Winners
Enter
NowOrder
Stickers

Our Winning Vineyards

Frequently Asked
Questions

The NWC offers exceptional, indeed unique, brand and promotion opportunities for competing vineyards. The NWC enjoys international recognition as well as a loyal fine-wine consumer base. Wine entries that meet the rigid performance criteria are eligible for: Grand Cru 1st prize, Double Platinum /Top 100 status, Double Gold, Double Silver, Vineyard Consistency, Wine Consistency and Wine of the Year Awards. These focused Awards are sets of professional recognition that aid brand awareness, enhance customer relations and build distributor confidence.

Smart reasons to enter your wines:

  • Highly visible brand
  • Aid wine sales both locally and Internationally
  • High impact winner certificates & bottle stickers
  • Top 100 winners: promotions, gift pack, free stickers, lots more
  • A visible position on our innovative, modern & consumer friendly website
  • First wine competition annually – offers an extended promotion opportunity

Early Bird entries open: 24/01/2024
Standard rate entries open: 24/02/2024
Last day for entries: 12/04/2024
Wine sample delivery: 18/04/2024
Judging week commences: 25/04/2024

Kindly note dates are subject to change, however all entrants will be given notice of any changes.

Stage 1:

Early Bird special R995  per wine (R1 144.25 incl. VAT)
Standard entry R1 395 per wine (R 1 604.25 incl. VAT)

Stage 2:

Top 100/Double Platinum status awarded winning wines: Winning vineyards contribute a sum per winning wine which partly covers a % of the substantial costs applicable to a select range of market facing and associated activity. The sum of R2 990 (R3 438.50 incl. VAT) per winning wine will be payable by the due date.

6 tasting samples must be delivered to the below details.

You may enter unlabelled wines. Please ensure that a handwritten label containing vineyard name, wine name & vintage is affixed to each bottle.

Date: 18/04/2023
Time: 9am – 3pm only
Address: Overgaauw Wine Estate, Stellenbosch Kloof Rd, Stellenbosch, 7604.
Contact: Lisa on 076 022 7286

Download info pack

Judging
Procedures

HIGGO JACOBS: A law graduate from Stellenbosch, Higgo was lured into the wine industry after his studies, and what was meant to be a sabbatical ended up as a way of life. Certified with the Court of Master Sommeliers, Higgo consults to various establishments; judges on wine competitions and publications locally and abroad, and tries his hand occasionally at writing.

The methodology applied is based on international input as well as from analysis and review of world class wine events. The NWC procedures are at the forefront of global best practice.
The NWC assesses entered wines objectively, independently and professionally. Judging panels are comprised of high quality experts. Judges will work in panels. Judges include respected MW’s, international experts, CWM’s and winemakers.

  • Six bottles of each wine are available
  • White wines will be served at approximately 14°C
  • Red wines will be served at approximately 19°C
  • Bubblies will be served at approximately 7°C
  • Two bottles are used per tasting flight as a minimum
  • The Tasting Director will arrange flights and supervise administration

  • Pre-flight calibrations take place per panel.
  • Judges are independent and answer only to panel chairs.
  • All wines are judged ‘blind’, thus the judges aren’t aware of the origin of the wine.
  • Wines are judged by cultivar or variety in their flights.
  • Discussion is allowed for faulty wines and protocol breach.
  • Following the initial tastings, and as an absolute minimum, wines within a certain score band can be re-tasted twice further in order to confirm their placement.
  • There is a post flight panel discussion, score calibration and recording.
  • Where and if discrepancies occur, the panel (firstly) and the chair (secondly) will attempt to reach consensus between panel members as to the score awarded for each wine and If absolutely necessary
  • even re-tasted by another panel of judges.
  • The panel will record and sign off on its agreed scores.

Winning wines are awarded as follows:

  • The highest scoring single wine of each flight will be awarded Grand Cru 1st place
  • The single highest scoring wine in each category of Red, White, Sweet & MCC receives ‘Wine of the Year’ status.
  • The 100 wines that achieve the highest scores will be awarded the prestigious Top 100 /Double Platinum status.
  • The next band will be awarded Double Gold status, usually scoring 87 – 91 points
  • The final band will receive Double Silver status, usually scoring 83 – 87 points

Judges

Duncan Savage

After completing his studies at Elsenburg Agricultural College in Stellenbosch, Duncan started a 14-year stint at Cape Point Vineyards where he became known for making profound, saline driven white wines with intense minerality and remarkable ageing potential. In 2011, he began his own side-project, Savage Wines. By 2016, his wines had garnered such critical acclaim that it afforded him the opportunity to put all his energy and focus into his own wines. He bought a cellar in Salt River, an urban space in the heart of Cape Town, where he continues to craft his magic.

Richard Kershaw MW

Born and raised in the UK, Richard enjoyed a successful career as a chef before finding wine. After travelling extensively, he arrived in South Africa in 1999 and by 2009 he was Group Winemaker for Mulderbosch and Kanu. One of only 10 Masters of Wine who actively make their own wines, he is pursuing his dream in Elgin in the Overberg region of the Western Cape. He focuses on cool climate, site-specific, clonally selected wines. When not in the vineyard or cellar, he is much in demand for wine show judging. He also lectures for the WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) in South Africa, and share the breadth of his knowledge with students and consumers via talks, tastings and blogs.

Ginette De Fleuriot CWM

Ginette is a Cape Wine Master and is the Marketing Manager for Vinimark Wine Company. She began her career in wine in Germany, working in wine retail, wine education and freelance journalism. A lecturer for the Cape Wine Academy, Ginette has also been a contributor to the Platter Wine Guide. She has served as a wine judge for Veritas, SAA Wine Selection panel, Diners Club Wine List Awards, the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show, the Nederburg Auction Selection panel, the Value Wine Guide, ULTRA Value Wine Challenge and the National Wine Challenge. She writes a regular column for the Cape Town newspaper Inner City News.

JD Pretorius

JD graduated from Stellenbosch University in 2007 with a BSc. in Viticulture and Oenology degree. He worked at Beyerskloof, Graham Beck Wines as well as at Stonestreet Winery in Sonoma County, California, before being appointed as winemaker at Steenberg Vineyards in 2009. He was then promoted to Cellar Master in 2012 until April 2019, when he joined Warwick as Cellar Master. He has received numerous awards including, Diners Club Young Winemaker of the Year 2014, Platter five stars, Old Mutual Trophies and Veritas Double Golds.