General Manager and Cellar Master Zakkie Bester and his team at Riebeek Cellars promoted this less well known white wine to the foremost thoughts of wine lovers when the judges of the SA Young Wine Show awarded it with the General Smuts trophy - naming it the best young wine of the show. It is also the first time that a Viognier received this prestigious honour since the trophy was first awarded in 1952 for the best young wine in South Africa. Riebeek Cellars also turned heads by winning a SA Champion award for a white wine as well as for one of their reds: the winning Viognier in the class for Other White Wines, and a SA Champion for their Pinotage. According to Duimpie Bayly, chairman of the South African National Wine Show Association (SANWSA) the organiser of this show that is the biggest and oldest wine competition, it is extremely encouraging that Viognier, one of the lesser known varieties came out tops in this year’s competition. “It shows that wine makers are increasingly giving attention to their specific terroirs when deciding which cultivars to plant and which wine styles to pursue,” he says. Badsberg Wine Cellar in Rawsonville was, for the third consecutive year, rewarded for their prowess by winning the Pietman Hugo trophy for the best marks with five best entries. Cellar master Willie Burger and his team’s winning recipe further earned them a SA Champion Noble Late Harvest and a SA Champion Dessert Wine. Flagstone Winery, who last year won the General Smuts trophy for their Sémillon, once again boasts with the SA Champion Sémillon, as well as a SA Champion White Blend (Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon). The SA Champion Sauvignon Blanc went to Cederberg Private Cellar. Competitive participation was once again seen from the Worcester/Breede River region and SA Champion status was awarded to Nuy Cellar’s Chenin Blanc and Slanghoek Cellar’s Chardonnay. Bon Courage outside Robertson was awarded a SA Champion for their top Natural Sweet White Wine. The Klein Karoo also produced two SA Champions: a White Muscadel Jerepigo of De Krans was singled out as the SA Champion Muscadel, while Calitzdorp Wine Cellar’s Port (intended as Vintage Port) also received the prestigious title of SA Champion. Other red wine SA Champion trophies were awarded as follows: Namaqua Wines (Spruitdrift) outside Vredendal claimed a SA Champion Red Blend with their Pinotage/Malbec blend; Beyerskloof earned a SA Champion Merlot for their Merlot (wooded), while Windmeul Cellar’s Cabernet Sauvignon (wooded) was also awarded a SA Champion trophy. KWV received a SA Champion award for their Shiraz (wooded) and Uniwines Marketing won a SA Champion Other Red Cultivar for their Ruby Cabernet (wooded). Only 17 of the more than 1 900 young wines entered by 145 cellars in this esteemed competition were pronounced SA Champions, while 52 wines were identified as class winners. The 2011 SA Young Wine Awards luncheon took place on Friday (19 August) in Lamberts Bay presented by the SANWSA and Agri-Expo with the West Coast Wine Route as host. Visit www.youngwineshow.co.za for more information or contact Sandra Lotz at tel +27 (0)21 807 3104, fax +27 (0)21 863 2079 or via email to sandra@veritas.co.za.