Now in its seventh year, this competition – in collaboration with WineLand Media – also presents an opportunity for the wine industry to engage with the next generation of wine writers and enthusiasts on various topical issues related to wine.
According to SANWSA chairperson Christo Pienaar, the ever changing digital era has created a multitude of platforms for sharing information. “As one of the stakeholders in the wine industry, we have a responsibility to ensure that as a collective we are part of the discussion surrounding South African wine, and that we help to cultivate a culture of wine interest and knowledge among wine consumers.
“We believe that this competition will create a new avenue for writers and bloggers to express themselves and thereby inspire others to join in the exciting field of sharing views on all wine-related matters.”
The competition is open to all South African citizens or residents aged 18 - 35 years. No full-time or established wine writers in this age group are permitted to enter; nor previous winners of this competition.
Participants are requested to submit two entries: one article of 700 words, and one blog post of 300 words:
The article must deal with the following subject:
Virtual labels and wine e-commerce: Technology will continue to make wine interesting. Virtual labels are increasingly popular and give consumers more options to buy wine without leaving their homes. An increased dependence on on-line wine purchases, the advent of wine delivery services and grocer shops that take orders for food and wine, all point to the growth potential in the field of wine trade. The author must look into various virtual labels in the market and how these affect wine e-commerce.
The blog must deal with:
The rise of rosé wine: Consumers these days prefer a more pale form of rosé, instead of darker, sweet styles. What are the trends with rosé and what can we expect in 2020?
The entries will be judged by a panel of experienced and distinguished South African wine writers. Guidelines to consider are:
- Content – reflect accuracy, readability, information transfer, education and a degree of entertainment value.
- Accuracy – strict attention should be given to spelling and grammar.
- Reasoning – prove the ability to present a premise and conclusion or convincing argument.
- Communication and narrative – reflect a good ‘story-telling’ ability while sharing information with readers.
The winner will receive a cash prize of R15 000 and the runner-up R7 500. Entries may be submitted in any of the 11 official South African languages. All participants are to present this in MS Word format to: admin@veritas.co.za along with a completed entry form and short CV, stating specific details of possible previous wine-writing activities.
Llewellyn Lambert clinched the 2018 Veritas Young Writer of the Year Award.
The media partner of the Young Wine Writer competition since 2018 is WineLand Media, whose editor, Wanda Augustyn, has announced that they would be the first publication to publish the two top-rated articles. Moreover, the winner and runner-up will be commissioned by WineLand to write articles for the media house’s various platforms during 2020.
The competition closes on Friday 15 November 2019 at 18:00. Requests for entry forms or any enquiries may be directed to the SANWSA at the e-mail address below.
For more information, contact the Veritas office at tel 021 863 1599, e-mail info@veritas.co.za or visit www.veritas.co.za.
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