For more than three decades, the Diners Club Winelist Awards have set the benchmark for wine excellence in South Africa’s hospitality industry. The awards are presented across five tiers—Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and the ultimate Icon Award.
The Icon distinction represents a wine list of true international stature and stands as the pinnacle of wine presentation in South Africa. In 2025, the distinguished judging panel—a dynamic collective of respected voices and leading talents from the wine, food, and hospitality arenas—awarded the coveted Icon status to four exceptional restaurants: three in Gauteng and one in the Western Cape.
- Kievits Kroon Gauteng Wine Estate, Pretoria
- Verdicchio Restaurant & Wine Cellar, Fourways
- Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa, Sandton
- Rooi, One & Only, Cape Town
KIEVITS KROON
Left to Right: Esh Naidoo (Diners Club SA Managing Director), Nadine Quinn (Kievits Kroon Deputy General Manager), and Francois Stremmelaar (Kievits Kroon General Manager)
VERDICCHIO
Left to right: Verdicchio Co-Owners, Olga Stratis and Janette Georghiou, and Esh Naidoo (Diners Club SA Managing Director)
SAXON
Left to right: Lloyd Jusa (Saxon Head Sommelier), Ayanda Magele (Saxon Hotel Sommelier), and Esh Naidoo (Diners Club SA Managing Director)
The Icon distinction represents a wine list of true international stature and stands as the pinnacle of wine presentation in South Africa. In 2025, the distinguished judging panel—a dynamic collective of respected voices and leading talents from the wine, food, and hospitality arenas—awarded the coveted Icon status to four exceptional restaurants: three in Gauteng and one in the Western Cape.
- Kievits Kroon Gauteng Wine Estate, Pretoria
- Verdicchio Restaurant & Wine Cellar, Fourways
- Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa, Sandton
- Rooi, One & Only, Cape Town
KIEVITS KROON
Left to Right: Esh Naidoo (Diners Club SA Managing Director), Nadine Quinn (Kievits Kroon Deputy General Manager), and Francois Stremmelaar (Kievits Kroon General Manager)
VERDICCHIO
Left to right: Verdicchio Co-Owners, Olga Stratis and Janette Georghiou, and Esh Naidoo (Diners Club SA Managing Director)
SAXON
Left to right: Lloyd Jusa (Saxon Head Sommelier), Ayanda Magele (Saxon Hotel Sommelier), and Esh Naidoo (Diners Club SA Managing Director)
ROOI AT ONE & ONLY
Introduced in 2018, the Icon Award is reserved for restaurants that not only fulfil all the stringent Diamond criteria, but also present an extensive international wine selection, outstanding representation across multiple wine categories, a noteworthy reserve and vintage offering, a demonstrable commitment to thoughtful wine curation, and the presence of a dedicated full-time sommelier.
The competition criteria and category structure are carefully aligned with global trends, reflecting Diners Club’s enduring commitment to service excellence within the hospitality and tourism industries.
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