Winners of South African Airways’ Annual Wine of the Year Awards Announced

Annual awards and wine selection recognise SA’s top vintages

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 2017-Apr-21 — /Travel PR News/ — South African Airways (SAA) announced its annual Wine of the Year Awards at a gala dinner held at Southern Sun Cape Sun hotel on Saturday, 8 April. The awards were made in four categories: white wines, red wines, Cape Tawny and Méthode Cap Classique wines. The Chief Executive Officer’s Award and the Chairperson’s Award for the most exceptional wines of the year were also presented

The winners were as follows:
Wine of the Year (Méthode Cap Classique): Simonsig Estate
Wine of the Year (White): Bayede Marketing, King Shaka Chenin Blanc 2015
Wine of the Year (Red): Overhex Private Cellar, Survivor Red Blend Fairtrade 2015
Cape Tawny Award: KWV South Africa, KWV Cape Tawny
CEO’s Award (Most listings): Overhex Private Cellar (9 listings)
Chairman’s Award (The most wine in litres): Overhex Private Cellar, 105,344 litres

In addition to presenting these annual awards, the airline announced the selection of locally produced wines that will be served on its flights and in its Business Class lounges over the next 12 months.

Winemakers from across the country submit wines for consideration every year, so the selection represents the very best vintages that South Africa has to offer. Each entry is scored after a blind tasting, and the results are compiled by both internal and external auditors. The airline selects 24 white and 24 red wines from more than 500 submissions. Different wines from the annual selection are allocated for service on board on a month-to-month basis.

“Our South African wine selection is fundamental to our passengers’ flying experience and is a unique added value,” says Kim Thipe, SAA’s Head of Marketing. “It is an important aspect of marketing our product offering to passengers worldwide.”

Nine local judges and three international judges were responsible for this year’s selection.

The local judges included Nomonde Kubheka, who was born in Soweto, but who now works at the Pinotage Youth Development Academy in Stellenbosch; Luvo Ntezo, a sommelier from One & Only Cape Town; Yegas Naidoo, a Voyager Platinum lifetime member and the founding director of Miles for Style; Derek Ramsden, a Cape Wine Master and a lecturer at the Cape Wine Academy; Meryl Vivienne Weaver, a Cape Wine Master who has been a judge for many leading wine competitions; Nina-Mari Bruwer, a Cape Wine Master and a winemaker at Mont Blois in Robertson; Carmen Stevens, Winemaker of the Year in 2015; Colin Frith, who was instrumental in establishing the Cape Wine Masters programme; and Catherine Dillion, the founder and operator of a specialist company offering wine tours.

The international judges included Paula Bosch, a world-renowned sommelier, wine author and judge (Germany); Lynne Sherriff (UK), a London-based wine consultant; and Corey Ladouceur, an eminent member of the Court of Master Sommeliers and the Guild of Sommeliers.

A number of the wines submitted this year were produced or distributed by suppliers that have a black ownership component of more than 50%, an indication that transformation in the wine industry is taking place. These suppliers included KWV South Africa, MWT Investments, Bayede Marketing, Hyde Park Wine and Spirit Merchants and Tropical Paradise.

“SAA has been showcasing locally produced wines on its flights for over 30 years now,” says Thipe, “and the airline is regarded as a trend setter in this regard. Our selections are always notable, and we’re delighted that more black-owned producers are submitting wines for consideration.

“We congratulate the winners and look forward to serving the new selection of top South African wines on our flights and in our Business Class lounges.”

For further information about SAA, please visit www.flysaa.com.
ENDS

About South African Airways (SAA)
South African Airways (SAA) is the leading carrier in Africa, serving 56 destinations, in partnership with SA Express, SA Airlink and its low cost carrier, Mango, within South Africa and across the continent, and nine intercontinental routes from its Johannesburg hub. It is a member of the largest international airline network, Star Alliance. SAA’s core business is the provision of passenger airline and cargo transport services together with related services, which are provided through SAA and its wholly owned subsidiaries: SAA Technical; Mango its low cost carrier; and Air Chefs, the catering entity of SAA. SAA is the winner of the ‘Best Airline in Africa’ Award in the regional category for 14 consecutive years and the winner of ‘Service Excellence Africa’ for three years. Mango and SAA hold the number one and number two successive spots as South Africa’s most on – time airlines.

Issued by SAA Group Corporate Affairs

South African Airways
SAA Spokesperson
Tlali Tlali
Email: TlaliTlali@flysaa.com
Mobile:+27 82 333 3880
Office: +27 11 978 2298
Web: www.flysaa.com

General Enquiries
Switchboard:              +27 11 978-1000
Website:                         www.flysaa.com
Twitter:                          @flysaa
Facebook:                     www.facebook.com/flysaa

Marketing Enquiries:
Head of Marketing: Ms Kim Thipe
Office: (011) 978-5597
Email: KimThipe@flysaa.com

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