Top image: Johann de Wet

The honour is as great and enjoyable as a well-matured Chardonnay from the Robertson region.

Top image: Thys Louw at the 2018 Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show awards function.

In what is turning out to be an extraordinary year for Durbanville-based Diemersdal Wine Estate in terms of wine awards, the Diemersdal Private Collection 2016 won the Riedel Trophy for Best Bordeaux-style Red Blend at this year’s prestigious Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show.

In another boost for tourism and business travel to Cape Town, RwandAir recently introduced a direct flight between the Kigali in Rwanda, Zimbabwean capital Harare and the Mother City. With Org de Rac Winery from the Swartland selected as the preferred wine of choice on board.

The Bon Vallon Chardonnay 2017, an unwooded wine in the range of South African pioneering Chardonnay producer De Wetshof Estate, was adjudged winner of the Grand Cru Award for Best in Class as well as garnering a top 100 spot in the recently held Top 100 SA/National Wine Challenge.

Diemersdal Estate in Durbanville won one of only 15 Gold medals presented to South African producers at this year’s International Wine Challenge (IWC). The Gold went to Diemersdal’s flagship red wine, the MM Louw Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 – one of only two South African Cabernet Sauvignons to achieve Gold at this year’s IWC.

JC Bekker (top image) has been appointed as the new CEO at Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons. He succeeds Schalk-Willem Joubert who recently resigned after 20 years with the company.

Being planted exclusively under dryland vines, Diemersdal Estate in Durbanville saw no discernible difference in average grape yields during harvest 2018, despite the four years of relentless drought that has this year had a major impact on the South African wine industry.

Two of De Wetshof classic Chardonnays both notched up scores of 93pts in the April edition of the Wine Spectator Insider. Renowned judge James Molesworth bestowed these points on the De Wetshof Finesse 2017 (Lesca, in the USA) as well as for the Estate’s flagship Bateleur Chardonnay 2016.

Top image: The cellar team – Juandré Bruwer, Thys Louw en Mari Branders.

Being planted exclusively under dryland vines, Diemersdal Estate in Durbanville saw no discernible difference in average grape yields during harvest 2018, despite the four years of relentless drought that has this year had a major impact on the South African wine industry.

Eleven years after launching his unique Pinotage under the Le Vin de François label, legendary wine maker Francois Naudé is seeing his annual once-off offering taking its place at the top of South Africa’s wine offerings, both in terms of quality and in the high-end prices the wine commands.