothing wrong with that. Actually, there are far too many producers in the Cape with far too many wines in their portfolio. More specialists please. However, you’ve gotta hand it to those wineries that consistently offer more than one of the country’s very best,
Read moreA SAVING of over R150 a bottle on one of South Africa’s Top 10 Chenins! R200pb less for the most highly rated Shiraz and top wine overall at the Michelangelo Awards!! R55 a bottle for one of the country’s Top 10 white blends!!! Almost 50% less than at the farm for a Cabernet in the Top Wine SA Hall of
Read moreTHE CREATIVE Block range of wines from Spier in Stellenbosch is one that explores the art of blending, which in the case of No. 3 is about balancing the components of a Rhône-style combination, with Shiraz playing the leading role. The figure has to do with the number of varieties in the blend. And like its predecessors, the 2015 is rather
Read moreSEEING IS BELIEVING! Wine lovers might have wondered why, when announcing most of their 2018 results as regards South African entries in September, for some reason the organisers of the International Wine & Spirit Competition in London chose to include Warwick among the few South African wineries singled out for special mention, i.e. even though this Stellenbosch estate wasn’t among the
Read moreSPIER 21 GABLES is a range of single varietal wines, the premium offerings from this Stellenbosch outfit. The name pays tribute to the farm’s Cape Dutch architectural legacy, and forming the cornerstone of the range are a Chenin Blanc and a Pinotage, both included among the Top 10 of their type in the SA Wine Classification, with the portfolio having
Read moreBEYERSKLOOF of Stellenbosch has been awarded the trophy for best Pinotage in the 2018 International Wine & Spirit Competition, with the judges commending the 2014 vintage of Beyerskloof Diesel for its “great concentration of flavours on the palate, silky smooth texture, and long finish with a hint of chocolate”. The Pinotage specialists were also honoured for their Cape Blend, Faith, among
Read moreSUCH CONSISTENCY! Virtually all of the 2018 Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge winners are regular visitors to the podiums at various competitions, with five of their beauties among the top Chenins in the SA Wine Classification and three in the Top Wine SA Hall of Fame. From various districts and wards, the champions include a range of styles. The
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