.: The 2019 Platter's South African Wine Guide launched

Thursday, November 15, 2018

The 2019 Platter's South African Wine Guide launched

The 2019 Platter Wine Guide by Diners Club was released this week at the Table Bay Hotel. There is always great excitement in the wine trade when this occurs with producers hoping that a wine has been awarded 5 stars. We love going to the presentation; there is so much energy and joy in the room

Social media fundi Linda Potgieter and Platter editor Philip van Zyl

caught putting the final touches to the evening’s procedures

Koen Roose-Vandenbroucke of Spioenkop and Anne Wessels of Restless River

Wendy Appelbaum, a guest, Platter publisher JP Rossouw

The usual welcoming glass of Bubbles, this time Graham Beck Pinot noir Brut, served with a smile

Rose Jordaan of Bartinney, personality, Siobhan Thompson of WOSA

Wendy Appelbaum, Duncan Savage, Jax Lahoud

Bartho Eksteen (Wijnskool), David van Velden (Overgaauw), Duncan Savage

Kathy Marston in conversation with Bruwer Raats

Jeremy Hazell, Allan Mullins, Wendy Appelbaum

Jan and Cindy van Huyssteen

Platter publisher JP Rossouw gets the event started

Certificates lined up in anticipation

Wendy Appelbaum waiting in anticipation with her winemaker Carl van der Merwe

and three wine women, wine merchant Caroline Rillema, Lynne and PRO Posy Hazell, having fun

JP Rossouw keeps us on tenterhooks

Photographer Shawn Benjamin in attendance, as always, with his long lens

Here it is! The colour each year is kept secret until this moment. Publisher Jean-Pierre Rossouw holds up the new guide in its colour, called Amphora, a mutable peachy pink that seems to change colour according to the light in which you view it. The On Line version is also available for purchase.

The guide. There are some exciting changes and the winners of the 5 star accreditations were there to receive their certificates. Nine thousand wines were tasted for this year’s Platter guide. The ultimate Platter’s accolade, Winery of the Year, has expanded to become a trio of pinnacle awards, each saluting excellence in South African wine-making. The Newcomer Winery of the Year recognises the winery that records the best results as a first-time participant in the guide. This honour, so deserved, goes to Erika Obermeyer Wines, with two Five Stars on debut. The Top Performing Winery of the Year award goes to Mullineux, who are no strangers to Platter’s accolades, having twice previously been Winery of the Year. In the new guide they achieve a remarkable four Five Stars plus a Wine of the Year. Finally, the Editor’s Award for 2019 goes to Newton Johnson Vineyards, as editor Philip van Zyl’s personal commendation of this family venture’s consistently superb quality over a range of styles of wine

Philip van Zyl, in a shirt of the same colour, prepares to announce the winners. Some of us got the hint!

Nathan Valentine of Villiera, who made Woolworths' Vintage Reserve Brut MCC and JP Rossouw

with Rebecca Constable and Allan Mullins of the Woolworths wine buying team

Jean Pierre Colmant & Marina Synnott

Wendy Appelbaum, and Carl van der Merwe of De Morgenzon wines, delighted by their awards, which Carl kept secret from Wendy until the presentation. If you are invited to submit more bottles before these awards, it is a fair guess (but not a foregone conclusion) that you might have been awarded 5 stars. With Caroline Rillema watching another presentation