South Africa awarded at International Wine & Spirit Competition

At the prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) awards held in London on 22 November, South Africa was once more in the limelight, with Kanonkop Wine Estate being awarded the Winemaker of the Year trophy. This is no small achievement when considering that the 2008 competition drew over 7,000 entries from more than 80 countries. The entries were judged by a panel of international experts over a period of about six months, with northern hemisphere entries being submitted around four months ahead of those from the southern hemisphere.

Kanonkop Wine Estate made IWSC history by winning, for the third time, the Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande trophy awarded for the best blended red wine. The estate also picked up the Dave Hughes trophy for best South African Wine Producer. Other awards collected include Gold Best In Class for their Kanonkop Paul Sauer 2003 and Kanonkop Paul Sauer 2004, as well as Silver Best In Class for their Kanonkop Cabernet Sauvignon 2001, Kanonkop Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 and Kanonkop Pinotage 2004.

Other South African wine estates featuring prominently in the International Wine & Spirit Competition include Simonsig Estate, Distell, Spier Wines, Delheim Wines, Bellingham, Hartenberg, Uva Mira Vineyards, Beyerskloof, Boschendal, Saronsberg Cellar, Haskell Vineyards and Boplaas Family Vineyards, which all received Gold Best In Class awards in various categories.

Kanonkop Wine Estate is located on the lower slopes of the majestic Simonsberg Mountains in the scenic Stellenbosch region of the Western Cape in a ward called Simonsberg. This fertile area has earned an international reputation for producing the best wines in the country, and with Kanonskop Wine Estate winning Winemaker of the Year, it can be said with confidence that the Simonsberg area produces some of the best wines in the world.

This beautiful part of South Africa is a popular tourist destination, with thousands of people visiting the many wine estates each year. Visitors to the 2008 International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Winemaker of the Year, Kanonskop Wine Estate, can enjoy wine-tasting Mondays to Fridays between 9am and 5pm and Saturdays from 9am to 2pm. If you have the opportunity to visit the Simonsberg area, be sure to stop off at Kanonskop Wine Estate to enjoy a cheese plate, accompanied by a glass of superb red wine while relaxing in the shade of enormous old oak trees.