Local young winemaker Mika Engelbrecht of Neethlingshof was crowned a winner at the 2024 Diners Club Winemaker and Young Winemaker of the Year awards.
Engelbrecht won the Young Winemaker of the Year trophy, while Kiara Scott Farmer of Brookdale in Paarl clinched the Winemaker of the Year trophy.
Diners Club introduced the Winemaker of the Year award to encourage local winemakers to raise the standard of wines produced in South Africa. 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 globally.
There were over 160 entries this year and the field was narrowed down to 12 finalists through rigorous judging by a team of wine experts. Six winemakers were shortlisted for the prestigious Winemaker of the Year award, and six were shortlisted for Young Winemaker of the Year. All the judges agree it was a close race for the top prizes, a clear indication that the finalist wines were outstanding.
Scott Farmer won in the chenin blanc category, delighting the judges with her Brookdale Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2022. Engelbrecht received her award in the red wines category for her Neethlingshof Estate Range Cabernet Sauvignon 2022.
In a statement the Neethlingshof Estate congratulated Engelbrecht, saying the honour was a celebration of her passion, dedication and pursuit of excellence.
The winning wine showcases complex flavours of blackcurrant, black cherry, plum and blueberry compote, complemented by subtle hints of fynbos. It is well-structured with layered complexity, chalky tannins and a prolifically long finish.
“It is a true reflection of the terroir,” Engelbrecht said. “The block has an incredible identity, which makes it a pleasure from which to produce wine. It has good concentration and pronounced fruit characteristics. There is a lot of hard work, passion and attention the detail going into creating any wine, but cabernet sauvignon is king, and in Stellenbosch, region and cultivar are a match made in heaven!”
She is honoured and privileged to received the award. “I’m just super excited about what the future holds (and the complementary ticket to a wine region abroad,” she said.
The winning winemaker received R50 000, the winning young winemaker R25 000, while both also won a round-trip to a wine-producing region.
