Tag Archives: National Wine Challenge

Babylonstoren Blend judged Red Wine of the Year at NWC 2023

PUFFERY aside, behind the smoke and mirrors… The National Wine Challenge attracts entries from some of South Africa’s top wine producers, the judges and tasting director are respected professionals, plus there are often several good-value discoveries or confirmations as well as something or other that prompts you to ponder… Best Value? At just R95pb, a little over half the price

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Does South African Rosé rock, or what?! Prices on the rise

WE MIGHT never know whether the pink wine from Aaldering of Devon Valley in Stellenbosch was a contender for one of the 2022 Pinotage Rosé Awards. It might have been interesting to see whether the panel appointed by the Pinotage Association concurred with that at the Michelangelo Awards (SA) who a few weeks earlier had presented a trophy no less

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De Krans second to none when it comes to Cape Vintage (Port)

YOU CAN COUNT the number of today’s Top Cape Vintage Port producers on one hand… Okay, maybe two. It’s very specialist, very niche, but very good. One or two in Stellenbosch, one or two in Paarl and Wellington, plus a few in various other districts, however it’s Calitzdorp that has been the Port Capital of South Africa for several decades

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Flagstone Cape Blend named NWC Red Wine of the Year

A PINOTAGE-BASED red blend from the Flagstone winery in Somerset West, a Sauvignon Blanc from Paul Cluver in Elgin, a Cape Port from De Krans in Calitzdorp and the flagship Cap Classique sparkler from Graham Beck in Robertson. The four Wines of the Year at South Africa’s 2022 National Wine Challenge, and the producers were chuffed: “We are over the

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Koelenhof Legacy is Red Wine of the Year at SA National Wine Challenge

THERE WERE A NUMBER of familiar labels among the ‘Best in Class’ and ‘Wine of the Year’ laureates that shone in the 2021 SA National Wine Challenge, but nobody could have anticipated the identity of the overall red wine champion. A newcomer from the Koelenhof Winery, The Legacy 2017 is the first (Cab-led) red blend in the premium ‘Stellenbosch 1679’

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Onward and upward for Cabernet specialist Finlayson, David Finlayson

EDGEBASTON is the name of his wine farm on the slopes of the Simonsberg, but Finlayson is the name that most people in the know associate with top winemakers in the Cape winelands. Of course, he’s not the only one: his father Walter was once cellarmaster at Blaauwklippen and then Glen Carlou; his uncle Peter and cousin Peter-Allan are synonymous

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Diemersfontein’s NWC Red Wine of the Year a team effort that’s paid off

PINOTAGE is the red that they are best known for, although there’s also a Malbec in the Diemersfontein Carpe Diem Reserve range of “world-class, innovative wines” from David Sonnenberg’s estate in Wellington. Indeed, the Carpe Diem Pinotage has a distinguished track record, ranking among South Africa’s Top 100 wines over the past decade, with Carpe Diem Malbec also included in the

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Highlands Road and Diemersfontein win big at National Wine Challenge

THE 2020 National Wine Challenge of South Africa – a.k.a. Robin von Holdt’s Top 100 Wines – attracted “well over 500” entries, down on previous years but not bad given the lockdown(s) due to Covid-19. The coronavirus pandemic resulted in the judges all being locally based, with Greg Sherwood MW unable to fly out from the UK. Ginette de Fleuriot

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Alvi’s Drift balancing Pinotage and Shiraz to come up with ‘alpha male’

ALBERTUS VILJOEN was the founder of Worcester farm Alvi’s Drift back in 1928: charismatic, athlete, Springbok rugby player of note. Bismarck was Alvi’s Great Dane: superior in stature, commanding respect, providing a friendly welcome to visitors. And the red blend named in honour of the man and his hound is among the ‘ultra premium’ offerings from Alvi’s Drift: multiple award

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Some big names among winners of protracted National Wine Challenge

YOU 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

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It is the reign of Shannon Mount Bullet, Elgin – South Africa’s top Merlot

OVER THE TOP? Perhaps. But while there are very few occasions when you can feel relaxed talking about a No. 1 rather than a Top 10, say, surely this is one of them. The 2015 vintage of Mount Bullet from Shannon Vineyards was judged Best Merlot in South Africa’s 2018 National Wine Challenge and awarded top score in Winemag’s annual Merlot

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Top honours at NWC go to Spier, Paul Cluver, Stellenbosch Vyds, Nuy

THERE WERE around 600 wines judged at South Africa’s National Wine Challenge 2018 convened by Robin von Holdt’s Buybetterwine.com. The judges comprised chairman Greg Sherwood (UK Master of Wine), Ginette de Fleuriot (Cape Wine Master), sommelier Wayve Kolvesohn, with winemakers Duncan Savage, Matthew Day of Klein Constantia, Richard Kershaw (Master of Wine) and JD Pretorius of Steenberg. Sommelier Higgo Jacobs was

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National Wine Challenge honours some of South Africa’s top cellars …

IT’S REPORTED that there were over 500 entries in the 2017 edition of the National Wine Challenge, now in its seventh year as a competition that culminates with awards for the Top 100 entries from South African vintners and Grand Cru awards for the wines judged to be best in each class. The number of submissions is some way off the

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