How come I only heard about a local brandy being voted ‘Best Brandy in the World’ on the SA Goodnews site, and not on the front page of my local newspaper?
The accolade went to Laborie Alambic Brandy at the 2010 International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC) held in London over the weekend.
This brings the number of times a local brandy has triumphed at this event to an astonishing nine times in the past twelve years.
It’s also the fourth consecutive year one of our brandies has ruled the roost. The IWSC is generally regarded an international benchmark test of technical excellence and stylistic quality of the world’s finest wines and spirits.
Do I sound like a Texan? Possibly – because South African brandies overall put in a remarkable performance at this year’s IWSC. All of the 31 products entered achieved either a gold (12) or a silver (19) medal.
Veteran international wine and spirits judge, South Africa’s Dave Hughes says, “From among nearly 100 brandy entries, only 13 won gold medals. The only other country to win gold, with just one brandy deemed worthy of gold, was Spain. Among the 12 South African gold medallists, six were voted best in their class and of the 19 silver medallists, three were tops in their category.’’
While at the International Wine Challenge (IWC), the world’s most prestigious, independent competition, The White Winemaker of the Year award went to Callie van Niekerk of Distell.
And The Fair Trade Trophy was awarded to Stellar Winery, South Africa’s largest producer of organics wines, for its Heaven on Earth, made from Muscat d’Alexandrie grapes partially dried on indigenous Rooibos and organically-grown straw. A unique, regional sweet golden nectar with delicate hints of Rooibos, apricots and roses.
For the record, Stellar was the first wine making operation in the word to gain Fairtrade certification, plus the first cellar in Africa to produce viable no sulpher-added wines. Its workers are co-owners of the winery through the Stellar Empowerment Trust.
Isn’t this worth celebrating?