30 August 2021 – The Champion Red Blend of 2021 belongs to KWV. This notable achievement was announced at the 2021 SA National Young Wine Show, presented by Agri-Expo, where this Paarl-based producer was awarded the prestigious Vine Products Trophy for SA Champion Red Blend for its KWV Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon/Petite Sirah/Petit Verdot/Cabernet Franc (wooded). In addition to this phenomenal accomplishment, KWV also celebrates being named Category Winner for Other Red for its Petite Sirah.

“The whole winemaking team, from the grape growers, viticulturists and winemakers, shares the in the joy of this illustrious announcement. Vintage 2021 will be remembered for many reasons, some of them challenging, but this award shows us that remarkable outcomes are possible where one consistently strives to do your best,” said an elated Izele van Blerk, The Mentors Winemaker, who attended the event on behalf of KWV.

This much-anticipated competition takes place annually, and measures the quality of unbottled, young wines in barrel or tank. This year 1 162 wines were entered by 86 cellars, a number indicative of the standard or calibre of wines produced by cellars in South Africa. This makes the Young Wine Show one of the wine industry’s most important wine competitions. The SA Young Wine Show also provides winemakers the opportunity to measure up their different young wines, experimental styles and new cultivars against their peers and thereby also evaluate the quality of current vintage year’s young wines.

The SA Young Wine Show is one of the oldest wine competitions in the world, dating back to 1833 – 86 years before KWV’s establishment in 1918. KWV’s performance at the 2021 National SA Young Wine Show solidifies this producer’s reputation as a formidable player in the wine industry arena, one that continuously shows quality and consistency across a diverse range of varieties and styles. However, this latest award particularly illustrates this producer’s strength the red blend category: last year it claimed the illustrious Vertex Award at the Veritas Awards for its Bordeaux-style red blend, The Mentors Orchestra 2018, and Van Blerk says that the 2021 wines are shaping up to be every bit as promising:

“This year’s Champion Red Blend for the SA Young Wine Show is a blend made from components from The Mentors cellar, wines that are showing beautiful depth and flavour. I have no doubt that their development will be spectacular, and we can’t wait to share it with the public.” REGIONAL CHAMPIONS

Regions from across the country including Robertson, Worcester/ Breedekloof, Stellenbosch, Paarl, Oranje-Vaal, Olifants River, Swartland and Little Karoo, participate yearly in competing for the best regional wines’ trophies, before advancing to the much-anticipated national show.

KWV’s impressive showcase at the national show was preceded by a phenomenal performance in the regional leg of the competition, where it was announced as the cellar with the most points with five entries or Champion Paarl Cellar. This honour was achieved by KWV taking home the Paarl regional (Champion) Trophies for five wines, as well as an additional five Gold awards.

KWV won the Akura Trophy for a Dry White Blend (Sauvignon Blanc/Verdelho), Boland Bank Trophy for Sauvignon Blanc (KWV Sauvignon Blanc, no wood), Barclays Trophy for Dry Rosé and Blanc de Noir (KWV Rosé), World Cooperage Trophy for Shiraz (KWV Shiraz, wooded) and FS Smit Coopers Trophy Red Blend (KWV Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon/Petite Sirah/Petit Verdot/Cabernet Franc, wooded). In addition it was named cellar of the Champion wine in the Paarl area (KWV Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon/PetiteSirah/Petit Verdot/Cabernet Franc, wooded) – the same wine that was also named overall Regional Champion.

At the regionals KWV also achieved gold medals in the white blend category (Sauvignon Blanc / Verdelho), Other Red (Petite Sirah), Wooded Pinotage, Wooded Shiraz and Red Blend (Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon / Cabernet Franc / Petite Sirah / Petite Verdot).