voted by the public for wine farms offering the best tourism product
were presented on the rooftop terrace of a firm in De Waterkant
Tina Jewell (Bread & Wine), Heidi Cilliers and Kathy Brewer (Villiera)
Lynne with Jan Loubscher and
Anel Grobler (Spit or Swallow)
Ian du Toit (EDT PR), Kathy Brewer and
Righard Theron (De Grendel)
Fun on the rooftop at DHK
Architects
Angelo and Tina Casu (Grand
Dedale, Wellington)
Derick Henstra made the opening speech
Mike Bampfield Duggan (Wine
Concepts) and Mike Ratcliffe (Warwick Wines)
Monika Elias, Klink Awards
originator, tells the story
with a phone, everyone can be a photographer
Errieda du Toit tweets on her
iPad
Danie Nel, official
photographer
Monika speaks about the Klink
Awards
to an audience filled with
anticipation
A little bubbly to calm the
nerves
Mike Ratcliffe announcing the
names of the winners
And the winners are:
Beyond Expectations - Award for
Great Food and Excellent Value
Situated between the Klink
awards for bistro-style country cuisine and fine dining, this award is for a
Winelands restaurant in the mid-price category that serves seriously good food
at very fair prices, attracting foodies by raising the bar and presenting local
garden and winelands produce with passion and contemporary culinary style.
Winner: Haute Cabrière
34.38% received
Comfort Zone - Award for Best
Bistro or Café on a Wine Farm
This award goes to the best
bistro or café in the Cape Winelands at a venue that combines quality, cuisine,
setting and service without all the frills of silver service. We were looking
for venues that source local, artisanal farm produce and showcase good food and
wine in an informal, relaxed style as well as offer value-for-money on own
wines and wines served by the glass.
Winner: Harvest at Laborie
26.24% received
Connoisseur - Award for Best
Cellar Tasting Experience
This award goes to the cellar
which offers the best vintage wine tasting experience. Criteria include the
welcome and wine knowledge of staff, the use of the correct wine glasses, the
condition of wine samples, the range of vintage wine releases available, the
availability of vertical flights of flagship wines , the range of unique wines
available at cellar-door only.
Winner: Fairview Master Tasting
34.12% received
Country Comfort - Award for
Boutique Accommodation on a Wine Estate
The winner of this category
offers boutique accommodation on a wine farm that promises something
extraordinary in a vineyard setting, whether that be in a Cape Dutch manor
house or a luxury guesthouse. The winning venue will capture the romance of a
wine farm getaway and offer world-class accommodation.
Winner: Doolhof Grand Dédale
37.72% received
Crowd Pleaser - Award for Best
Wine Route Event
This award goes to the most
popular wine route event on the annual Winelands calendar - an event that draws
repeat visitors year after year, helps to build a regional wine brand and
market a specific wine route destination.
Winner: Durbanville Wine
Valley’s Seasons of Sauvignon
31.07% received
Delicious Deli - Award for Best
Deli on a Wine Farm
These days, cellar-door delis
sell all manner of goodies: estate olives and olive oils, artisanal breads,
cheeses and charcuterie, boutique chocolates and nougat, organic vegetables,
farm honey, jams, pickles and picnic baskets. This award recognises the top
cellar-door deli, one that tempts wine tourists with an authentic range of
traditional and contemporary Winelands produce grown on the farm or sourced
locally from artisanal producers.
Winner: Fairview Deli
31.16% received
Family Day Out - Award for Best
Child-Friendly Venue on a Wine Farm
This award goes to a wine farm
where you can take the whole family and the kids are taken care of in a safe
environment. There must be something for everyone here. The adults can relax
and enjoy their wine experience - while a kids' menu, special kids' activities
or a kids’ playground for all ages keeps everyone happy on a day out in the
Winelands.
Winner: Blaauwklippen
50.6% received
Gourmet - Award for Best
Gourmet Restaurant at the Cellar Door
This award goes to the best of
the best cellar-door restaurants in the Cape Winelands - those gastronomic
destinations with signature chefs who create cuisine on the cutting edge to
attract domestic and foreign wine tourists. We were looking for restaurants
which pay great attention to detail in terms of an overall cellar-door
experience, have a great location, first-class service, a focus on artisanal
and local Winelands produce, seasonal menus, tasting menus which expertly pair
food and wine, a sommelier service and a wine list which showcases older
vintages, own wines and/or regional wines at the cellar door.
Winner: Pierneef à La Motte
28.25% received
Happy Times - Award for Most
Memorable Wine Route.
This award goes to the most
popular wine route selected by wine tourists who cherish memories of their
experience of a particular wine region because of its ambience, accessibility,
scenic beauty, soul, sense of community, family tradition and heritage, warmth,
friendliness, culinary offerings, etc. These criteria all go into the memory
mix.
Winner: Franschhoek Wine Valley
30.29% received
Percale - Award for Best
Accommodation on a Wine Farm
This award goes to the best of
the best, exclusive luxury hotel accommodation on a wine farm or Wine Route.
Criteria include the highest standards in terms of location
(landscape/scenery), style, reception welcome, quality and comfort of en-suite
rooms, facilities, personalised service, and add-on attractions such as a restaurant,
room service and mod-cons such as wifi and satellite television.
Winner: Majeka House
41.74% received
Tread Gently - Award for Most
Green Wine Farm
The wine farm that sets the standard for green, planet-friendly
farming practices in terms of sustainable viticulture and wine production,
biodiversity and conservation initiatives, as well as organic or biodynamic
viticulture is celebrated with this award.
Winner: Villiera
37% received
Warm Family Welcome - Award for
Best Cellar Door Experience
This award acknowledges a
family wine farm that offers the warmest country welcome. One that retains the
authenticity of its Cape heritage while investing in a cellar-door experience
and goes out of its way to make a visit to the cellar door a special experience
- making wine tourists feel they are sharing in the special family heritage of
the farm and the Winelands
Winner: Delheim
42.79% received
Wild Card - Award for Most
Unusual Attraction on a Wine Route
Celebrating the most unusual
and memorable attraction on a wine farm, this award is for a destination that
offers a unique selling point attracting wine tourists to the cellar- door -
from wine and river cruises to vintage motorcar and heritage museums.
Winner: MUSEUM VAN DE CAAB at
Solms-Delta
37.27% received
Award for Best Food and Wine
Pairing on a Wine Farm
These days cellar doors tempt
wine tourists with special food and wine pairings at the cellar tasting centre
- from biltong, nuts, dried fruits and wine to cheese, chocolate, and nougat
and gourmet canapé tasting platters. We went looking for the best Winelands
experiences in the art of food and wine pairing over the tasting counter. Note:
This category excludes formal restaurant pairing menus.
Winner: Creation canapé platter
pairing
34.84% received
Supernova Award
for the Klink nominee with the most votes overall
Winner: Blaauwklippen
There was even an award for the best tweet sent from the function
Excellent canapés provided by Zain Muller's Catering on Call
Tailpiece: Monika's shoes and a bottle of Laborie Brut MCC
The venue looks down over De Waterkant
© John Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus cc 2012