Cape Town, 25th August – 2015 – KWV was the big winner at the 2015 SA Young Wine Awards, SA’s oldest wine show, on Friday night (21 August), with multiple gold medals and special awards; including the coveted Gen Smuts Trophy for the overall South African champion young wine for its red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz (wooded) beating more than 2,100 contenders. 

KWV chief winemaker Johann Fourie and his team also won the prestigious Pietman Hugo Trophy awarded to the cellar with the highest marks for five entries, and three SA Champion trophies. 

KWV’s wooded Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz, was crowed SA Champion Red Blend. KWV Malbec (wooded) and Chardonnay (wooded) claimed SA Champion trophies for Other Red Cultivar and Chardonnay respectively. This was in addition to the other 14 gold medals won.

The winners were unveiled during the 2015 SA Young Wine Awards Gala Dinner held at Augrabies, near Upington. The event was hosted by the Oranje Vaal Wine Region and Agri-Expo, which have been involved in this competition since its inception 183 years ago.

Commenting on the wins, Johann Fourie, Chief Winemaker at KWV, said: “To win the Pietman Hugo for best producer is a definitive demonstration of the consistency of styles and focus across a broad range of our wines. To have topped this by winning the Gen Jan Smuts trophy for the best wine on show, seen by many winemakers as the ultimate achievement in the wine competition arena, was an extremely proud KWV moment. Being a trophy that only crosses very few winemakers winemaking careers, the Gen Smuts trophy truly is the pinnacle.”

He continues: “Getting awards like these affirms that KWV is moving in the right direction in terms of our constant evolution of wine style and quality. Our success is down to hard work and attention to detail by the entire team, from grape growers and viticulturists right through to the winemakers and the bigger KWV team.”

KWV winemaker Izele van Blerk concurs: “Our wines performed very well, reinforcing 2015 as an excellent year. Being awarded medals and trophies across a diverse range of varieties and styles, which serves to reinforce our strengths as a quality producer in both red and white wines. Our success this year is a tribute to our fantastic team of men and women – proud pioneers all of them.” 

Fourie adds that the industry and consumers alike can expect great things from the 2015 vintage. “In the mean while we will keep a close eye on the development of these wines until they become commercially available.”

Prior to the awards event KWV also cleaned up at the regional awards with multiple trophies including the prestigious Sarel Rossow Trophy for Best Regional producer (most points achieved for five entries) and the Absa Trophy Champion Wine Paarl Region – Red Blend (Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz) 2015. 

Other regional trophies won for the KWV 2015 wines were the Protea Chemicals Trophy Champion (Semillon); Bacchus Equipment CC Trophy Champion Wine Paarl  – Red Blend (Cab-Shiraz); Grotto Trophy Champion (Pinotage); Kooperatiewe Wynkelders Trophy (Chardonnay); Vintec Trophy (Natural Sweet White Table Wine); Akura Trophy Champion (Dry White Blend); FS Smit Kuipers Trophy Champion (Red Blend); FS Smit Kuipers Trophy Champion (Red Blend) and Coastal Wine Export Trophy Champion (Other Reds).

For further information visit www.youngwineshow.co.za or join the conversation on facebook.com/KWVWines and Twitter: @KWVWines #FINISHGREAT and #sayyoungwine