LONDON -- Kanonkop Wine Estate was named South African Wine Producer of the Year at the annual International Wine and Spirits Competition held here earlier this week.
The IWSC is the largest and most authoritative international competition for wines and spirits. More than 5,000 products from 50 countries were entered at this year's competition where various panels of wine and spirits specialists judged the wines, whiskies, brandies and other spirits on grounds of quality and technical soundness.
Kanonkop winemaker Abrie Beeslaar (pictured) said the healthy state of the South African wine industry made Kanonkop's winning the Dave Hughes Trophy for Best South African Producer a tremendous honor.
"South African wines and wine producers are not only increasing in quantity, but the quality of our country's wines are going from strength-to-strength," said Beeslaar.
Apart from winning the Dave Hughes Trophy, Kanonkop's wines had a great run at this year's IWSC. The Kanonkop Pinotage 1998 won the trophy for Best Pinotage. In the South African wine class, the Estate's Paul Sauer 1998 was deemed Best in Class for Red Blends (cabernet sauvignon dominated). Kanonkop's Cabernet Sauvignon for the 1995 and 1998 vintages were also named the best wines in their respective classes.
Kanonkop co-owner Johann Krige said, "We rely on unirrigated bush vines from the unique terroir on the slopes of Simonsberg. In the winemaking process the team sticks to the basics: open tank fermentation, maximum skin contact and use of French oak. ... The traditional techniques allows us to produce a more classical and elegant Old World style of wine."
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