This year, the Trophy Wine Show celebrates its 25th edition. Each year, in the quarter century of its existence, it has assembled panels composed of some of the most influential judges in the world. Their discoveries and laureates have changed the profile of the country’s wine offering. Its unique judging methodology, which has virtually eliminated the chance elements associated with blind tasting, has been copied by other wine-producing countries, and by wine competitions around the world. It is the one benchmarking exercise producers know they can trust, delivering results which are credible, and feedback which is vital to wineries seeking to gain a competitive edge. The Trophy Spirits Show, launched in 2019, has rendered the same service to spirits producers around the world.
Investec has been the headline sponsor of both competitions since 2022. A leading international bank and wealth manager, Investec offers international banking, investments, and wealth management services in two principal markets, South Africa and the UK, as well as certain other countries.
Every year there are innovations and changes added to the show, in part to refine relevance and to enhance performance, in part to stay current with consumer trends and expectations. This Silver Jubilee year will be no exception. The online entry form is revolutionary. Log on, log in and add wines. Upload certification documents and submit. No emails, no printing, no scanning, no fuss. For the first time, there will be a No/Lo category – a necessary response to the fastest growing segment of the wine market. This year will also see the launch of the John Skotnes Trophy for the show’s best blended wine overall – in other words, the highest scoring blended wine from the trophy judging held at the end of the competition. The trophy has been named in honour of the late John Skotnes, the artist and craftsman who designed the competition’s trophies from the outset, and who died tragically in late December 2025. It will also see the second-ever award of the Investec-sponsored trophy for the Champion Winemaker of the Year.
Post-results sales of the show’s winning wines and spirits amounted to more than R1.1m, bought by consumers through the competition’s designated fulfilment partner, Port2Port.
The 2026 ITWS judging panel comprises international experts Oz Clarke (UK), Heidi Mäkinen MW (Finland) and Kenichi Ohashi MW (Japan) as well as seasoned South African judges Heidi Duminy CWM, Christian Eedes, Malu Lambert, Mandla Patson Mathonsi, JD Pretorius, Cathy van Zyl MW and last year’s associate judge, Kyle Davids.
The 2026 Investec Trophy Spirits Show panellists are brandy experts Dr Winnie Bowman CWM, Pieter de Bod and Carla Weightman; gin and white spirits experts Dr Mare-Loe Prinsloo, Sean Gunns and Kresan Naidu; and whisky experts Jason McEvoy, Neil Paterson and Andy Watts, with overall spirit guru, Dave Gunns.
Michael Fridjhon is chairman of the judges of both shows.
Judging takes place from 11 – 15 May at the Grande Roche Hotel in Paarl. To enter, visit the respective websites (or click the link below) for the entry forms.
Enter by Tuesday, 31 March 2026.