Five winemakers from Stellenbosch and Franschhoek farms have been named finalists in this year’s Diners Club Winemaker and Young Winemaker of the Year awards.
Annamarie Fourie (Holden Manz), RJ Botha (Kleine Zalze) and Tertius Boshoff (Stellenrust) feature among the six finalists of the 2023 Diners Club Winemaker awards. In the running for the Diners Club Young Winemaker of the Year award are Marnich Aucamp (Stellenbosch Vineyards), Nongcebo Langa (Delheim) and Pieter Coetzee (Quion Rock).
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 SA wines internationally.
The awards, which focus on quality and recognition of excellence, 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 the best in the two specified categories for the annual competition. This year the category for the 43rd Winemaker of the Year award is syrah/shiraz, with white wine the category for the 23rd 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, affording all winemakers an equal opportunity. There were more than 180 entries this year and the field was narrowed down to 12 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 prize, a clear indication that the finalist wines are outstanding. The winners will be announced at a black-tie gala dinner at Arabella Hotel & Spa in Kleinmond on Saturday 18 November.
- Annamarie Fourie (2018 Holden Manz Syrah Reserve);
- Charles Hopkins (2020 De Grendel Shiraz);
- Dewaldt Heyns (2021 Dewaldt Heyns Weathered Hands Shiraz);
- Josef Dreyer (2020 Raka Biography Shiraz);
- RJ Botha (2020 Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Syrah); and
- Tertius Boshoff (2020 Stellenrust ArtiSons Blueberry Hill Shiraz).
- Marnich Aucamp (2021 Stellenbosch Vineyards Credo Chardonnay);
- Michelle Waldeck (2019 Benguela Cove Catalina Semillon);
- Morgan Steyn (2022 De Grendel Op die Berg Chardonnay);
- Nongcebo Langa (2022 Delheim Gewürztraminer);
- Pieter Coetzee (2021 Quoin Rock Chardonnay); and
- Richard Schroeder (2022 Groot Phesantekraal Marizanne Sauvignon Blanc).
