The South African Young Wine Awards at The CTICC

Why do we love going to this awards presentation? It's not really to taste the young wines; they are still very young and need to develop their spurs but at these occasions we get to meet the young winemakers who are involved in making these wines and they are the future of the wine industry

It was held this year at the CTICC and is always a black tie event. We didn't get to go last year as the Gala Dinner was held at Augrabies, near Upington. The event was hosted by the Oranje Vaal Wine Region and Agri-Expo, who has been involved in this competition since its inception 183 years ago. Which may make this the oldest wine competition in the world. It dates back to 1833 when the first show was held by the Cape of Good Hope Agricultural Society (now Agri-Expo) in Rondebosch, Cape Town.

Before the awards ceremony you can go to the wine room and do a tasting of some of the new wines nominated for the awards. We were sad to see how few wines were entered this year and there is a worry that this competition might fail in future if the low entries continue. We hope people will take note and enter for next year. Agri-Expo is keen for wine farms to do so. and to talk to them if they feel the entry rules are blocking entries

We met some friendly faces tasting through the wines, Duimpie Bayly CWM with his wife, Sue

Impressive flower arrangements

We then proceeded to the banqueting hall for the main event. Everyone looking very glamorous in their evening attire

Margaux Nel of Boplaas Family Vineyards in Calitzdorp with Leon Coetzee

Find your table and let the evening commence

Bennie Howard Vice Chairman of South African National Wine Show Association (SANWSA) began with a funny joke and then took us on too more serious matters. This wine show gives winemakers the opportunity to showcase the best wines of the current vintage now. There is an impressive roll call of industry judges. See the lists here http://www.youngwineshow.co.za/judges/

He and Charles Hopkins also talked about the reasons why the entries are the lowest they have been in the last five years and wanted to make the following points. 1. entry is not expensive 2. Don’t think your wine is not good enough 3. People say there are too many competitions to enter, this one is unique 4. Cellars can only enter if they don’t buy in grapes, not true 5. The perception is only regional entries, not national

Christo Pienaar of Agri-Expo who is Chairperson: Technical Committee of SANWSA gave a visual presentation of the history of the competition and Agri-Expo

The glittering array of trophies on stage

We began dinner with quite a good simple starter. A concasse of fresh tomato with smoked Franschhoek trout, mozzarella bocconcini ,radish, rocket and a good herb and balsamic olive oil dressing. The only thing that let it down was the raw onion. Served with good rolls and horror, margarine! The grissini were stale.

Then began the presentation of the trophies. If you would like to read about the winners check the website here http://www.youngwineshow.co.za/awards/

Nice to see Boplaas Family Vineyards take the SAWFA Trophy for SA Champion Port and the Dr A Perold Trophy for Vintage port

The main course was a real curate’s egg, good in parts. The huge ostrich steak was well cooked, but far too gamey for most people. However there was a very good pastry wrapped oxtail on the side, tender and full of flavour. The vegetables were fresh, and gently handled and the wine jus was very good

Charles Hopkins made the awards and had fun with Duimpie Bayly. He told a very long joke

Then finally came the two top awards of the evening : The General JC Smuts Trophy for the SA Champion wine went to BADSBERG WINE CELLAR: for their wooded Pinotage

These awards were presented with a fanfare worthy of J Arthur Rank or Metro Goldwyn Mayer! Badsberg also took the Pietman Hugo Trophy for the best points earned from five or more entries.

There was a rather bland cheesecake dessert like those often served on aircraft but, thankfully, there was also a good cheese table with all the necessary accoutrements

That trophy looks rather heavy, Margaux!

As we left we bumped into two very good old friends we haven't seen for a while, Jean and Audrey Grobbelaar of Rivierzicht farm at Goree riverside in Robertson. It was such a huge event that we hadn't seen them earlier

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2016

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Pruning the vines in the Vineyard Hotel's vineyard in Newlands

Once a year, we are invited by the management of the Vineyard Hotel to join them and help prune the vines in the small vineyard on the side of the Liesbeek river in the gardens of the hotel. They have, kindly, made us custodians of one vine. As some of the other people who have been granted a vine are unable to come, we often find that we do a good part of a row, which we enjoy immensely

It is great to be taught a little more technique on pruning methods each year by a different winemaker or viticulturist ,although some do differ widely in their methods. Last year, after we had pruned, one the viticulturists came and did a really hard prune back which may have resulted in the smaller crop in 2016. This year, we were told that the intention was to be not quite so rigorous

The vines had been shortened earlier for the two bud pruning. Here are winemakers and the Vineyard's own horticulturalist, Bruce Nutman, in discussion

The vines get a thorough examination at this time of the year

Last year 24 Chardonnay vines were added onto the vineyard and Roy Davies, GM of the Vineyard Hotel. took us through to the new site to see how they were doing

This is a young chardonnay vine in the newest section of the vineyard

It won't be long, perhaps another two or three years, before this Chardonnay vineyard will be able to produce grapes for wine

It is always a very social early morning meeting with a glass of bubbly and or orange juice with some breakfast snacks

Bruce Nutman giving instructions

The winemakers take off the unnecessary shoots

Roy shows us where to prune

An early spring butterfly arrived to enjoy the sunshine

and we get going

Meerlust winemaker Chris Williams showing how its done

Count two buds and prune at an angle. This is our healthy vine right on the front of the riverside

A bee on a dandelion, a harbinger of Spring

It goes very quickly as there are many pruners to each row

David Wibberley says 'almost done'

Final checks

Two of the giant tortoises for which the Vineyard Hotel is so famous have come out of hibernation and were warming themselves in a very sunny spot

Time for some light refreshment. The Pruners reward is a good lunch with some excellent wines provided by the farms involved

Chefs preparing the salmon on the braai

Succulent salmon being portioned

WHERE IS A PICTURE OF THE MEAT? ON THE BRAAI OR OFF AND THE OTHER FOODS>

Very cheesy cauliflower and broccoli au gratin

A lovely substantial salad of barley, cranberries, roasted butternut and avocado

Some super wines to enjoy with lunch

Klaus Schilling has painted this ostrich and presented it to the hotel as a gift

He and his wife, Cornelia, were enjoying the day

Mini melkterts for dessert

with sticky koeksisters

Or a cheese platter

Chef JB Louw and Vineyard Legend waitress Naeema

Steamed sticky toffee puddings

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2016

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