Veritas Wine Award Results Revealed at Black Tie Affair

Top image caption: Veritas Top Achievers: Wines
Back: Charles Hopkins (Veritas) 
Front from left to right: Johan Joubert (Spier), Elmarie Botes (Fleur du Cap),
Mia Boonzaaier (Flagstone), Natasha Boks (Nederburg)

Distell stole the show at the 2016 Veritas Awards, South Africa’s foremost wine and brandy competition, tonight (Friday 07 October). The mega-producer’s winning wines reaped 2 Double Gold and 12 Gold medals. Spier was the closest contender in the medal stakes with 2 Double Gold and 7 Gold. Rustenberg and Flagstone shared third place in the medal rankings with 2 Double Gold and 1 Gold award each.

In the category for fortified wines, Nuy lead the medal innings with 1 Double Gold and 3 Gold. Boplaas and KWV each won 1 Double Gold and 2 Gold awards.

Distell also triumphed in the brandy category with 4 Double Gold and 8 Gold medals.KWV was awarded 1 Double Gold and 3 Gold medals.

Best Performer by Entry title went to Flagstone in the category for 10 wines or less, whilst Distell also triumphed in the class for more than 10 wines.

Four wine industry luminaries – Giorgio Dalla Cia, Nico Retief, Wynand Retief and Lourens Smith – received the Living Legends scroll of honour in recognition of their invaluable contribution to the South African wine and brandy industries.

The Veritas gala dinner, held at the CTICC, was sponsored by Agri-Expo with celebrity chefs Garth Stroebel and Henrico Grobbbelaar adding their culinary flair to the feast prepared by Warwick Thomas executive Chef of CTICC.

Double Gold wines

A total of 30 Double Gold and 130 Gold medals were awarded to winning wines.

Distell won a pair of Double Gold medals for Fleur du Cap Unfiltered Sauvignon Blanc 2015 and Nederburg Private Bin Eminence NLH Muscadel 2012.

Spier scooped Double Gold medals for Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2014 and Spier 21 Gables Pinotage 2014.

Flagstone was awarded Double Gold for Flagstone Treaty Tree Reserve Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon 2015 and Flagstone Music Room Cabernet Sauvignon 2013.

Rustenberg won Double Gold medals for Rustenberg Buzzard Kloof Syrah 2013 and Rustenberg Five Soldiers Chardonnay 2014.

The following 21 producers won 1 Double Gold each: Anura, Buitenverwachting, Cederberg Private Cellar, De Grendel Wines, De Wetshof Estate, DGB Boschendal, Ernie Els Wines, Goedverwacht Landgoed, Jordan Wine Estate, Kleine Zalze Wines, Lomond, Longavi, Neethlingshof Estate, Neil Ellis Wines, Peter Falke Wines, Rooiberg Winery, Tokara, Van Loveren Family Vineyards, Villiera, Vondeling Wines and Wellington Wines.

Fortified winners

A total of 3 Double Gold and 21 Gold medals were awarded to the top fortified wines. The winning Double Gold trio are: Boplaas Cape Tawny Vintner’s Reserve Bin 1880 NV, KWV White Jerepigo 1933 – one of the oldest wines in South Africa – and Nuy Red Muscadel 2010.

Brandy masters

South Africa’s leading brandy producers garnered 5 Double Gold and 16 Gold medals.Distell scooped 4 Double Gold medals for Fight of the Fish Eagle Natural Brandy,Richelieu 10 Year Old Vintage Brandy, Van Ryn’s 12 Year Old Distillers Reserve Brandy and Van Ryn’s 15 Year Old Fine Cask Reserve Brandy. KWV was awarded Double Gold for the Laborie Alambic 15 Year Potstill Brandy.

The Veritas Awards attracted 1 760 medal contenders this year. In total, 1 317 medals were awarded – 38 double gold, 167 gold, 484 silver and 628 bronze.

Taste the winners

Wine lovers have the opportunity to sample the top-performing double gold and gold medal winning wines and brandies at country-wide tastings sponsored by Deloitte. The Veritas showcase tastings will take place in Cape Town (18 October), Johannesburg (25 October), Durban (10 November), Port Elizabeth (16 November) and Knysna (17 and 18 November).