Boland Chenin Blanc wins again at 2014 SA Young Wine Show

The proud Boland Cellar production team sporting their accolades. Back L-R: Paul Malan, JD Rossouw, Bernard Smuts, Johan Joubert. Front L-R: Carli Oosthuizen, Heidi Dietstein, Jaco Engelbrecht and Handre Barkhuysen

This is the first time since the inauguration of the General Smuts Trophy in 1952 that a Chenin Blanc has been capped South Africa's top wine and it is the second time Boland Cellar won this prestigious award.

The SA Young Wine Show is South Africa's largest and oldest competition for young wines, with 1972 wines from the eight wine regions entered by 129 producers this year. Shiraz once again led the number of entries with 154, followed closely by Chenin Blanc (147) and Sauvignon Blanc (135).

The 2014 season has been one of the most challenging in years with sporadic rainfall in October and November 2013 and again in January this year that lead to unexpected growth spurts. Exceptional vineyard management long before harvesting resulted in top quality grapes being produced. Boland believes it is its ethos of working hand in hand with its dedicated producers and applying stringent scientific principles throughout the grape growing and wine making process, that is the major contributor to its success.

According to Boland CEO, Paul Malan, the SA Young Wine trophies' main aim is to give recognition to remarkable wines in its first year of production. By doing this, acknowledgement is given to the skills of the viticulturist, the winemaker, the producer as well as the proficiency of the cellar. The SA Young Wine Show also offers winemakers the opportunity to compare their expertise and skills to their peers in the industry and to assess wine quality at an early stage.

Boland Cellar also received the CJP Chemicals Trophy for the Champion Chenin Blanc as well as the Vintec Trophy for Natural Sweet White, the Enartis SA Champion Wine Paarl and the ABSA Trophy for Champion Wine for the Paarl Region at the recent Paarl Young Wine Show.

For more information, go to www.bolandcellar.co.za.