Six generations of hands-on family winemaking and distilling have once again placed Boplaas Family Vineyards among the very best producers in South Africa, with the Calitzdorp estate achieving top honours across brandy, whisky, Port and wine in some of the country’s most prestigious competitions.
The latest results reinforce Boplaas’ position as one of South Africa’s most awarded wine and spirits producers, with the Nel family remaining deeply involved in every aspect of the business – from farming and winemaking to distilling, maturation, marketing and distribution.
Outstanding results at Michelangelo
At the 2026 Michelangelo Wine and Spirits Awards, Boplaas achieved an exceptional haul of two trophies, four Double Gold medals and nine Gold medals.
The standout result came from the Boplaas 21 Year Old Potstill Brandy, which was awarded the Grand Prix of Spirits – Best Spirit at Show, the Overall Brandy Trophy and a Platinum Medal.
With more than 1 400 entries competing across the various wine and spirits categories, and only 20 Platinum Medals and three Grand Prix awards presented, the achievement is a significant one.
Even more remarkably, this is the second consecutive year that Boplaas has won both the Grand Prix of Spirits and the Overall Brandy Trophy at the Michelangelo Awards.
The result confirms Boplaas’ extraordinary consistency in one of South Africa’s most competitive spirits categories.
Excellence across the portfolio
The Michelangelo success extended across Boplaas’ wine and spirits portfolio.
The recently released Frans Malherbe 10 Year Old Brandy, a collaboration between Boplaas and two-time Rugby World Cup winner Frans Malherbe, was awarded Double Gold.
The Boplaas 12 Year Old Rum Cask Whisky also received Double Gold and was the highest-rated whisky at the 2026 Michelangelo Awards.
Earlier this year, the same whisky was named Best South African Grain Whisky at the World Whiskies Awards in London, adding another major international accolade to Boplaas’ growing list of whisky achievements.
In the fortified wine category, the Boplaas Cape Vintage Reserve 2016 was awarded Double Gold, while the 2024 Boplaas Hanepoot Block 1932 also received Double Gold.
Boplaas’ success in Port continues to be particularly notable. The farm has been named Tim Atkin’s Best Port of the Year for six consecutive years, while also winning South African Champion Port at the 2026 National Young Wine Show and the Best Port Trophy at the Investec Trophy Wine Show.
Nine Gold medals
Boplaas’ Gold medal-winning wines and spirits at the 2026 Michelangelo Awards included:
- Boplaas Red Muscadel 2024
- Boplaas Cape Vintage 2024
- Boplaas André Esterhuizen 10 Year Old Rum
- Boplaas Stoepsit Merlot 2025
- Boplaas Cape Tawny N/V
- Boplaas Cape Vintage Reserve 2023
- Boplaas Bin 1956 2025
- Boplaas Cape Vintage Reserve 2024
- Boplaas 15 Year Old Single Grain Bourbon Cask Whisky
A family business in every sense
At the heart of Boplaas’ success is a hands-on family business where the Nel family remains actively involved in the day-to-day operation.
Carel Nel is cellarmaster and oversees the farming and winemaking operation. His daughter, Margaux Nel, is the winemaker and holds an MSc specialising in Touriga Nacional in table wines. She regularly travels to Portugal to learn from leading Port producers, bringing both traditional knowledge and new techniques back to the Klein Karoo.
Rozanne Nel heads the farm’s marketing, while Boplaas manages its own marketing and distribution.
Daniel Nel heads the spirits side of the business, bringing his investment background and passion for whisky and brandy to the distillery. His focus includes the maturation of spirits in distinctive casks, including Port and wine casks, to develop unique and complex flavour profiles.
This hands-on approach allows the family to remain closely connected to every stage of production and to make decisions with a long-term focus on quality rather than volume.
Consistency across categories
Over the past five years, the Boplaas team has consistently achieved outstanding results across virtually every major wine and spirits competition in South Africa, from Port and fortified wines to brandy, whisky and red wine.
Few producers have achieved such consistent success across such a diverse portfolio, while maintaining the character and identity of a family-owned estate.
“We are a family business in every sense of the word, and everyone is deeply involved in what we do,” says Daniel Nel. “From the vineyards and cellar to the distillery, marketing and distribution, there is a real sense of ownership and responsibility throughout the family.
“To win these awards once is an achievement. To continue winning across different categories and different competitions year after year is something the whole family is incredibly proud of.”
From its home beneath the Swartberg mountains, six generations of the Nel family have built Boplaas into one of South Africa’s most successful and decorated producers of wine and spirits.
The latest results are another confirmation that hands-on family ownership, generations of knowledge and an uncompromising focus on quality can produce wines and spirits that compete with – and win against – the very best in South Africa.