The finalists for the Diners Club Winemaker and Young Winemaker of the Year awards have been announced. Six winemakers have been shortlisted to compete for the prestigious Winemaker of the Year award, and five will vie for the Young Winemaker of the Year title.
Diners Club introduced the Winemaker of the Year award to encourage local winemakers to raise the standard of wines produced in South Africa, and the Young Winemaker of the Year award was established to encourage winemakers under the age of 30 to develop their skills, express their individuality, and add to the future prestige of South African wines internationally.
The Winemaker and Young Winemaker awards focus on quality and the recognition of excellence and are among the country’s most prestigious and most respected wine industry competitions. While most wine industry awards focus on the winning wines, the Diners Club Winemaker and Young Winemaker of the Year awards celebrate the creators of the winning wines, honouring the skills and talents of the vintners.
The awards are presented to winemakers who produce a wine that the judging panel considers to be the best in the two specified categories for the annual competition. This year, the category for the 45th Winemaker of the Year award is Cabernet Sauvignon, with White Wine the category for the 25th Young Winemaker of the Year award.
As in previous years, winemakers can be shortlisted for more than one submission. These awards are open to all in the South African wine industry at no cost, thus affording all winemakers an equal opportunity.
The competition attracted an even greater number of entries this year, and the field was narrowed down to 11 finalists through rigorous judging over two days by a team of wine experts. All the judges agree that it will be a close race for the top prizes, a clear indication that the finalist wines are outstanding.
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