.

The release of the Platter Wine Guide is a much looked forward to event in our year. It is our bible; we use it almost daily to check facts, get names, spelling and to plan visits to wine farms. And, of course, to investigate wines we want to buy. We always have one in the car and one on our desks. This year, we will now also have the digital version on our computers and our phones. This is available on the apps for iOS/Apple and Android, and on the website, www.wineonaplatter.com. This year's launch of the latest 2022 edition, with its refreshed, sharp corporate logo, was held at Kleine Zalze wine estate in Stellenbosch on a lovely early summer afternoon and they were also to reveal the recipients of its sought-after and esteemed pinnacle awards – the Wineries and Wines of the Year

It was so good to see so many of our friends in the wine industry; most were there to accept an award. Winemakers Paul Jordaan of Sadie Family Wines, Matt Day of Klein Constantia and Stephan Steyn of Buitenverwachting chatting to Lynne. There was much conversation about how we have all been surviving, working and avoiding or recovering from Covid and the awful shut down of the alcohol industry during lock down

Andrea Mullineux, Duncan Savage, Greg de Bruyn CWM and Heidi Duminy CWM and head of the Cape Wine Academy

Just the thing to get the day started, Kleine Zalze 2013 Vintage Brut Cap Classique

Lots of joyous people, greeting friends they hadn’t seen for quite a long time. Lockdown has kept us all apart for too long

A quiet conversation under the pergola outside the restaurant and the cellar

Esh Naidoo, Managing Director of Diners Club SA, welcomed us. Diners Club began its association with Platter's in 2013 because fine wine goes with fine dining! He welcomed all the wine people to the event and asked us all to stress to the industries involved how important it is to buy the stickers they have earned and to sell the Platter Guide in their tasting rooms, if it is to survive. There is no charge to have an entry in the Platter guide or the competition; the only income stream they have is the sale of these items. And if we, the public, want it to continue, we also need to support it by buying the guide

Five Star wines ready for tasting
To view the list of Wines of the Year online, visit www.wineonaplatter.com/blog/news

Chef Nick van Wyk has taken over the Kleine Zalze restaurant in addition to his job at Haute Cabrière restaurant

He has come full circle, as he worked here early in his career

Some happy smiling faces amused at the speech

Some were waiting in anticipation

RJ Botha, Kleine Zalze cellarmaster. Kleine Zalze was chosen as last year’s Winery of the Year and he said that it was logical for them to host this year's event on the farm. He told us that Kleine Zalze has bought thousands of award seals for their wines and he challenges any of the other wineries to beat their quantity. He said, "if you buy wine, look for the Platter seals and know that the wine has been independently judged and found to be good"

Philip van Zyl, Editor and acting MD of Platter said, “The guide’s descriptions and ratings, compiled in association with a team of leading experts, make it easy to find the right wine for any occasion, while the good-value indicators highlight those bottlings which are especially budget friendly across all quality levels"

“Red and white wines showing potential for cellaring” are flagged by means of the Cellar Worthy icon, while wines which the tasters feel are particularly worthy of note, being interesting, attractive, unique, representative of an important trend or simply extraordinarily drinkable, are highlighted with the Hidden Gems icon”. He said that it had been a very difficult time, especially last year, when they could not hold the launch publicly

and the colour this year is: Tuxedo black and gold!

Very elegant and the 42nd edition of Platter’s 2022 hardcover is available from selected wine farms, bookstores and retailers nationwide from the end of November 2021. The recommended retail price will be R390. If you want to buy the digital version of Platter’s, it is available on the apps for iOS/Apple and Android, and on the website, www.wineonaplatter.com

Thought bubble: "Why am I here? Have I won something?" Yes, that is why you are here!

Of the 5-star-awarded wines, the top performers within each category receive the coveted accolade, Wines of the Year
This time there are 28 category winning wines

KWV won top Port Style wine with their NV Cape Tawny

Gottfried Mocke. The 2019 Boekenhoutskloof was the top Cabernet Sauvignon of the year
and the 2018 Noble Late Harvest was also the top wine in its category

Matthew Day. Klein Constantia won the top Natural Sweet Wine of the Year for the estate's Vin de Constance 2017

Top fortified Dessert wine was Omstaan Wit Muskadel NV from Orange River Cellars, collected by cellarmaster Gert Visser

Top Méthode Cap Classique to Graham Beck's 2015 Cuvee Clive, presented to Pierre de Klerk, winemaker

Chris and Andrea Mullineux were awarded Top White Blend, Other, for the 2020 Old Vines White

Cape Point Vineyards was awarded Top White Blend, Bordeaux for 2020 Isliedh, collected by Adriaan Jacobs, viticulturist

Gareth Robertson, Sales and Marketing Manager, Anthonij Rupert Wines,
received Top Semillon for their 2020 Anthonij Rupert Wyne Laing Groendruif

Stephan Steyn, assistant winemaker, Buitenverwachting, received Top Sauvignon Blanc for the 2020 Hussey’s Vlei

Donovan Rall of Rall Wines received the Top Grenache Blanc award for the Rall 2020

Naude Wines won Top Colombard for the Langpad 2021

Paul Jordaan of Sadie Family Wines collected the award for the Top Chenin Blanc for Mev. Kirsten 2018,
the Top Red Blend, Shiraz based, for 2019 Columella and the Top Tinta Barocca for 2020 Treinspoor

Gerhard Smith and Carolyn Martin of Creation Wines won the Top Chardonnay for The Art of Creation, 2020

Top Red Blend, Other went to Jos van Wyk of Marianne Estate for 2018 Floreal

Beyerskloof won top Red Blend with Pinotage for 2017 Beyerskloof Faith

Frans K Smit, Spier cellarmaster, collected Top Red Blend, Cape Bordeaux
for the Spier Frans K. Smit CWG Auction Selection 2018

Top Shiraz went to Reenen Borman of Boschkloof for Boschkloof Epilogue 2019

Christopher Rawbone-Viljoen MD of Oak Valley received the award for the Top Pinot Noir of the year,
the Oak Valley 2018 South Ridge PN 777. All four of Oak Valley's Pinots received Five Stars

The top Pinotage of the year was from False Bay Vineyards, The Last of the First, 2020

Rudi Schultz of Thelema produced the Top Petit Verdot, the Thelema Mountain Vineyards Sutherland Reserve 2019

Stuart Downes collected the award for the top Merlot for the Shannon Black 2017

Wemeen Nolte, Sales & Marketing Manager at Stellenrust,
collected the award for the top Grenache Noir, The ArtiSons Phantom 2019

Duncan Savage is definitely doing something right. His Savage Wines Follow The Line 2020 was the Top Cinsault of the year and his Savage Wines Not Tonight Josephine 2020 was the Top Vin de Paille/Straw Wine. Duncan has seven Five Star wines this year; the other two received 4.5 stars! Lynne tasted the spicy, modern, fruity and exciting Grenache and loved it

Gottfried Mocke of Boekenhoutskloof took the award for the Top Cabernet Sauvignon with the Boekenhoutskloof 2019

Sjaak Nelson of Jordan won the award for the top Cabernet Franc with the 2019 Insiders Wine Club Private Collection

Jolette Steyn, Head of Wine Cellar’s Sales and Imports, received the Newcomer Winery of the Year Award
for her The Vineyard Party Semillons

Frans K Smit of Spier collected the Editor’s Award for the Winery of the Year

Paul Jordaan of Sadie Family Wines with the award for the Top Performing Winery of the Year
with 3 top wines and an incredible 10 Five Star wines this year