Org de Rac, the well-known organic wine farm in the heart of South Africa’s Swartland region, won two Gold medals at this year’s Michelangelo International Wine and Spirits Awards, Africa’s leading drinks competition. This year Michelangelo set a record for a South African wine and spirits competition attracting 2 255 entries.
Org de Rac took Gold for the Reserve Chardonnay 2017 as well as for its red blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, also from the 2017 vintage.
Frank Meaker, Org de Rac cellarmaster says that the Michelangelo Gold medal for Org de Rac’s Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2017 is of special significance as this wine has an established footprint internationally, especially in Sweden.
“This wine has been immensely popular in the Swedish market over the past five years, and getting this Michelangelo stamp of approval from an international judging panel is a solid indication of Org de Rac heading in the right direction in terms of our global offering,” says Meaker.
“Over a continuous period we have managed to perfect a blended wine made across the varietal spectrum from a smorgasbord of various vineyard blocks across the Estate.”
Meaker says the Org de Rac Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot has been recognised by Swedish liquor authority Systembolaget as a benchmark
Frank Meaker, Org de Rac cellarmaster.
for organic wine. “Over the past few years Systembolaget has made a conscious effort to convince the Swedish market of the quality of organic wine from South Africa and other countries, with Org de Rac being in the fortunate position of helping lead the way.”
Being a pioneering organic wine estate in the Swartland since 2002, Org de Rac has grown to 54 hectares of vines covering a diverse spectrum of varieties. Meaker says the long-term goal is to retain what is best-suited as well as exploring with a bouquet of new varietal mixes to meet the ever-changing demands of the consumer landscape.
“We have received many stunning reviews for Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot in the Swedish press over the years, and this Michelangelo award helps to re-establish our market presence as a leading South African organic wine producer.
“Org de Rac has built a loyal consumer base with our various listings, from a three litre bag-in-box to a Chardonnay and Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.”
Meaker says that despite its success in the Swedish market, the Org de Rac Shiraz/Cab/Merlot 2017 is also being released into South Africa through Vinesse Wines. “The local market for organic wines is definitely growing, and Org de Rac wants to increase its wine offering to create an awareness of the extent of the organic proposition,” he says.
The other Michelangelo Gold-winning wine, Org de Rac Reserve Chardonnay 2017, is a wine started in 2014 as a low-volume product to test the potential of the market for wooded Chardonnay in a white wine market seeking lightness and freshness.
“We saw the potential in this Chardonnay vineyard on the banks of the Berg River with its varying mild temperatures and a mixture of river alluvial soils rich in chalk,” says Meaker.
“The grapes for the Reserve Chardonnay are selected from rows varying in soil composition. The resulting wine truly expresses our terroir with superb minerality and a lively freshness, even after aging in barrel and bottle-aged overtime. This 2017 Chardonnay will only improve over time as the bottle character matures with nuances of the wood and varietal still in the foreground,” says Meaker.
