Orange River Cellars Muscadel reaps highest prize at Muscadel SA Awards

The news that Orange River Cellars, the Northern Cape’s leading wine cellar, has yet again excelled with its legendary Muscadel wines should by now come as no surprize to wine consumers, but this year the producer’s perennial success story has truly reached new heights with two premier awards in two consecutive years.

At the Muscadel SA Competition, one of South Africa’s most influential competitions for fortified wines, Orange Rivers Cellars’ White Muscadel 2015 was awarded one of only two Platinum Awards handed out at the event, which was held last week.

This achievement builds on the success of last year’s Muscadel SA Competition where the cellar’s 2013 Red Muscadel also received a Platinum Award.

According to Koos Visser, Orange River Cellars Marketing Manager, a Platinum Award at Muscadel SA represents the pinnacle of achievement on the South African fortified wine scene.

Henning Burger, Manager of Viticultural Services at Orange River Cellars

Henning Burger, Manager of Viticultural Services at Orange River Cellars

“While it is an immense honour to win the Platinum Award, it is even bigger privilege to have the opportunity to represent our region on such a big stage, and to see our wines receiving recognition alongside South Africa’s leading wine brands,” he said. “The award is extra special for us as it is also a triumph for the new design we gave our fortified wine labels two years ago.”

“With packaging taken into consideration for Platinum status, it is good to know the rebranded look found favour among the judges.”

But what makes the content inside the bottle of Muscadel so sought-after and highly acclaimed?

According to Henning Burger, Manager of Viticultural Services at Orange River Cellars, the geographic conditions of the vineyards are perfectly suited to yield grapes of outstanding quality.

“The Muscat de Frontignan vineyards that our white and red Muscadels originate from, enjoy the best living conditions imaginable,” says Burger. “They are planted in deep alluvial soils that are rich in clay. Combined with the long ripening period filled with lots of sunny days, this ensures grapes with deep and intense muscat flavours. We harvest the grapes between 26º and 30º Balling when they are full of flavour concentration, which gives our winemakers the perfect fruit to work with.”

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“I often joke with the winemakers by telling them that they have no excuse not to make winning wines from this calibre of grapes!”

According to Visser Orange River Cellars is in the favourable position of making Muscadel wines that also have a loyal following among consumers.

“The Muscadel market has declined in the past few decades, but our brand is standing firm among Muscadel lovers,” says Visser. “It is good for us and for our region, but more importantly, good for South Africa and for Muscadel wines that are such a wonderful part of our industry.”