Stellenbosch Kloof, which forms part of the Stellenbosch Valley – a renowned sub-route of the Stellenbosch American Express ® Wine Routes – reigns supreme as South Africa’s finest winegrowing area with most of the top performing wines awarded at the 7th annual Novare SA Terroir Wine Awards 2012 stemming from this prime slice of winemaking paradise.
The aim of the competition is to highlight the wines that most clearly express the distinctiveness in character and quality of a specific vineyard, ward or district. Neethlingshof and Jordan Estate were the main contributors in winning this year’s SA Terroir Top Wine Area Trophy for Stellenbosch Kloof, which produced three National Winners (the top wine in its varietal or style category); one of the Top 5 Estate Wines, and no fewer than six winners in the Stellenbosch District.
Leading the pack, Neethlingshof won the 2012 National Award for Gewürztraminer with its Gewürztraminer 2012 as well the National Award for Natural Sweet Wine with its Short Story Collection Maria 2011. Adding extra sweet success to the ward’s victory, the Neethlingshof Short Story Collection Maria 2011 was crowned as one of the SA Terroir Top 5 Estate Wines at this year’s contest which attracted a record 276 entries.
“At Neethlingshof we are blessed with an idyllic micro-climate and ideal soil compositions and to top it all we have nine different terroirs due to the various slopes surrounding our estate, which adds to the complexity of our wines,” shares seasoned winemaker De Wet Viljoen of Neethlingshof.
Stellenbosch Kloof’s third National Award went to Jordan for its The Real McCoy Riesling 2011.
“They say that the best fertilizer for a vineyard is the owner or winemaker’s footprints. But property owners come and go and so do winemakers over time. What you have left is the terroir. If you are looking for the finest examples of South African wines then look no further than the Stellenbosch Valley, now acknowledged as the country’s top terroir for quality wines,” commented Gary Jordan of Jordan Estate.
With these sterling results, Stellenbosch Valley Wine Route reaffirms its standing as a foremost Winelands destination and gives local and travelling wine and food enthusiasts even more reason to flock to the valley during the summer holidays when the 2012 Summer in Stellenbosch Valley will take place from 8 to 17 December.
Participating wine estates have teamed up to put forward an exciting ‘bucket list’ of fun, food and fine wines to be enjoyed whilst experiencing the true essence of the valley with family and friends.
The award-winning wines of the Stellenbosch Valley, which is home to 38 producers, will definitely be in the spotlight, but additional activities have been incorporated into the programme to ensure that there is something for all tastes and ages. Highlights of this 2012 Summer in Stellenbosch Valley programme include a unique Asara Fun market Day – ideal for that last minute Christmas Shopping.
“The secret behind Stellenbosch Valley’s extraordinary quality was once again proven by the outstanding showing at this year’s Novare SA Terroir Awards and we look forward to opening our doors and bottles to visitors in December,” shares Annareth Bolton, CEO of theStellenbosch American Express ® Wine Routes.
