Another magical mystery tour this year
to attend the release of the 46th edition of the valuable Platter's South African Wine Guide
held again at The Sadie Family Wines farm in the Swartland
to attend the release of the 46th edition of the valuable Platter's South African Wine Guide
held again at The Sadie Family Wines farm in the Swartland
The winner of the Top Performing Winery award will host the next year's function
and the Sadie Family has won the previous two years
The Swartland is hot and dusty, but so beautiful with black mountains and fields of golden wheat still being harvested
and the vines are so lusciously green and fruitful
We did manage to arrive at the appointed time
despite almost being driven off the road by a dangerously driven Ford Ranger bakkie
as we tried to find the farm again with Satnav not working because of a new flyover,
and no signage on the road which leads to the farm
So enjoyable to see whom in the wine world is there, as we know they have won a Wine of the Year award,
or perhaps one of the three top 2026 awards, Top Performing Winery, Editors Award Winery and Newcomer of the Year
Plenty of shelter had been set up for the awards and there was a good breeze
Marina Calow of WOSA and Izele van Blerk of KWV
with Karla de Bod of Stellenbosch Visio Magazine and Mia Boonzaaier of Flagstone Wines
The boxes containing the three top awards
Enjoying a tasting of the two Sadie wines and catching up on what's happening in the wine industry
Tarryn Vincent of Reciprocal Wines with Gerald Fortuin and Stuart Botha of Tokara
Eben Sadie taking a selfie with Winnie Bowman CWM in front of a bush vine vineyard
A welcome and introduction from Platter Editor Philip van Zyl in his bright shirt
and Amanda Ferreira, the power behind the throne,
who looks after all the PR and administration, the completion of which takes a lot of hard work
That shirt was a clue to the colour of the 2026 Platter's South African Wine Guide
(and again Lynne had an inkling of what it was going to be! Going for Gold!)
Time for the Newcomer Winery of the Year Award which went to The Saldanha Wine and Spirit Co. aka Adi Badenhorst
Philip's Editor's Award Winery of 2026 went to Chris Alheit of Alheit Vineyards
and the award for the Top Performing Winery of 2026 went to Diemersdal Estate
collected by Thys Louw, his father Tienie Louw and winemaker Juandre Bruwer
Then after all the Wines of the Year awards were made we all made for the wine cellar to taste the wines (see our separate story)
A marathon tasting and very, very enjoyable as the wines this year are all deserving
Happy winemakers Bobby Wallace (Paul Wallace Family Wines) and Chris Alheit
with Paul Wallace
Lunch was served next with a view of those black mountains which give Swartland its name
You can feel the heat of the day
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