International Judges with sponsor Dry Ice International: Christo Pienaar, Chairman Veritas, Michael Franz – USA, Joe Wadsack – UK, Deon Roux, CEO Dry Ice International, Uli Hoffmann – UK, Bennie Howard, Vice Chairman Veritas, Jo Wessels – Germany
This week marks a major milestone of wine and brandy judging in South Africa as the finest palates of international and local judges set to work in evaluating this year’s entries for the Veritas Awards – the country’s oldest and most authoritative showdown for market-ready products of the vine since its inception in 1991.
Overseas judges sponsored
The standard use of accomplished overseas judges by Veritas has been made possible thanks to a partnership with Dry Ice International, which has agreed to bring these experts to South Africa.
Dry Ice International, led by CEO Deon Roux, is the largest supplier and manufacturer of dry ice in South Africa. “Transforming cool grapes into fine wines is our motto, and that makes usa proud sponsor of Veritas 2024,” he says, emphasising the crucial importance of reliability and speedy deliveries of dry ice for the wine industry, particularly during the harvesting season.
With almost 30 years of experience in manufacturing and distributing dry ice across South Africa and neighbouring countries, the company boasts multiple manufacturing plants and an extensive in-house delivery network. Their recent expansion into the Western Cape aims to support local wine farmers by ensuring 24/7 availability of dry ice and robust infrastructure to withstand power and water shortages, backed by generators, CO2 storage tanks, and reliable transport to ensure wine farmers receive dry ice when required.
The chairperson of Veritas, Christo Pienaar, says, “It is a pleasure to welcome our international judges to the Veritas Awards judging to share their expertise and knowledge with us. Their contribution to the strict judging process is very important to further support our acclaim to the high standard of judging that Veritas stands for.”
The international judges are Michael Franz, PhD, a US wine writer, editor, educator, restaurant consultant and competition judge; Ulrich Hoffmann, winemaker, international wine consultant and wine judge as a panel chair at the International Wine Challenge, the IWSC and the Berlin Wine Trophy; Joe Wadsack, British wine buyer and TV presenter; and Jo Wessels, a well-awarded South African sommelier based in Germany.
Altogether 18 experienced judging panels are gathered in the Johann Graue Hall at Nederburg in Paarl to identify the best entries for the sought-after Veritas medals and name the Duimpie Bayly Vertex Award winner as the top wine overall – named as such in 2021 in honour of the late Mr Bayly, an undisputed legend of the industry.
The wines and brandies are being tasted over five days until Friday 13 September. The seven most keenly contested categories in terms of entries received are: Red Blends (173), Sauvignon Blanc (134), Cabernet Sauvignon (111), Chardonnay (105), Chenin Blanc (101), Shiraz (92) and Pinotage (77).
Local judges
The local judging team comprises winemakers, researchers, academics, wine buyers, wine writers, consultants and Cape Wine Masters. The latter group continues to play a significant role as independent judges, with no less than 16 CWMs in action over the five days.
VinoVeritas app
Wine lovers will again also be able to order use the Double Gold and Gold winners immediately following the announcement of the results on 12 October, for free delivery by Getwine on their own doorstep. This, thanks to the “VinoVeritas by CTP” app, which can be downloaded on the Android and Google platforms.
Countrywide tastings
Veritas and its partner, Deloitte, will present the wine tastings of the prestigious winners of the Veritas Double Gold and Gold wines in October and November in the main centres. “We are looking forward to share these top wines with our clients, the trade and the consumers in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban,” says Ruwayda Redfearn, Deloitte Africa CEO.
The public tastings will be held at the Deloitte offices on 24 October in Cape Town, 31 October at their head office in Waterfall, Johannesburg, and 6 November in Durban. A tutored tasting of some of the award-winning wines will be held in Gquberha on 13 November.
Details of the tastings are on the Veritas website. Tickets are available on Quicket.
