I started wondering about the world of wine awards at a
benchmark tasting the other day. Over a vertical flight of Saronsberg Shiraz
from 2004 - 2013, winemaker Dewaldt Heyns turned heads with his throwaway quote
of the day, “One day I would love to have no medals on my bottles. These days
you either need a very good pr, a winemaker with a gift of the gab - or you
have to enter your wines in a competition.”
“You need to be noticed” he continued, as we reached the 2010 vintage, ironically Saronsberg’s first Platter five-star rating, “Go for international ratings - and show consistency in your wines”. In a controversial aside, he added, “We don’t need to add Viognier to our Shiraz. It’s very fashionable. They need to in the northern Rhône.”
While attending the thirteenth Amorim Methodé Cap Classique (MCC) Challenge 2014 - a well-respected competition which successfully promotes the development of a unique South African wine category - I realised I’ve covered hundreds of awards ceremonies over the years. The number of competitions has grown exponentially with the proliferation of wine labels and cellars. When I started out writing about the Cape food and wine scene twenty years ago, there were only Veritas, SA Young Wine Show and Diners Club Winemaker of the Year - the three oldest industry-wide wine competitions.
I always try to attend the award ceremonies of one of the
other heavy-weight wine competitions which has emerged over the last two
decades - The Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show (in its thirteenth year) - which
convenor Michael Fridjhon emphasises is particularly exacting when it comes to consistency,
standards and number of awards. (So is the Michelangelo Wine Awards founded in
1997) If you are wondering who judges the judges - both shows use accredited
wine judges from around the world.
Today, there are some thirty annual wine competitions in
South Africa alone - for specific varieties (Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc,
Chardonnay, Pinotage, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon), red blends, fortified
wines (port and muscadel), green (organic) wines, best value, terroir, SAA wine
awards, the top 100 wines, international judged shows (Michelangelo, Old
Mutual, Taj Classic Trophy), awards for winemakers by winemakers, and the SA
Wine Index (SAWI) which aggregates all the awards (domestic and foreign) using
an “algorithm of excellence” and then hands out its own awards.
The wine media now also hands out awards - from Classic
Wine’s Wine Champions and Decanter to Platter’s wines/winery of the year and
even (three) wine writer of the year awards and wine taster awards. Last but
not least, there are the best of wine tourism awards handed out by the great wine
capitals network and South Africa’s very own Klink Wine Tourism Awards (I
declare a role here as one of the judges).
Over the last decade or so, the trend has been away from “a
single winner takes all” competition to a top ten challenge which recognises
the diversity of wine styles. Top Ten Competitions like the Chenin Blanc,
Sauvignon Blanc, Pinotage and Shiraz (Top Twelve) Challenges promote winemaker
debate, media and consumer education around the different styles and winemaking
techniques of a varietal category (wooded, unwooded, fresh ‘n fruity, rich and
complex, bushvine, etc). The tasting of the top Shiraz blends (with Mourvedre, Grenache,
Viognier, Cabernet) in the Shiraz SA Challenge 2014 - along with the single
varietal entries - is a fascinating innovation which recognises the emergence
of those SMG, SMV and Cabernet/Shiraz blends.
If a wine scribe finds the plethora of often-contradictory ratings confusing, pity the poor consumer. Do award stickers on wine bottles influence local and foreign consumers when it comes to a thirty-second choice (by mostly female buyers) to select drink-tonight wines on the supermarket shelf? In a hierarchy of factors, how do price-point, brand loyalty, varietal and country category, wine advertising, media reviews of wine and show stickers determine consumer choice?
Questions, questions. Do foreign consumers tend to rely more or less on medal bejewelled bottles than local consumers? Do wine competitions inspire blockbuster show wines, uniform global styles or improved wine styles and winemaking techniques? The high costs of entering competitions and the lucrative profits of the wine show business have been debated elsewhere and often (See Norman McFarlane's 2013 article here).
Scepticism aside, there’s no doubt that wine competitions
give recognition to the hard work and talents of South Africa’s winemakers and
cellars. They also play a role in promoting newcomers, lesser-known labels, newer
wards and cellars - bringing smaller producers to the public palate. The Old
Mutual Trophy Show has a good track record with the discovery of the show putting
the spotlight on new cellars such as Baleia
Bay from Riversdale (this
year’s winner with Chardonnay 2013) and Feiteiras Vineyards - as well as niche
varieties such as Petit Verdot, Riesling and Semillon.
The Amorim MCC Challenge has also played a role in
recognising smaller producers like Bon Courage, Colmant, Rickety Bridge
and Môreson as well as big players such as Boschendal, Graham Beck, J.C. le
Roux, Simonsig and Villiera. In 2014, Claudia Brut MCC 2009 from Domaine des
Dieux won best vintage Brut and overall winner - putting the boutique cellar
from the Hemel-en-Aarde
Valley in the spotlight.
Sharon Parnell, the delighted newcomer who launched her maiden vintage in 2006,
declared, “I would never have dreamed our 2009 vintage would win the MCC
Challenge. No-one even knows we make still wines” (in addition to their three
cult MCC wines).
But there are top-drawer producers who rarely if ever enter wine shows - and still win kudos and loyal customers without sticking on all those show medals (click here to view full details on this). Deetlefs - who don’t submit wines for Platter tastings, appear in their annual guide or on their wine route maps - come to mind in the Bermuda triangle of wine rating/show politics. And there are those like Abrie Bruwer of Springfield who ignore the show business - and simply get on with their core business of making and selling fine wine.
When I last considered the merits of wine shows a few years
ago, Gyles Webb of Thelema told me, “Wine competitions are like a lucky
dip. Once we’ve established loyal
customers, we sell out our wines every year. So what’s the point?” Whereas Neil
Ellis said, “There are more wine shows in South Africa than anywhere else in
the world. Entering shows with credibility adds value. The show is only as good
as the judges.” And I recall the words of Abrie Bruwer: “I don’t trust any
palate which spends thirty seconds on a wine, spits it out – then hangs a medal
on its neck. I doubt whether retail buyers worry too much about wine awards –
but some consumers run after badges. A whole show industry has jumped up around
the wine industry.”
The moral of the story might be that if you win a bronze medal, it’s best to keep quiet about it - instead of sending out a slew of pr releases that clog up our inboxes. But if you win a trophy, a double gold or best wine overall, shout out from the rooftops.