All the trophy winners: Rosa Kruger, Heritage Vineyards/Old Vine project; Anton Laas, Windmeul; Philip Viljoen, Bon Courage Estate; Wouter Loubser, Piekenierskloof Wine Co; Minister John Steenhuisen; Alecia Boshoff Piekenierskloof Wine Co; Christo Pienaar, chairman of SA Terroir Awards; Thinus Botha, Ghost Corner Wines; and Bennie Howard, vice chairman of the SA Terroir Awards.
Moreover, all 35 the national winnersfrom the various wine cultivars and styles originate out of 16 terrains in the Cape winelands, as announced at a glamorous function at the Lanzerac Hotel and Spa on Wednesday 13 August.
This was a special day for the wine industry, as the Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, attended a wine awards function for the first time in this capacity. Mr Steenhuisen handed over the trophies to the stars of the event.
The top wine from all the entries came from Ghost Corner Wines in the Elim Ward at Cape Agulhas, namely the Ghost Corner Sauvignon Blanc 2024 which thereby clinched the 2025 SA Terroir Trophy for the Top Wine.
Piekenierskloof Wine Company near Citrusdalboasts the extraordinary achievement of winning three trophies this year. They first received the SA Terroir Trophy as the Top Producer, while the 2025 SA Terroir Trophy for the Top Single-vineyard Wine went to the Old Vine Samson Straw Wine N/V. This Heritage Vineyard with Muscat de Frontignan vines was planted in 1962. Single-vineyard wines form an important part of this competition,with smaller volume wines whose grapes all derive from one vineyard.
Piekenierskloof Wine Company’s four national winner wines – for Cinsault, Grenache Noir, Heidedal Old Vine Cinsault and Old Vine Samson Straw Wine – were also responsible for the Piekenierskloof Ward bagging the trophy for the Top Area.
The trophy for the Top Estate was this year again won by Bon Courage Estate in Robertson, a regularachiever in this competition – having also walked away with this trophy in 2019, 2015 and 2013.
The new trophy introduced this year to coincide with the 20thanniversary of the competition, for the Top Heritage Wine (Old Vine), was won by WindmeulCellar with the Windmeul Chenin Blanc Reserve 2023, originating from the recently demarcated Agter-Paarl Ward. This vineyard was established in 1974.
The category Heritage Wines – which involves vineyards of 35 years and older – yieldedtwo more winners in addition to Windmeul Chenin Blanc Reserve 2023. The best Red Wine entered was the PiekenierskloofHeidedal Old Vine Cinsault 2023, and the best Straw Wine was the Piekenierskloof Old Vine Samson Straw Wine NV.
A Sauvignon Gris wine from Cederberg entered for the first time this year, was also named as a national winner. This is a scarce and unique variety and a natural mutation of Sauvignon Blancwhich was first identifiedin France’s Bordeauxregion and later also in the Loire and Chile.The Sauvignon Gris vineyard involved here, comprises0,6 hectares, which was established inthe Sandpoort area on the Cederberg Farm in 2018. In 2022,the first wine was created from it, as the first certified Sauvignon Gris in the country.
Out of all the national winners from the various wine cultivars and styles, 12 were estate wines and eight single-vineyard wines.
Seven participants have excelled by receiving two or more national winners. Piekenierskloof Wine Company have four winners, Arbeidsgenot, Bon Courage and Cederberg three each, and Almenkerk, Baleia and Lourensford with two each.
Only wines certified by the Wine and Spirit Board as wine of origin of a specific ward, a district not divided into more than one ward, estate-produced wines and a single-vineyard wines may participate in the terroir competition.
Altogether 35 wines from all the entered cultivars and styles, excelled with the highest points awarded as National Winners.
In addition to the trophies and the national winners, the top wines from the various areas are also named. A discussion with winemaker of the Top Wine and highlights of the awards function are to be broadcast on the TV programme OntbytSAKE on Saturday 23 and 30 August.
The SA Terroir Wine Awards competition is presented by and in collaboration with the financial partners SA Litho and WinField United SA, with the OntbytSAKE programme on KykNET as media partner.
Judges
This year’s judges were Conrad Louw, a regular lecturer at the Cape Wine Academy and Cape Winemaster (chairperson); Elunda Basson, cellarmaster at Steenberg; Brendan Butler, winemaker and manager at Meinert Wines and Cape Winemaster; Anton Swarts, senior winemaker at Spier and Cape Winemaster, and Janine van Zyl,who has just qualified as a Cape Winemaster.
