A proud moment for the team

7 December 2018

Dear Reader.
It was an average winter day when during a team-bonding cappuccino break I asked our winemaker, Johan Delport, what his hobbies are.  After thinking for a moment, he replied short and sweet:  “My hobby is winemaking.”
This might sound like an automatic reply for a winemaker, but in fact, that reply only proved why the Waverley Hills range is such a beautiful collection of wines.

Wine-making is not just a “job” for him, but a hobby and I dare say a passion.  It is because this passion is rewarded that we are so proud to inform you, our customer, of the following awards that some of our wines were awarded with recently.

Our SMV 2013, a rhone-style blend consisting of Shiraz, Mourvèdre and Viognier made us proud in more ways than one.

  • Platter’s Wine Guide 2018 – 4 Stars
  • Gilbert & Gaillard Intern. Challenge 2018 – Gold
  • International Organic Wine Award 2018 – Gold
  • Drinks Business Organic Masters 2018 – Gold
  • SA Wine Index 2018 – Platinum
  • Novare SA Terroir 2018 – Top Red Blend
  • IWSC 2018 – Gold
  • 2018 Veritas Awards – Gold

The above awards were the fruits that were reaped after sowing long hours of hard work.  However, it was the following two awards that really brought a warm feeling to our hearts and a realization that hard work does indeed pay off.

  • IWSC 2018 – International Trophy Best Organic Wine in the World

The IWSC is UK based and is the oldest and biggest international wine competition in the world receiving entries from over 90 countries.  So receiving this trophy award was a huge honour for the Waverley Hills team.

  • Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards – Gran D’or (Double Gold)

The Michelangelo is judged in South Africa with judges from leading wine countries in the world.
This brings the total for the SMV 2013 to 9 major awards from all over the world with countries including Germany, Great Britain, France and of course South Africa.  Most wine farms would be proud to achieve only one of this awards for a wine, let alone all of that for a single organic wine.
Taking this into consideration, the Waverley Hills SMV 2013 must surely be one of the most ever awarded certified organic wines in the world!

And now for the second wine that made us very proud – Grenache 2017.
You could say we had the upper hand on this wine as Johan is known as theGodfather of Grenache in South Africa, being the first to do a single cultivar wine with this grape.  This doesn’t make one smile any less though when receiving the following:

  • Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards – Trophy Top Scoring Organic Wine

And now, last but not least.
Customers will be able to taste and buy a wine they have waited for a long time – TheWaverley Hills CW Reserve Shiraz 2015.In 2015 this beautiful wine was theChampion Shiraz of the SA Young Wine Show.  Now released, it had time to age in 225L New French Oak Barrels for 3 years.

Looking at it in a wineglass, you will note it has an intense purple colour.  Concentrated white spices, fresh pomegranate and fynbos aromas are rounded off by herbal notes and the smoky flavours of French
oak.  On the palate the wine has a soft and smooth entry and a long, fresh finish with integrated oak flavours.

Don’t forget that our Sauvignon blanc/Semillon 2018 also won a Gold medal at Michelangelo.

The year is almost at its end, but already we are looking back at what was achieved these past 10 months.
Proof-reading the above newsletter, I can only smile at what the team accomplished and what customers thought of the product they tasted when visiting the cellar.
And now with 2 more months of 2018 remaining, I invite you, reading this newsletter, to visit us and see why we are so passionate about our wines and why it is held in such high regard among those in the wine industry.