The winners of the 2015 SA Wine Writers’ Awards

The Franschhoek Wine Valley and the Franschhoek Literary Festival are delighted to announce the winners of the two categories for the 2015 FLF SA Wine Writers’ Awards.

The short-form category prize was awarded to Angela Lloyd, whose ‘evocative writing and eloquent phrasing, written by a passionate wine lover, is evident throughout the body of work that was presented’.

Joanne Gibson walked away with the award for the long-form category for her piece, An Excellent Cordial. The judges described it as ‘A perfect piece of completely dedicated historical research that reads like a summary for a gripping wine novel’.

A panel of independent judges, comprised of two local wine experts – radio broadcaster John Maytham and chef/cookbook writer/wine-and-food-pairing consultant Marlene van der Westhuizen, and the international judge for the 2015 competition, Tim Atkin – wine master, wine journalist and co-chairman of the International Wine Challenge, judged the entries in the two categories.

Marlene van der Westhuizen, who spoke at the presentation ceremony at the Franschhoek Literary Festival on Friday on behalf of the judges, said that the decision of this year’s winners was unanimous.

The entries were judged without the names of the writers attached, and the judging panel considered the following criteria in making their decisions:

• Excellent, well-informed writing of literary quality

• Technical accuracy

• Fresh perspectives and insights

• Good storytelling

• In the case of the short-form entries, consistent excellence throughout the year

The cash prizes of R12 500 to each winner, were presented by the CEO of the Franschhoek Wine Valley, Jenny Prinsloo.