.: Old Mutual Trophy Awards lunch and awards presentation at the Mount Nelson's Planet restaurant

This was a huge success and we congratulate all the winners and the organisers. We love being there and seeing who has been invited, because that inevitably means that they have won something good; a Gold Medal or a Trophy. There were some very new faces there this year and there were some very familiar faces. KWV deservedly took the prestigious Fairbairn Capital trophy for the most successful producer overall, Adam Mason and Mulderbosch took the trophy for the best White wine overall and the Miele Trophy for the best Chardonnay, plus the International Judges’ Trophy. The Trophy for the best red wine overall and the Trophy for the best Shiraz, rather surprisingly, went to Mount Sutherland Super Single Vineyard Syrah 2010. Daniël de Waal grows this on the slopes of the high Sneeuwberg montains, in conditions more European than African. Another trophy went to a winery which, honestly, not many people at the awards had heard of: The trophy for the Discovery of the show went to Baleia Bay Chardonnay 2013, near St Sebastian Bay and made by Jan-Hendrick Joubert – we can’t wait to taste these wines. Click here for the full list of Gold Medal and Trophy winners. The venue was the Planet restaurant at the Mount Nelson, eminently suitable for such a large host and they ably and professionally took care of us all. We had a lovely lunch and got to enjoy some of the wines entered in the completion with our meal.

If you want to taste some of them you can attend the Old Mutual Public tastings in Cape Town at CTICC on 6th June and in Sandton Johannesburg on Thurs 12th June. Book at Computicket

Assembling in the lounge before the awards and looking to see which wine makers have been invited to receive awards

Executive Chef Rudi Liebenberg came up trumps – these lovely canapés are on the seed biscuit bases in the Banting diet. And the small beef rolls also have no carbohydrates. They both tasted really good.

And yes, some of us did eat just the smoked salmon off the bread base and avoided the tiny vol au vents.

A lovely selection to go with a welcoming glass of bubbly

Alan Cawdry of sponsor American Express gives a gallant welcome to Sarah Papenfus of WoSA

A winning table: Etienne Louw of Altydgedacht, Elona Hesseling of WineLand, Kobus van der Merwe of Laborie, Annemi Nel of De Krans, Jan Laubscher, and Izele van Blerk of KWV

Dr Winnie Bowman MW at our table with Lynne, in deep discussion with Gottfried Mocke of Chamonix. The Planet restaurant comfortably seated everyone

Samarie Smith of Die Burger and Winemaker Miles Mossop, who won a Gold Medal for his own wine, Kika, a natural Sweet Chenin Blanc

Convenor and Show Chairman Michael Fridjhon announcing the awards

Mokaedi Dilotsotlhe, General Marketing Manager of Old Mutual talking about the awards and their sponsorship

Gottfried Mocke, winemaker at Chamonix wines, at our table, won the best Museum Class Chardonnay Trophy for his Reserve Chardonnay 2008

Old Mutual Trophy Judge JD Pretorius of Steenberg collected the Grand Roche Trophy for the best White Blend for Steenberg’s Magna Carta Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon 2011. Judges' scores of their own wines are not counted. All wines are tasted blind.

Reg Holder of Delheim collected the Trophy for the best Noble Late Harvest for Delheim’s Edelspatz NLH 2013

The menu had several choices

The starter of fresh Tuna Carpaccio with Babaganoush quenelles and avocado was substantial, meaty and very satisfying. We had this with the Stellenrust Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc, a classic full on Chenin, which went very well with the tuna. It scored 85 for a Silver medal

David Sonnenberg of Diemersfontein and Alan Mullins collecting the Award for Diemersfontein Woolworths Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2011

The first award for KWV; there would be several others. Receiving it was winemaker Izele van Blerk

Miles Mossop getting his Gold award for Kika

Razvan Macici accepting the gold award for the Nederburg Private Bin D234 Sauvignon Blanc 2011, made by Tariro Masayiti, now at Springfontein near Stanford

David Sonnenberg of Diemersfontein wines, who won a gold medal for the Woolworths Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2011 with Gail Alswang, celebrating with a glass of something fine..

The main course of beautifully, oh so tender and flavourful, beef topped with a spicy empanada and lots of vegetable. The mushroom crust was a little indigestible, being more a bread stuffing than a crust

One of the superb organisers of these shows, Alex Mason-Gordon, deservedly taking a break with John Skotnes (crafter of the trophies) who looks very relaxed

RJ Botha of Kleine Zalze looking happy about the Gold Medal for their Family Reserve Chenin Blanc 2013

and Razvan accepts another award to Nederburg who won the Best Natural Sweet Dessert Wine Trophy for the Eminence Noble Late Harvest Muscadel 2011. We had some of this super wine with dessert and it is epic. Full of honey and sunshine, flowers and good fruit acids to balance the high sugars.

Miles Mossop awarding the Tony Mossop Trophy to Annemi Nel of De Krans for the best Cape Port

André van Rensburg accepting the Trophy for the best museum class white blend for the Vergelegen ‘White’ 2009

Alex Mason-Gordon organising the awarding of the trophies

Winners all. Gottfried Mocke of Chamonix, Brad Paton of Buitenverwachting who won a gold for Christine 2009, and JD Pretorius of Steenberg

Another Trophy for KWV being accepted by KWV winemaker Izele van Blerk and Laborie winemaker Kobus van der Merwe

The three Trophy winners who were at our small table. Young, illustrious and very good company

Dessert was a Pear frangipane with praline ice cream and an amaretto anglaise topped with a langue de chat biscuit. It went perfectly with the Nederburg NLH, but what wouldn't?

Nederburg also won the Riedel Trophy for the best Bordeaux style red blend with The Brewmaster 2010. Outsorceress Janice Fridjhon celebrates with Razvan Macici

One huge surprise was the Trophy for the Best Sparkling Wine going to The Table Bay MCC Non Vintage Blanc de Blanc, sourced by Mark Norrish for Ultra Liquors from a mystery farm in Robertson. He will not reveal its source.

Alan Mullins CWM, very proud that three wines he had selected for Woolworths Reserve range received Gold medals: Radford Dale Syrah 2012; Spier The Hutton Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 and Diemersfontein Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2011