South African wine quality shines at 25th Trophy Wine Show
This year's competition attracted 650 entries, with wines assessed through a structured blind-tasting process by a panel of international and local wine experts.
Among the standout performers was Diemersdal Wine Estate's Juandré Bruwer, who was named Champion Winemaker of the Year after securing multiple medals and trophies across several categories.
Champion winemaker recognised
The Investec Trophy for Champion Winemaker of the Year, introduced in 2025, recognises the winemaker responsible for the most awarded wines in the competition.
Bruwer earned nine silver medals, three gold medals for Diemersdal Private Collection 2021, Syrah 2023 and The Journal Pinotage 2023, as well as trophies for Diemersdal Grüner Veltliner 2024 and The Journal Sauvignon Blanc 2021 in the Museum Class category.
The judging panel was chaired by wine authority Michael Fridjhon and included international judges Oz Clarke OBE, Heidi Mäkinen MW and Kenichi Ohashi MW, alongside South African judges Cathy van Zyl MW, Heidi Duminy CWM, Christian Eedes, Malu Lambert, Mandla Patson Mathonsi, JD Pretorius and Kyle Davids.
New trophy honours craftsmanship
The 2026 competition introduced the John Skotnes Trophy for Best Blended Wine, named after the late artist and craftsman who designed the competition's trophies from its inception.
The inaugural award was presented to Zwartwater Estate Red Blend 2024, which also received the Investec Trophy for Best Rhône-style Red Blend.
“Investec is deeply invested in South Africa and in the industries that contribute meaningfully to economic participation and long-term value creation,” says Peta Dixon, Head of Sponsorships at Investec.
“The wine industry is a strong example of this – built on skill, craft and innovation, with a well-established reputation for quality. Through our support of the Investec Trophy Wine Show, we are proud to help shine a light on an industry that shares our values of excellence and legacy, showcasing it to audiences locally and internationally.”
Quality and diversity highlighted
The competition's judging process uses three-person panels that include an international judge, with all wines assessed blind and scored through a consensus-based approach.
Commenting on this year's results, Michael Fridjhon said, “A particularly gratifying feature of this year’s results is the spread of trophies and medals across a wider range of classes than we have ever seen before, as well as more gold medallists than usual in the major categories. It is clear that over the past quarter of a century, the Cape wine industry has evolved from one with a limited offering from a few key producers into one with a significantly enhanced breadth and depth of wine quality.”
Trophy winners
Some of the leading trophy winners included:
• Cederberg Five Generations Chenin Blanc 2024 – Best White Wine Overall, Best Chenin Blanc and Best Premium Wine
• Delaire Graff Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2022 – Best Red Wine Overall, Best Cabernet Sauvignon and Investec International Judges' Trophy
• Cavalli Chardonnay 2025 – Best Chardonnay
• Nederburg The Winemasters Shiraz 2024 – Best Shiraz and Discovery of the Show
• Graham Beck Méthode Cap Classique Blanc de Blancs 2020 – Best Cap Classique
• Paul Clüver Estate Pinot Noir 2024 – Best Pinot Noir
• Hermanuspietersfontein Sondagskloof Sauvignon Blanc 2024 – Best Sauvignon Blanc
The full list of trophy winners, gold medallists, Top 10 wines and category results is available on the Investec Trophy Wine Show website.