In total, KWV received eight Gold medals between Mundus Vini and the recent IWSC (International Wine & Spirit Competition) in London. At Mundus Vini every year, some 180 international wine experts taste more than 6 000 wines from all over the world to identify the champions. Sharing the limelight at the awards presentation this year as Gold medal winners were: KWV The Mentors Shiraz 2010; KWV The Mentors Petit Verdot 2011; and KWV The Mentors Cabernet Franc 2010. KWV also received Gold for the Cathedral Cellar Sauvignon Blanc 2012, KWV Classic Tawny NV and Laborie Jean Taillefert 2011. The consistent performance of these wines at high level showcases the excellent depth and range of the KWV portfolio. The most recent achievements also highlight strengths of the wider industry such as the world-class standard of South African Sauvignon Blancs, which offer varietal intensity and concentration; and, the superiority of regions such as Darling, which supplied the grapes for show champion, KWV The Mentors Sauvignon Blanc 2012. “The Mentors Sauvignon Blanc result is great – we have always known it to be an outstanding wine and we’re very pleased that this has been recognised,” says KWV winemaker Izele van Blerk. “Together with the Gold medallists, the awards highlight our diversity and what we can achieve by sourcing grapes from the best wine regions in the Western Cape. “Making these wines is a team effort and requires the dedication and excellence of every individual who is involved from the vineyards to the cellar,” Van Blerk adds. This was also true for KWV’s results achieved at the IWSC, which annually receives more than 5 000 entries from nearly 90 countries worldwide. Wines that received Gold were: KWV Classic Tawny NV; and 2011 KWV The Mentors Pinotage. A further eight wines were among the Silver medallists, including four from The Mentors cellar. KWV wines are available from leading fine wine stores.