Johann de Wet, CEO of De Wetshof.
That is why the recent announcement from the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) lands with the force of a Robertson southeaster across the South African wine landscape: De Wetshof Estate has been named one of the IWSC’s Top 50 Wine Producers in the world, and one of only a handful from the southern hemisphere to crack this exalted ranking.
This honour forms part of the IWSC’s brand-new Top 50 Wine Producers initiative, unveiled at the ceremony in London on 12 November. It is not based on a single standout vintage nor on the luck of a shining entry. Rather, it is the sum of three years of performance: medals won, wines entered, consistency demonstrated. The IWSC sifted through 2268 producers from 50 countries who submitted wines over the past three years.
For De Wetshof, the accolade is not a sudden spotlight but a confirmation of a philosophy decades in the making.
“This award affirms what we have pursued for generations,” says Johann de Wet, CEO of De Wetshof. “It recognises De Wetshof’s commitment to terroir-driven, site-specific Chardonnay, wines that speak with precision, honesty and a sense of place. For us, this is not only an achievement. It is a validation of the De Wetshof terroir story and understanding of its value in creating Chardonnay over three generations.”
De Wetshof is no stranger to acclaim. The estate carved a trail through the local industry long before South Africa was welcomed back into the world wine community. Its pioneering work with Chardonnay is legendary: the early plantings, the Burgundian partnerships, the ruthless focus on soil expression and clonal matching, and the understanding that Robertson’s limestone-rich soils were destined for great Chardonnay.
Where others chased immediate appeal, De Wetshof planted for posterity. And posterity, as it turns out, is now calling their name from the world’s most respected judging panel.
Robertson and Chardonnay have grown into one another over time, and De Wetshof has been the architect of that union. While the valley is known for sunlight and generosity of fruit, its deeper identity lies in the ancient marine limestone that defines its geological heart.
From the elegant, almost linear restraint of The Site to the regal presence of Bateleur, the estate’s Chardonnays are chapters in a long-running dialogue between soil, vine and family vision. The IWSC’s recognition reinforces what critics, collectors and winemakers have long known, that Chardonnay is not merely one of De Wetshof’s varietal offerings. It is its voice.
Johann de Wet puts it plainly: “Each of our Chardonnay vineyards is treated as an individual. They are allowed to show themselves, to speak their geography. This acknowledgment from the IWSC is a tribute to those sites and the people who have nurtured them.”
In a global wine market cluttered with competitions and gilded stickers, the IWSC remains a benchmark of credibility. Wines are evaluated blind by a global panel of specialists, and scoring is deliberately conservative. A single gold medal is an achievement; a track record of high scores across multiple years borders on the exceptional.
It is here that De Wetshof has carved its niche, not only producing one standout wine but maintaining a high standard of craftsmanship across vintages, vineyards, and stylistic expressions. The new IWSC ranking system is designed precisely to reward such houses: producers whose identity lies not merely in marketing narrative but in repeated, measurable excellence.
In an era where South African wine is entering what many describe as its Golden Age, De Wetshof’s achievement is both an individual triumph and a national signal flare. It reinforces the idea that South Africa competes not as a novelty or an underdog but as an equal on the world’s finest wine stage.
De Wet says: “We are proud of our heritage, proud of our team, and proud that a South African estate can be counted among the world’s leading producers. But most of all, we are motivated. This inspires us to keep refining, keep learning, and keep letting our vineyards lead the way.”