Wine industry
SA Young Wine Show
The South African Young Wine Show gives winemakers the opportunity to showcase the best wines of their current vintage. The eight participating wine regions are Robertson, Worcester, Stellenbosch, Paarl, Oranje-Vaal, Olifants River, Swartland and Klein Karoo. The show dates back to 1833 when the Cape of Good Hope Agricultural Society presented the first wine show in South Africa, making the SA Young Wine Show the oldest wine competition in the country.
On the 19th of August the SA Young Wine Show tasting and lunch was held at the Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset West. This year saw a new innovation with a workshop, sponsored by Agri-Expo, and presented by Charl Theron. It was aimed at the up and coming winemakers, and cellar and vineyard workers. The workshop touched on the history of the SA Young Wine Show, the importance of drawing samples, tasting and pointing out of faulty wines. It concluded with a group tasting of the Gold, Silver and Bronze winning wines. This year Flagstone Winery won the General Smuts trophy for their Sémillon wine.
SA Champions
Front f.l.t.r: Bonuinkosi Cakijana (Flagtone Winery), Jaco Booysen (Badsberg), De Wet Hugo (Badsberg),
Henri Swiegers (Badsberg), Margaux Nel (Carel Nel Wines)
Middle f.l.t.r: Johan Joubert (Kleine Zalze), Duimpie Bayly (SANWSA), Gerhard Swart (Flagstone Winery),
Willie Burger (Badsberg), Johan Ehlers (Agri-Expo), Carel Nel (Carel Nel Wyne), Alwyn Burger
(Calitzdorp Wynkelder)
Back f.l.t.r: Lauren Snyman (Neethlingshof), Arné Erasmus (Neethlingshof), Dewald Huisamen
(Namaqua Wines), Reinier van Greunen (Namaqua Wines), Alvi van der Merwe (Alvi’s Drift), Magnus Kriel
(Merwida), Albertus Louw (Perdeberg), Kosie Louw (Breëland), Francois van Niekerk (Windmeul),
Fred Viljoen (Viljoensdrift), Abraham van Heerden (Landskroon)
for their Semillon crowned as the 2010 SA Champion Young wine
(Agri-Expo), Eric Mnyango (Riebeeck Cellars)
Veritas
Agri-Expo, together with SANWSA (South African National Wine Show Association), presented the 20th Veritas Awards Dinner at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on 8 October. 850 guests attended this prestigious occasion. Three Living Legends of the Wine Industry were honoured and for the first time in the Veritas history brandies were also judged. After the main meal guests were invited to taste some of the prize winning brandies.
Back f.l.t.r: Willie Burger (Badsberg), Henri Swiegers (Badsberg), Andrea Freeborough
(Fleur du Cap), Carolyn Snyman (Van Ryn), Rozanne Nel (Boplaas), Debbie Thompson
(Simonsig), Elzette du Preez (De Grendel), Boets Nel (De Krans), Tariro Masayiti
(Nederburg), Johan Joubert (Kleine Zalze), Dewaldt Heyns (Saronsberg)
Front f.l.t.r: Johnnie Calitz (Anura), Jacques Erasmus (Spier), Justin Corrans (Lomond)
Back f.l.t.r: Duimpie Bayly (SANWSA), Johann Marais, Bertie van der Merwe, Buks
Venter, Andrew Marais, Elsabe Ferreira (SANWSA), Bennie Howard (SANWSA)
Front f.l.t.r: Danie Grundling, Boet Jonker, Danie Joubert, Jos le Roux
Cultivar work groups
Agri-Expo offers financial support to the various work groups for comparative tastings, workshops and seminars, which contributes to the development of the respective cultivars. During the past year this project expanded and several work groups now function successfully.