Perdeberg Scoops Major Awards

Consistency is key and Perdeberg Wines have remained consistent in reaffirming its position as one of South Africa’s leading wine producers walking away with top awards at three of the industry’s most recognized events.

The Perdeberg Winemaking team (left to right): Natalie Kühne, Cellar Master Albertus Louw, Andri le Roux and Lodewyk Botha

These include the SA Young Wine Show, the Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards, and the annual wine review by Tim Atkins MW in his South Africa Special Report.

Regarded as the Home of Chenin Blanc, Perdeberg was awarded trophies at the 2022 Paarl Regional Young Wine Show for their Unwooded Chenin Blanc, Wooded Chenin Blanc and Natural Sweet Chenin Blanc. A force to be reckoned with in the industry they also took top honours for their Unwooded Chardonnay, Pinotage Rosé, Wooded Red Blend (Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz blend) and their White Jerepigo. Looking at National performance, Perdeberg was crowned the national champion for its Wooded Red Blend, as well as the class winner for both their Unwooded Chardonnay and Wooded Red Blend at the 2022 SA Young Wine Show. As one of South Africa’s oldest wine competitions, being 190 years old, the purpose of the event is to allow winemakers to showcase the best wines of the current vintage.

On Friday, 2 September at a special gala event, Perdeberg was awarded an impressive 16 medals as well as the Top Old Vine Trophy at the 2022 Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards. These included a Platinum, two Double Golds, eight Gold and five Silver medals. An annual event attended by the who’s who of the wine and media fraternities, this year’s competition received over 2 000 entries judged by 24 international and six South African wine and spirits experts, representing 22 countries. The judging panel included sommeliers, wine and spirits producers, educators, spirits experts and influential journalists from Europe, the Far East and the Americas. This year the judges awarded 25 trophies, three Special Awards, 13 Platinum medals and 146 Double Gold medals.

The highlight of the evening went to The Dry Land Collection Barrel Fermented Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2021 when it was awarded the Michelangelo Top Old Vine Trophy winner. Platinum was awarded to the Perdeberg Classic Collection Sauvignon Blanc 2022, whilst the Double Gold, Gold and Silver winners included the following:

Double Gold

The Vineyard Collection Pinot Noir Chardonnay 2022
The Dry Land Collection Longevity Natural Sweet Chenin Blanc 2018

Gold

SAAM Chenin Blanc , Fairtrade 2021
Perdeberg Classic Collection Chenin Blanc 2022
The Dry Land Collection Rossouw s Heritage 2020
The Dry Land Collection Tenacious Shiraz 2019
Endura Winemaker s Selection Cape Blend 2018
The Dry Land Collection Joseph s Legacy 2019
Rex Equus Pioneer`s Blend 2019
Lighthearted Low Alcohol Chenin Blanc 2022

Silver

Perdeberg Classic Collection Sparkling Rosé 2022
Lighthearted Low Alcohol Cinsault Rosé 2022
Perdeberg SSR – Soft Smooth White (WIC 250ml) 2022
Perdeberg SSR – Soft Smooth Red (WIC 250ml) 2021
Perdeberg SSR – Soft Smooth Rosé (WIC 250ml) 2022

Not stopping there leading UK Master of Wine Tim Atkin, scored four wines in their range an impressive 90+ in his anticipated 2022 South Africa Special Report. The Dry Land Collection Longevity Natural Sweet Chenin Blanc 2018 received the highest rating of 94 out of a possible 100 points. Not far behind was the Endura Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc 2020 (93), The Dry Land Collection OVP Courageous Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc 2021 (93) and The Vineyard Collection Grenache Blanc 2021 (91).

‘2022 has been a great year for us on the awards front, and these latest accolades are testimony to Perdeberg’s commitment to continue producing premium quality wines. Our estate-like approach of intensely managing specific vineyards, and our small batch handling - picking by hand in crates, processing through small presses, going into barrel and clay maturation programs, means we can compete with any exclusive wine offers out there. We have been doing it for years – for example, we were Best Producer at the 2013 Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards – but finally, the wine influencers are getting to understand this and are talking about us.’ says Cellar Master Albertus Louw.

Enjoy these prestigious wines at the Perdeberg Brand Home in Paarl, purchase them online or find them in selected retail outlets nationwide.

For more information visit https://perdeberg.co.za/.

Situated at the foothills of the Paardeberg Mountain in Paarl, one of the finest wine-growing areas of the Cape, lies Perdeberg Cellar. The hallmark and most differentiating quality of Perdeberg wines is our predominant use of unirrigated vineyards, termed dry land vines. Overcoming difficult growing conditions, dry land vines yield small berries with concentrated flavour and colour which in turn create superior wines. The winery’s rich history dates back to 1941 when a visionary wine farmer named Jan Rossouw suggested the area’s farmers begin producing their own wine. Perdeberg adopted its distinguishing name from the scores of Cape Mountain zebras that once roamed the Paardeberg area, mistaken for wild horses by local inhabitants.

With a vineyard span of over 3000 hectares, mainly in the Paarl and Swartland regions, Perdeberg benefits from different microclimates and various soil types. The natural variation of weather, soil, drainage and altitude from vineyard to vineyard enables us to produce a wide range of wines with distinct qualities and character. In the cellar, our wines are created through the synergy of art, intuition and science to reveal the best of what has been brought in from the vineyards. We follow a wine estate-inspired process including intensive vineyard management, handpicking grapes in small crates, small presses and maturing in barrels, to achieve exceptional quality.

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