Sponsors
With over 120 years of expertise, SA Litho Label Printers proudly supports South Africa’s wine industry through innovative thinking, profound industry knowledge and premium packaging solutions.“Partnering with the SA Terroir Wine Awards reflects our shared commitment to celebrating authenticity, craftsmanship, and the unique character of South African wine,” says Dawrian Salies, General Manager of SA Litho Label Printers.
WinField United SA’s CEO Jan Vermaak says, “We are dedicated to delivering innovative solutions that propel agricultural progress. By actively engaging in projects that advance the industry, we help connect the entire value chain – from the soil to the shelf. Our partnership with the SA Terroir competition underscores our commitment to South Africa's finest wines, supporting excellence from the vineyard all the way to the bottle."
Regarding OntbytSAKE as partner, Louis McLaren, owner and executive producer, says,” OntbytSAKE/kykNET takes pride in offering national exposure to the outstanding winemakers and wine farms associated with the Terroir Wine Awards. Rewarding excellence is at the heart of the programme!”
The complete results are available on the website www.terroirwineawards.co.za.
National winners
- Almenkerk Merlot 2022
- Almenkerk Petit Verdot 2021
- Arbeidsgenot Grenache Blanc (wooded) 2024
- Arbeidsgenot Roussanne (wooded) 2024
- Arbeidsgenot Verdelho (wooded) 2024
- Baleia Limitados Chardonnay (wooded) 2022
- Baleia Limitados Tempranillo 2022
- Bellingham The Bernard Series Motherblock Single Vineyard Albarino (wooded) 2024
- Bon Courage André's Fame Colombard 2025
- Bon Courage Inkará Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
- Bon Courage NLH 2023
- Boplaas Cape Vintage Reserve 2008
- Cederberg Sandpoort Sauvignon Gris 2024
- Dieu Donné Maingard Brut Blanc de Blancs Cap Classique 2020
- Eerste Hoop Pinot Noir 2023
- Ghost Corner Sauvignon Blanc 2024
- Ghost Corner Sémillon (wooded) 2023
- La Motte Syrah 2021
- Lourensford Kleipot Petite Sirah 2023
- Lourensford Limited Release Viognier (wooded) 2024
- Lynx Blanc de Noir 2024
- Mariëtte Pinot Blanc (wooded) 2023
- Meinert 6Chen Chenin Blanc (wooded) 2019
- Nuy Inspiration White Muscadel 2023
- Piekenierskloof Cinsault 2023
- Piekenierskloof Grenache Noir 2023
- Piekenierskloof Heidedal Old Vine Cinsault 2023
- Piekenierskloof Old Vine Samson Straw Wine NV
- Rietvallei JMB Cabernet Franc 2019
- Saronsberg Full Circle Rhone Blend 2022
- Springfontein Jonathan's Ridge Pinotage 2019
- Stettyn Stone White Blend 2025
- Vergenoegd Family Range Malbec 2023
- Vrede en Lust Early Mist Riesling 2024
- Windmeul Chenin Blanc Reserve 2023
Terroir is the basis whereby the natural environmental elements such as soils, topography and climate combine to tastes and characters in wines grown in the same location.
Stay in touch via social media:
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Stay connected: #saterroir
www.terroirwineawards.co.za
Enquiries to Elsabé Ferreira at tel 021 863 1599 / office@terroirwineawards.co.za
Photo captions:
Photo 3: All sponsors - Marius Boschoff, Villa Crop Protection; Dawrian Salies, SA Litho; Christo Pienaar, SA Terroir Awards; Melinda Meyer, OntbytSake; Minister John Steenhuisen; Alicia Potgieter, OntbytSake; Leon Witbooi, SA Litho; Jan Vermaak, Winfield United SA; and De Wet Viljoen, SA Terroir Awards.
Photo 4: Minister of Agriculture Mr John Steenhuisen
Photo 5: Top Wine, Ghost Corner Sauvignon Blanc 2024 - Christo Pienaar, Thinus Botha of Ghost Corner Wines, John Steenhuisen
Photo 6: Top Certified Heritage Vineyard Wine - Rosa Kruger, MD of the Old Vine Project; Anton Laas, Windmeul Cellar; John Steenhuisen
Photo 7: Top Single Vineyard Wine - Christo Pienaar, SA Terroir Awards; Wouter Loubser and Alecia Boshoff, Piekenierskloof Wine Company; John Steenhuisen
Photo 8: Top Wine Estate - Christo Pienaar; Philip Viljoen, Bon Courage Estate; John Steenhuisen
Photo 9: Top Area and Top Producer - Christo Pienaar; Wouter Loubser and Alecia Boshoff of Piekenierskloof Wine Company; John Steenhuisen
Photo 10: Christo Pienaar and Johan Kotzé, MD of AgriSA