Sauvignon Blanc South Africa has revealed the winners of the 2020 Sauvignon Blanc SA Top 10 competition and this year's champion wines come from no less than seven different regions. This exciting result for South Africa's only competition exclusively devoted to Sauvignon Blanc was announced during a virtual awards event on Wednesday 14 October 2020 - with celebrity chef Zola Nene as master of ceremonies and master storyteller Nataniël as guest artist. Enjoy the show!
The Top 10 were drawn from a broad collection of entries, with 96 producers submitting 149 wines for the competition held with the support of FNB. A good balance was achieved with six of the winning wines from the 2019 vintage, three from the 2020 vintage, and one wine from 2018. Half of the Top 10 show a degree of oak contact that affirms the judges' opinion on the future potential for more wooded Sauvignon Blanc wines.
"This year will be remembered as a time to stand together and everyone who entered can therefore rightly be proud of their achievement," said RJ Botha, Sauvignon Blanc SA's chairman. "In these challenging times, it is a privilege to be able to celebrate South African Sauvignon Blanc worldwide as our country's top seller. Many thanks to our platinum sponsor FNB for their understanding of our industry and their contribution to our success.”
The judging panel comprised Dr Winifred Bowman, Cape Wine Master and convener of the panel, cellar master Charles Hopkins of De Grendel, wine judge and writer Fiona McDonald and winemaker Rüdger van Wyk of Stark-Condé Wines. The panel also included protégé judges, Candice Barnes from Boekenhoutskloof, Kelsey Shungking from De Grendel and Victoria Davis from Glenelly.
As part of this year’s competition, Sauvignon Blanc SA is requesting everyone to support the industry by making a contribution to the Vinpro Foundation in support of a student in the wine industry. For more details, visit www.sauvignonblanc.com/vinprofoundation.
Wine lovers can obtain the 2020 Sauvignon Blanc SA Top 10 collection via the Wine of the Month Club, as well as at Wine Stellenbosch TOPS.
For more information or to become a member, visit www.sauvignonblanc.com or call 021 975 4440. Join the online conversation about the #SauvignonBlancSATop10 and follow Sauvignon Blanc SA on Twitter @SauvignonSA and on Facebook and Instagram as @sauvignonblancsa.