This competition of the South African National Wine Show Association (SANWSA) – which also runs the Veritas Awards among others – is in its tenth year and aims to identify smart new voices in the wine industry.
The competition this year comprises two categories: one for wine-related articles and one for blogs. The respective winners will each receive prize money of R2 500, while the overall winner will pocket R15 000.
“We are delighted that the competition continues to find new wine writing talent in such a vibrant industry like ours,” says the organisation’s chairperson, Christo Pienaar.
“Our media partner, WineLand Media, has offered to publish the winning articles and blogs with guidance from the editorial staff. We will also continue our collaborating with the Departments of Journalism at the University of Stellenbosch, University of Cape Town UCT and Cape Technicon to encourage their students to also engage in writing about wine.
“We believe that this competition creates a new avenue for writers and bloggers to express themselves and thereby inspire others to join in the exciting field of sharing views on wine-related matters.
“As a stakeholder in the wine industry, we have a responsibility to ensure that 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,” says Pienaar.
Says WineLand Media editor, Wanda Augustyn, “The wine industry is such an exciting industry to work in. As the voice of the winelands, WineLand Media has a responsibility to find enchanting new, young voices to write about wine. We need to give these voices a platform to influence responsibly and help create an informed audience that fully understands the magic of the wine industry.”
Entrants are to complete one or both of the following assignments:
- Magazine print article – 1 000 words in English or Afrikaans
- Blog web article – a 600 words blog in English or Afrikaans
The topics include: The evolution of wine communication, The future of e-commerce in wine, Investigating the importance of wine competitions, Farming for the future, as well as Organic wine, friend or fad? See full details below.
The competition is open to all South African citizens or residents aged 18 - 35 years. No full-time or established wine writers or previous wine writer winners are eligible to enter.
Bennie Howard, Vice Chairman of Veritas, Kristen Duff, winner of the competition in 2020, Christo Pienaar Chairman of Veritas and Le Roi van de Vyver, runner up in 2020.
The entries will be judged by a panel of experienced and distinguished South African wine writers. Participants are to present theses 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.
The closing date for entries is 18 November 2022 and the date for the announcement of the winners is 7 December. Requests for entry forms or any enquiries may be directed to the SANWSA at the e-mail address below.
Contact us for more information on tel 021 863 1599 or e-mail info@veritas.co.za or visit www.veritas.co.za.
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