Winners of the Genl Smuts Trophy: Edwin Grace and Edmund Terblanche of La Motte Wine Estate Back L to R: Willie Burger (Badsberg Cellar), Rianco van Rooyen (Robertson Winery), Justin Corrans (KWV), Johan Linde (Botha Cellar), Juandre Bruwer (Diemersdal),...
Press Office
Jul 23, 2025
Judging of the young wines of the 2025 vintage year is well under way this week, with 1 491 entries (7% more than last year) competing for the top trophies, as well as gold, silver and bronze medals in the SA Young Wine Show – being held in The Pavillion at Nederburg...
Jul 16, 2025
The 2025 SA New Wine Writer of the Year Competition for writers 35 years old or younger, is now open to entries. The organisers have decided to hold this competition earlier in the year, instead of towards the end of the year. The closing date is Monday 8 September...
Jun 7, 2025
Entries are being awaited for this year’s SA Young Wine Show, the country’s oldest wine competition which is open for wine creations of the current vintage year – an important annual yardstick of the new harvest’s quality and character. The SA National Wine Show...
Dec 11, 2024
The country’s best new wine writer for 2024 is Skye Nolan from Brackenfell near Cape Town, assistant-winemaker and compliance manager at Bellevue Wine Estate, Stellenbosch, who also had work stints at four other Cape wineries, as well as doing wine educational and...
Aug 24, 2024
For the second successive year a wooded Cabernet Sauvignon – this time from Diemersdal Estate in Durbanville – excelled by clinching the prestigious General Smuts Trophy as overall SA Champion Young Wine of 2024, after also being named as the country’s Best Cabernet...
Jul 24, 2024
Judging of the young wines of the 2024 vintage year is well under way this week, with 1 387 entries (12% more than last year) competing for the top trophies, as well as gold, silver and bronze medals in the SA Young Wine Show – being held in the Johann Graue Hall at...
Jun 7, 2024
Entries are now open for this year’s SA Young Wine Show, for which winemakers can enter until 21 June in all the country’s wine regions and up to 5 July directly at the Show Office in Paarl. The organisers of the competition – for young wines made in the current year...
Dec 11, 2023
The country’s best new wine writer for 2023 is Margeaux Goosen, who has just completed a stint as winemaking assistant at a boutique winery in Baden, Germany, while the runner-up is Jenna Higgins, newly appointed head winemaker at Wolvenhoek in Wellington and the best...
Oct 23, 2023
The 2023 SA New Wine Writer of the Year Competition for writers 35 years old or younger, is now open to entries. This competition of the South African National Wine Show Association (SANWSA) – which also runs the Veritas Awards among others – is in its 11th year and...
Aug 26, 2023
A wooded Cabernet Sauvignon from Wellington Wines took the crown by clinching the prestigious General Smuts Trophy as overall SA Champion Wine of 2023 after also being named as the country’s best Cabernet Sauvignon (wooded) at the SA Young Wine Show. Wellington Wines...
Jul 27, 2023
The mammoth judging of young wines of the 2023 vintage is in full swing this week (24 - 28 July), with more than 1 250 entries competing for the top trophies, as well as gold, silver and bronze medals – for the SA Young Wines Show being held in the Johann Graue Hall...
Dec 8, 2022
Photo: Petri de Beer - Runner up and Shandré van der Merwe - Winner of the best new wine writer in SA Award The country’s best new wine writer for 2022 is Shandré van der Merwe, tasting room Manager at De Wet Cellar outside Worcester, while the runner-up is Petri de...
Aug 26, 2022
A wooded Shiraz from Diemersdal Wine Estate in Durbanville has won the prestigious General Smuts Trophy as the overall SA Champion Young Wine of 2022, after also receiving the trophy for the best South African Shiraz (wooded) at the SA Young Wine Show. The General...
Jul 28, 2022
The pursuit to find the best young wines of the 2022 vintage is in full swing this week (25 to 29 July) as more than 1,200 entries compete for trophies and gold, silver and bronze medals at the SA Young Wine Show judging at the Johann Graue hall at Nederburg. The SA...