Of the record 1 738 wines entered, 43 (2,5%) were crowned with double gold and 105 (6%) with gold medals at a gala dinner at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Of the remainder, 401 scooped silver medals and 691 bronze.

Seven wineries – Avondale, Bon Courage, Graham Beck, Havana Hills, Raka, Saronsberg and Tokara – boast two double gold medals each.

The Winners

Boplaas owner/winemaker, Carel Nel, impressed judges with his N/V Tawny Port, 2003 Vintage Reserve Port and 2003 Vintage Reserve Port Vintners Selection. Each received a double gold. To top it off, he won gold with his 1992 Tawny Port and 2003 Vintage Port.

The brothers Malan, Johan, Francois and Pieter, of Simonsig near Stellenbosch, are particularly pleased with their Veritas achievements. This winemaker, viticulturist and marketer team walked off with double gold medals for their 2002 Simonsig Chenin Blanc (off dry), 2003 Simonsig Frans Malan, 2003 Simonsig Redhill Pinotage and with a gold for their 2002 Simonsig Frans Malan – a red blend.

The father-and-son team of Bon Courage, André and Jacques Bruwer, continued riding a wave of success by winning two double gold medals with their 2003 Bon Courage Cabernet Sauvignon and 2003 Inkara Cabernet Sauvignon Ltd Release, as well as three gold medals.

Graham Beck from Franschhoek clinched double gold for its 2005 Graham Beck Pheasants’ Run Sauvignon Blanc and 2003 Graham Beck The Joshua – a red blend. On top of that this winery bagged three gold medals.

Tokara from Helshoogte near Stellenbosch impressed with their wines. Winemaker, Miles Mossop, was awarded double gold for his 2004 Zondernaam Chenin Blanc and 2003 Tokara Red, as well as two gold medals.

Havana Hills boasts double gold for its 2003 Havana Hills Du Plessis Shiraz Reserve and 2000 Havana Hills Du Plessis Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, and one gold medal. This Tygerberg winery clinched double gold with their Shiraz for a record fifth consecutive year.

Another achiever is Raka from the Walker Bay wine region, which excelled with the creations of winemaker Theresa Fourie. Her 2003 Raka Quinary and 2004 Raka Biography Shiraz was crowned with double gold. Fourie also garnered a gold medal.

Avondale Vineyards from Paarl earned double gold with their 2001 Avondale Graham Reserve (a red blend) and 2003 Avondale Syrah.

Saronsberg winemaker and viticulturist, Dewaldt Heyns, took home double gold medals for this Tulbagh winery, with his 2004 Saronsberg Full Circle (a red blend) and 2004 Saronsberg Shiraz.

Following red blends, that clinched 11 double gold medals, were Shiraz wines with seven double gold medals, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinotage with five each, Chardonnay with four, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Port with three each, and Cabernet Franc and Muscadel with one each.

Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc were awarded 12 gold medals each, followed by Muscadel (11), Cabernet Sauvignon (10), Red Blends (9), Chardonnay (7), Chenin Blanc (7), Pinotage (5), Port (5), White Blends (4), Méthode Cap Classique (4), Noble Late Harvest (3), Other White Cultivar (3), Dessert Wine (2), Merlot (2), Natural Sweet (2), Pinot Noir (2), Sémillon (2), Cabernet Franc (1), Colombar (1) and Sherry (1).

Veritas Adjudication Biggest Ever

This year a record number of wines (1 738) were entered by the largest group of wineries yet. Entries have grown by 11% and 313 wineries took part.

The Shiraz category attracted most entries (224), followed by Cabernet Sauvignon (194) and Sauvignon Blanc (157).

Another record was the eight international adjudicators, who were rotated from panel to panel, sharing their valuable experience of overseas markets and making the results so much more meaningful for South African marketers.

Apart from the international wine experts, more than 100 local judges contributed a total of 760 hours of their time to ensure that only wines of the highest quality were honoured with Veritas Awards.

The Veritas judging system has been described as one of the most meticulous in the industry and judges are required to have passed the judging examinations that have been in place for more than ten years.

Tasting panels are made-up of heterogeneous groups of winemakers, researchers, wine lovers, dealers and academics and are compiled in collaboration with the relevant cultivar associations or varietal quality groups.

Taste The Winners

Wine lovers can taste Veritas double gold and gold medal winners at the Veritas wine tasting in the Cape Sun (Holiday Inn) on Wednesday 5 October from 17:00 – 21:00, and at the Sandton Convention Centre on Tuesday 25 October from 17:00 – 21:00.

Cheeses crowned with Qualité Awards for superior quality will also be available for tasting.

Tickets are limited and cost R85 per person in Cape Town and R95 each for Johannesburg. The entrance fee includes a tasting glass, light snacks and pocket-size Veritas results booklet.  Book in advance at Computicket outlets or online at www.computicket.com

The Veritas Awards – presented annually by the South African National Wine Show Association (SANW) since 1992 – is South Africa’s largest competition for wines currently on the market. The results of a recent national survey once again confirmed the status of the awards as the country’s most authoritative.

Contact Elsabé Ferreira at the SANW, tel (021) 807 3104, fax (021) 863 2079, e-mail ferreira@vinpro.co.za or visit www.veritas.co.za for the complete results or further details about the wine tastings.