Simonsig Estate, one of Stellenbosch’s pioneering wine farms, scored a red and white wine Gold at this year’s Mundus Vini Wine Competition held in Germany. The Simonsig Tiara 2010, a red Bordeaux-style blend, and the Simonsig Chenin Blanc 2014 were awarded Gold medals at this prestigious international wine show.
Organised annually by the German publishing house Meininger under patronage of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), Mundus Vini attracts thousands of entries from wine countries around the world and is recognised as one of the industry’s leading global competitions.
According to Simonsig Cellar Master Johan Malan the awards are a tribute to the diversity of the Estate’s terroir as well as the versatility of the wine making team.
“I don’t think you can find two wines further apart in structure and character than the Simonsig Tiara and the Chenin Blanc,” says Malan.
“The former is a full-bodied, aged and oaked Bordeaux blend representing the red wine pedigree of Stellenbosch and Simonsig. Our 2014 Chenin Blanc, on the other hand, is a clean, crisp and summer fruited white wine made to an easy-drinking and accessible style. To have both wines receive Gold medals from the Mundus Vini’s esteemed judging panel is an honour for Simonsig and to the diversity of wines we are able to produce in Stellenbosch.
“This ability to make excellent wines from diverse grapes and in various styles is not only a feature of ourselves as wine makers and of our region, but also of the South African wine industry. It is a message that the world should take notice off.”
Malan also says that wine awards are becoming increasingly important as barometers for the wine-drinking public. “In South Africa alone there are over 6000 wine brands, and the average wine consumer literally does not know where to begin when looking for a wine,” he says.
“Competition results help the consumer by giving awarded wines a hallmark of proven quality which assists the consumer in negotiating market clutter. So apart from honouring our wines and our cellar team, results such as those of Mundus Vini are important to us due to the role they play in underscoring our commitment to quality.”
