Wine of Origin deserves a high salute

Monday, 4 May, 2015
Novare SA Terroir Wine Awards
The closing date for the tenth annual Novare SA Terroir Wine Awards is 23 June. This is South Africa’s premier tribute to the excellent combination of creative viticulture and winemaking with a specific terroir as the real core of the final product in the bottle.

First and foremost are the national and regional awards for best terroir-driven cultivar wines, red and white blends, rosé, sparkling wines and dessert wines. The national winners are announced on stage while the area winners receive certificates on order. In both cases bottle stickers also apply.

The panel always consists of judges with enough experience of tasting wines from all of South Africa’s wine growing areas and the panel is varied every year with one or two judges. This year’s judges include Duimpie Bayly, Andrea Freeborough, Samarie Smith, David Biggs, Karen Glanfield and Pierre Marais.

The Novare Trophy for the Top Wine Area was introduced in 2010 and has since been awarded to the Wellington District, Durbanville Ward, a specific Robertson terrain and Stellenbosch Kloof (x 2). The trophy for the Top Wine Estate was introduced in 2011 and has been awarded to Jordan Estate (x2), Wildekrans Estate and Bon Courage. Jordan Estate last year received the first Novare Trophy for the SA Terroir Top Producer. The one-off Novare Trophy for Top Terroir Achiever in 10 Years will be awarded in 2015.

A minimum of only 180 litres (to make provision for reserve ranges, etc) of the wines entered must be bottled and provisionally or finally certified. A total of 18 bottles of the quantity must be made available by National Winners for the awards function, which this year takes place at Boschendal.

The results each year have shown the diversity of South Africa’s many wine terroirs and the wide variety of quality grapes grown and vinified in many different areas. Few countries can compete with us when it comes to producing high quality wines in all styles from all cultivars,” says project leader Marius Labuschagne.

Besides single vineyard wines and estate wines, one of South Africa’s best portrayals of a specific terroir are in wines which originate in a ward and here the Demarcation Committee of the Wine and Spirit Board plays a big role. Nature determines the boundaries which demarcate a distinctive terroir.

The sponsor Novare Holdings has been passionately involved from day one. Novare was founded in South Africa in October 2000 as an independent investment advisory business. Since then, the group has built an extensive network and gained valuable experience and insight into investing on the African continent

2015 PROGRAMME 

• Entries close: 23 June
• Delivery of samples: 25 and 26 June
• Judging: 8, 9 and 10 July
• Awards Function: 29 July

The entry forms as well as Concept and Catalogue are available on www.terroirwineawards.co.za, or contact Elma Brand, project coordinator (tel. 021 863 0397; events@agrimega.co.za), or Marius Labuschagne, project leader (tel. 021 975 8166; mlab@iafrica.com).