Who will be the Pinotage champions this year?
· 1 min read
A record number of entries have been received for the 2018 Absa Top 10 Pinotage Competition, with 161 submissions to be assessed from 3-6 July 2018 at Nederburg, Paarl. This year marks the 22nd edition of this premier event on the South African wine calendar, with an Absa Top 10 trophy one of the most sought-after accolades for winemakers, proprietors and brand marketers. The experienced judges will again be led by accomplished vintner Neil Ellis (proprietor of Neil Ellis Wines), with fellow panellists including wine educator Nomonde Kubheka, wine writer Samarie Smith (brand manager at Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate), wine buyer Francois Rautenbach (Singita Premier Wine Direct) and winemaker Francois Haasbrook (owner of Blackwater Wine).
Tasting alongside the panel of five will be two up-and-coming protégés, Candice Barnes and Cobus Coetzee, students at Stellenbosch University and Elsenburg respectively. The winning wines will be announced on 15 August during an award ceremony to be hosted at Cavalli Estate in Somerset West.
More from
People, community and tourism
Hoe om herlewingslandbou te laat leef
'n Twee-dag sessie deur WIETA and Stronger Together South Africa op etiese leierskap vir kelders, plase en handelsmerke by Lourensford en Du Kloof Lodge het insigte oor herlewingsboerdery opgelewer.
Results of the Niche Varieties Challenge 2026
The Niche Varieties Challenge took place again in 2026 to give innovative niche wines a more visible platform and to highlight the diversity developing beyond South Africa's mainstream cultivars.
Are wine clubs in South Africa still relevant?
A bottle of wine is rarely just about what is in the glass. Sometimes it is about the people around the table, which may explain why wine clubs have managed to stick around. The Blaauwklippen Blending Competition offers a glimpse into why this old-school tradition still has a place in a changing…