Steenberg winemaker JD Pretorius selected to judge in Bordeaux
Thursday, 22 July, 2010
Steenberg Vineyards
Jet-setting young winemaker at Steenberg Vineyards, JD Pretorius (25) was
recently invited to participate in the first Concours Mondial du Sauvignon
at the renowned Concours Mondial de Bruxelle.
This prestigious wine event
was held during the Bordeaux Fete le Vin wine fair in France at the end of
June, where 512 wines were tasted from Sauvignon Blanc producing countries
across the globe. Recognized as an expert on the Sauvignon Blanc varietal,
Pretorius was the only South African invited to take part as one of 40
tasters from 10 countries.
Recognizing this young man's passion for the Sauvignon Blanc varietal Decanter.com, reported JD as saying: "Sauvignon is an extremely demanding grape variety to get right, but it is
often derided by critics as being too populist, or one-dimensional. Even
consumers in South Africa seem to be slowly moving away from it back towards
lightly oaked Chardonnays - but it's a grape variety that deserves better
critical recognition when in the hands of the right producers."
Pretorius, who embodies the spirit of the new generation of winemakers, has
really made his mark since his appointment as Steenberg winemaker a year ago
(June 2009). His hands-on approach and abiding passion for winemaking are
proving a great asset for Steenberg Vineyards. Coupled with his excellent
grasp of the stock in bottle, tank and barrel, and intuitive insight into
his winemaking team, his leadership bodes well for the future of Steenberg'
one of the most lauded Sauvignon Blanc producers in South Africa.
Just months after taking over the reins as winemaker, he attained a 5-star
rating in the 2010 John Platter Guide for the Woolworths Steenberg Reserve
Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon 2009 blend, one of only four Bordeaux white blends
to have been awarded 5-stars this year.