Entries are now open for the 2015 Veritas Young Wine Writers Competition. This contest, presented by the South African National Wine Show Association (SANWSA), aims to identify talented fresh voices to air their views about the wine industry. The purpose is to encourage and cultivate young people to write about wine and in so doing, to broaden the responsible enjoyment of wine in various aspects such as food pairing or travel. Added to this, it serves as an excellent means to inject a good dose of creativity into the way local wines are shared and showcased to both local and global communities.

As the Chairman of SANWSA, Charles Hopkins, states, the competition serves as an ideal platform for the wine industry to engage with the next generation of wine enthusiasts on various and current wine issues.

The competition is open to all South African citizens/residents between the ages of 18 and 35. No persons in full-time employment as wine writers in this age group are permitted to enter, nor previous winners of this competition.

Participants are requested to submit two entries: one article of 800 words, and one blog post of 300 words.

The article must be written on the following: South Africa has a history of growing the noble varieties, but recently has seen many plantings of Mediterranean, and the more unusual varieties. With this in mind, discuss future trends and innovative developments within South Africa.

The blog must be written on: The most unusual white and red wine that I have tasted over the past two years.

Guidelines to consider include:

Content – to reflect accuracy, readability, information, education and a measure of entertainment
Accuracy – it is imperative that that attention is given to spelling and grammar
Reasoning – the ability to present a premise and conclusion, or an argument
Communication & Narrative – the skill applied to ‘telling a good story’ and sharing information with a reader
All entries will be judged by a panel of experienced and distinguished South African wine writers.
The winner is set to receive a gainful cash prize of R15 000 and the runner-up R7 500. In addition, the top stories will be presented to various magazines and newspapers for publication.

Entries may be submitted in any of the 11 official South African languages. All participants are to send this in MS Word format to: admin@veritas.co.za along with a short CV of the entrant and stating specific details of previous wine writing activities.

The completion closes at 18:00 on Friday, 30th October. For an entry form or any enquiries can be directed to the Manager of the SA National Wine Show at the above e-mail address.

Stay connected with the Veritas Awards on social media by liking their Facebook page and following them on Twitter. Add them to your circles on Google+. Join the conversation using #Veritas.