SA Young Wine Awards 2018 - Wooded Pinotage wins Gen Smuts Trophy

It was the 186th presentation of this Show, the oldest of its kind worldwide, and the 67th time that the General Smuts Trophy was awarded to the overall winning wine of the year.

Orange River Cellars (ORC) Keimoes walked away with the laurels for the sought-after Pietman Hugo Trophy for the highest total points awarded to their five best entries. This producer also won a threesome SA Champion trophies. They clinched the SA Champion Sauvignon Blanc, SA Champion Other White Cultivar (Colombar) and the SA Champion White Blend (Colombar/SauvignonBlanc). Their sister cellar, ORC Groblershoop, won the SA Champion Dessert Wine (Hanepoot Jerepiko).

Bon Courage Estate from Robertson excelled with two SA Champion trophies. They received the SA Champion trophy for Natural Sweet White Wine and SA Champion Noble Late Harvest.

White Wine trophies were awarded to De Wetshof Estate, SA Champion Chardonnay (wooded); Spier Wines, SA Champion Chenin Blanc (wooded); and La Motte, SA Champion Sémillon.

Winners of the Red Wine trophies were Babylonstoren SA, Champion Cabernet Sauvignon (wooded); Stellenbosch Hills, SA Champion Merlot (wooded); Darling Cellars, SA Champion Shiraz (wooded); Le Bonheur Estate, SA Champion Other  Red Cultivar (Petit Verdot – wooded); and KWV, SA Champion Red Blend (Pinotage/Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz/Malbec – wooded).

De Krans Wine walked away with the SA Champion Port Trophy (Vintage) and Slanghoek Wine Cellar with the SA Champion Muscadel (Red Muscadel Jerepigo).

Out of the 1 680 entries, 17 won SA Champion trophies, 49 achieved class-winner status and 99 received gold medals.

The Chairman of the Young Wine Show, Christo Pienaar, said that despite it being a very difficult year due to the drought in the Western Cape, the quality of the young wines that were judged was outstanding. He was also impressed that the winners of the SA Champion wines represent so many of the wine producing areas.

The outstanding wines of the 2018 vintage were announced at a glittering gala dinner evening presented by Agri-Expo in the Stellenbosch City Hall.

All the Young Wine Show winners: 17 SA Champion Trophies and the Genl Smuts and Pietman Hugo Trophy with Johan Ehlers (CEO Agri-Expo) and Christo Pienaar (Chairman Young Wine Show) in the back row

The SA Young Wine Show dates back to 1833, when it was held for the first time by the Cape of Good Hope Agricultural Association (now Agri-Expo) in Rondebosch. Agri-Expo has over the years been the proud presenter of the show, every second year as headline sponsor and as co-sponsor in the alternate years.

For more information, contact the SA Young Wine office at tel 021 863 1599 or e-mail info@veritas.co.za.

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Photo captions:

Photo 1 : The main Trophy: Genl Smuts trophy for the best wine of 2018, Wellington Wines Pinotage (Wooded)
Back: Reon Richter with the AE Perold Trophy for SA Champion Pinotage; Front: Chris Smit, Francois van Niekerk(Cellar Master) and Erik van Wyk with the Genl Smuts Trophy for the best wine of 2018, Wellington Wines Pinotage (Wooded).
Photo 2 : Pietman Hugo Trophy: Rianco van Rooyen, Johan (Mosdop) Dippenaar and Wouter Loubser from Orange River Cellars (Keimoes)
Photo 3 : All the Young Wine Show winners: 17 SA Champion Trophies and the Genl Smuts and Pietman Hugo Trophy with Johan Ehlers (CEO Agri-Expo) and Christo Pienaar (Chairman Young Wine Show) in the back row.
Photo 4 : Bennie Howard (Vice-Chairman Young Wine Show), Johan Ehlers (CEO Agri-Expo), Hugo Lochner (President Agri-Expo) Christo Pienaar (Chairman Young Wine Show)
Photo 5 : Agricultural Industry guests at the Young Wine Show Awards Dinner : Carl Opperman (Agri Western Cape), Johan Ehlers (CEO Agri-Expo), Hugo Lochner (President Agri-Expo) Rico Basson (CEO Vinpro), Bennie Howard (Vice-Chairman Young Wine Show)