Results of the inaugural Next Generation Awards sponsored by shipping company FedEx Express and convened by Winemag.co.za are live. The aim of this new competition is to identify South Africa’s emerging winemaking talent. A condition of entry was that entrants should be under 35 years of age at the time of the awards ceremony on 11 June.
62 wines from 37 entrants were received and these were tasted blind (labels out of sight) by a panel consisting of Winemag.co.za editor Christian Eedes as chairman as well as Spencer Fondaumiere, chairman of the South African Sommelier Association, and wine writer Malu Lambert. Scoring was done according to the 100-point quality scale.
Natasha Jacka came first, with her Alinea Sauvignon Blanc 2021 judged best wine overall and earning a prize of R10,000. Vusi Dalicuba was runner-up with the Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 from Stellenbosch wine farm Vergenoegd Löw.
The Top 10 is as follows:
Top 10 winemakers
95 Points
BEST OVERALL:
Winemaker: Natasha Jacka
Alinea Sauvignon Blanc 2021
Winemaker: Janco de Kock
Anco 2023
Winemaker: Michelle Waldeck
Benguela Cove Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
RUNNER-UP:
Winemaker: Vusi Dalicuba
Vergenoegd Löw Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
94 Points
Winemakers: Anzette and Riandri Visser
Cape Point Vineyards Isliedh 2022
Winemaker: Hanri Ferreira
Kleine Zalze Project Z Alvarinho 2022
Winemaker: Hanri Ferreira
Kleine Zalze Project Z Chenin Blanc 2022
Winemaker: Anri Botha
Lemberg The Amphora Selection Hárslevelü 2023
Winemaker: Jacobus van Zyl
Jordan The Long Fuse Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
Winemaker: Christiaan Nigrini
Welbedacht Chenin Blanc 2023
For a list of all wines to rate 90+ points on the 100-point quality scale, subscribe to Winemag.co.za