The competition
The Veritas Awards, now in its 34th year, is South Africa’s foremost wine competition. Wine cognoscenti and consumers alike rely on a Veritas award as an unrivalled stamp of quality.
The sponsors Nashua and Blue Nova, which joined Veritas in the past two years, are again making a valuable contribution to Veritas’s standing as the country’s leading wine show.
Results
The fashionable and elegant awards presentation will be held at the CTICC with the gala event on Saturday 12 October 2024.
About the iternational judges
Michael Franz PhD is a wine writer, editor, educator, restaurant consultant and competition judge. He is editor of Wine Review Online – with more than 1.2 million viewers per year, also lead wine reviewer for The Tasting Panel Magazine, wine consultant for 13 restaurants in the Washington DC. area, and instructor for Capital Wine School.
Franz has written for many national and international wine magazines and worked for 11 years as wine columnist for The Washington Post. He has judged wine competitions on six continents, is currently chief judge for two competitions based in California and has conducted more than 1700 site visits at wineries across the world’s significant wine producing countries. He has appeared on numerous television showsand has been interviewed on public radio more than 30 times a year.
Ulrich Hoffmann studied oenology at the State Research Institute for Wine and Fruit Growing, the LVWO Weinsberg in Germany after completing an apprenticeship as winemaker.
He is a winemaker and international winemaking consultant and draws from 25 years’ experience, including prestigious estates in Germany (Rolf Willy Estate in Baden- Württemberg) , France (Chateau de Fieuzal and Château Haut-Gardère, Pessac-Leognan), Italy (Tenuta Casucci, Tuscany), Spain (Artadi and Bodegas y Viñyedos Artazu, Navarra), Napa Valley (Cain Vineyard and Winery, Spring Mountain), Lebanon (Sendiana, Mount Leban) and numerous English wineries (eg Bolney Estate, Gusbourne Estate, Albury Organic Vineyard, Hidden Spring Vineyard).
He has been judging wines internationally for almost as many years as a panel chair at the International Wine Challenge, the IWSC and the Berlin Wine Trophy.
Hoffmann lives in Sussex, England. He runs Hoffmann & Rathbone, a boutique winery producing fine English sparkling wines andan international winemaking consultancy, Vivid Wines, servicing clients around the globe.
Joe Wadsack studied chemistry at Manchester University and obtained a winemaking diploma in Bordeaux. He was a buyer for the supermarket chains J Sainsbury and Waitrose and co-presented a TV show on BBC’s Food Channel, Great Wine Walks – taking him to South Africa, Australia and the fine wine districts of France – as well as later co-authoring the Richard and Judy Wine Guide. He was co-presenter of the flagship TV show BBC Food & Drink a panel chair and senior judge at The International Wine Challenge, also regularly judging at wine competitions throughout the world, including South Africa at Veritas. He was named International Wine Challenge's Personality of the Year in 2015.
Jo Wessels is a South African sommelier based in Germany, having studied at Stellenbosch University and working at top restaurants, he qualified as a Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers. He holds a BSc degree in International Wine Business from Geisenheim University and garnered experience in Michelin-starred restaurants. In 2018 Jo earned the title of SASA Best Sommelier of South Africa and won top sommelier awards in Germany. Jo is currently the sommelier of Mary Jane Space, a fine-dining concept in Heidelberg.
Contact us for more information on tel 021 863 1599 or e-mail info@veritas.co.za or visit www.veritas.co.za.
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Side photo captions:
Photo 1: Cape Wine Masters at Veritas:
Marlee Malan, Jacques Steyn, Lizette Tolken, Conrad Louw, Winnie Bowman, Janno Briers-Louw, Elsie Pells, Mary-Lou Nash, Colin Frith, Raymond Noppe, Bennie Howard
Photo 2: Brandy panel:
Lizette Tolken CWM, Mary – Lou Nash CWM, Conrad Louw CWM, Winnie Bowman CWM, chairperson, Fiona McDonald