It is time again for the spotlight to fall on the country’s best young wines. We invite all winemakers from all parts of the South African winelands to enter their prospective winning wines of 2017 for the annual SA Young Wine Show. Entries close on 27 June at the regional wine show associations and on 6 July at the SA National Wine Show Association (SANWSA).
The SA Young Wine Show has since 1833 offered winemakers the opportunity to measure their various wines, experimental styles and new varieties against their peers in the industry, which makes this the longest-standing wine show worldwide.
According to VinPro, the umbrella wine producers’ organisation, consumers can look forward to exceptional wines from the 2017 vintage. The general feeling is that this is one of the best harvests in years, specifically in terms of quality. The Young Wine Show offers the ideal opportunity for all producers to compete for one of the SA Champion Trophies in 17 classes.
The white wine classes include Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Sémillon, Other White Cultivars, Dry White Blends, Off-dry White Wines and Noble Late Harvest. In the red wine classes, trophies are awarded for the best Pinotage, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Other Red Cultivars and Dry Red Blends. The judges will also name the most exceptional Port, Dessert Wine and Muscadel.
A lot is at stake, with about 2 000 wines being tasted to determine who will win the coveted General Smuts and Pietman Hugo Trophies. The General Smuts Trophy is the competition’s top recognition and has been awarded to the overall SA champion since 1952, while the cellar with the highest total points for five different wines receives the Pietman Hugo Trophy.
The specialised panels comprise seven qualified wine judges each and will be doing their comprehensive evaluation from 4 – 28 July at the Nederburg Auction Complex in Paarl. The customary practice is that an eighth judge will be included as novice in each panel to receive practical training, without his/her points being included in the calculation. This year, the 100-point judging scale will be used for the first time instead of the previous 20-point scale. The national winners will be announced at the presentation ceremony on 25 August, being hosted this year by the Worcester/Breede River Wine Region at Goudini Spa.
The SA Young Wine Show Catalogue and entry form for 2017 are available from www.youngwineshow.co.za or by emailing info@veritas.co.za.
Contact us
For more information, contact the SA National Wineshow office tel 021 863 1599 or e-mail info@veritas.co.za.
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