Deadline to enter near for young stars in oldest wine show

Monday, 3 August, 2020
SA Young Wine Show
The new deadline for entries to the SA Young Wine Show is on the doorstep, after being postponed in view of Covid-19 realities – now set for 12 August.

The organisers of this competition for young wines, produced in the current year and the oldest wine showdown in the world, the SA National Wine Show Association (SANWSA), announced earlier that this showcase had been postponed to later a date. Also that the judging is now scheduled for 31 August - 4 September at Nederburg in Paarl. 

This decision was taken following thorough deliberation about the presentation of the Association’s various competitions in consultation with Vinpro, Wines of South Africa (WoSA) and other industry role players. The effect of the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing restrictions on all economic and other activities in South Africa have led to normal activities being adapted in order to be able to proceed within this ‘new normal’ situation.

The organisers are fully aware of the responsibility of the safety measures required under the local Covid-19 pandemic Level 3 for these competitions to be able to proceed. Thorough protocols have been developed to be able to handle the wines entered in such a way that all health and safety requirements for the judges, officials and personnel involved in the tasting sessions are met.

The SA Young Wine Show is the world’s most long-standing wine show, presented for 188 years already, and it judges young wines made in the year of the competition. It has been giving winemakers the opportunity to weigh up their different wines, experimental styles and new cultivars against their peers in the industry since 1833. Winemakers are particularly excited about the wines of the 2020 vintage, which has yielded high quality white and red wines thanks to highly favourable climatic conditions during both the growth and harvesting periods.

The Young Wine Show once again presents the ideal opportunity for all producers to compete with their select wines for SA Champion Trophy status in 17 classes. Two especially sought-after trophies are at stake, namely the General Smuts and Pietman Hugo Trophies – respectively as this competition’s top accolade since 1952 for the overall champion wine, and recognition for the winery achieving the highest points in total for five different wines entered.

In line with the practice over years, specialist judges are appointed in all panels to ensure that the top expertise is employed to identify the winners.

The core business of the SA Young Wine Show is to give the wine industry the opportunity to have wines presented for judging and to use the results as a yardstick of quality, in particular for the 2020 vintage that has been described as an outstanding year.

A decision about this competition’s traditional awards function, as well as those of the Novare SA Terroir Wine Awards and Veritas Awards, will be made by the SANWSA at a later stage.

The deadline for entries to the SA Young Wine Show is 12 August.

For more information, contact the SA Young Wine office at tel 021 863 1599 or e-mail info@veritas.co.za. or visit www.youngwineshow.co.za.

Follow SA Young Wine Awards on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SouthAfricanYoungWineShow) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/SAYoungWine).

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