Van Loveren Wine Farm Celebrates Multiple Wins at National Wine Challenge Awards

Van Loveren Wine Farm, South Africa's leading family-owned winery, is delighted to announce its outstanding success at the prestigious National Wine Challenge Awards for 2023.

The National Wine Challenge, incorporating Top 100 SA Wines, is renowned as a premier fine-wine-only wine competition in South Africa, recognizing excellence in the industry.

With a long-standing reputation for consistency and award-winning wines, Van Loveren has once again proven its commitment to producing exceptional vintages. Building upon its previous successes, this year’s National Wine Challenge Awards showcased the winery’s brands in the spotlight, garnering several notable accolades, including a coveted Grand Cru, Top 100 & Double Platinum categories.

The Grand Cru Award, the highest honour bestowed by the National Wine Challenge, recognizes the singular, finest example of its cultivar or blend category.
Van Loveren's “Retief Reserve Cape White Blend” has proven its excellence in this esteemed competition not just once but twice. Having secured the Grand Cru in 2021 and now again in 2023, the remarkable blend predominately made up of Chenin Blanc, with carefully selected additions of Chardonnay and Colombar, continues to charm judges with its beguiling features. This wine stands as a captivating expression that truly stands out in its category.

Van Loveren winemaker, Chris Ctafford

In addition to the Grand Cru, Van Loveren also secured four Top 100 & Double Platinum awards, further exemplifying their dedication to producing outstanding expressions. The Top 100 winning wines are all exceptional and fall definitively into the instantly recognizable fine-wine category. Wines in this award category boast remarkable layers of flavour, texture, and breadth, showcasing complexity, nuance, and length.

The awards didn't stop there, as Van Loveren received eight Double Gold, solidifying its position as a leader in the South African wine industry. These accolades reflect the winery's commitment to quality, excellence, and its ongoing pursuit of creating remarkable wines that delight wine enthusiasts worldwide.

Reflecting on the achievements, Phillip Retief, CEO of Van Loveren Wine Farm, expressed his gratitude, saying, "These awards represent a culmination of our long-term vision and strategy, which we embarked on a few years ago. We invested in new vineyard plantings, expanded our quality capacity, and built stronger viticulture and winemaking teams along the way.

We are extremely proud and humbled by these awards, as they validate our vision and strategy towards premiumization. We look forward to continuing our journey toward greater heights and maintaining consistency”.

Van Loveren Wine Farm's recent triumphs at the National Wine Challenge Awards highlight their commitment to producing exceptional wines.

With their long-standing heritage and dedication to quality, Van Loveren remains a benchmark for excellence and a testament to the country's winemaking prowess.

Van Loveren CEO, Phillip Retief

The deserving wines were the following:

Grand Cru National Champion Best in Class
Retief Reserve Cape White 2021

Top 100 & Double Platinum awards
Retief Reserve Cape White 2021
Christiena Trousseau Cap Classique Brut NV
Christiena Trousseau Sauvignon blanc 2022
Zandvliet Estate Shiraz 2020

Double Gold awards
Van Loveren Red Muscadel 2022
Van Loveren Chardonnay 2022
Van Loveren Chenin No 5 2023
Van Loveren Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Four Cousins Director's Reserve Luxury Red 2021
Van Loveren Daydream 2023
Christiena Trousseau Cap Classique Brut rosé NV
Van Loveren Sauvignon blanc 2023

Double Silver awards
Zandvliet Kalkveld Shiraz 2019
Van Loveren Blue Velvet Pinot noir 2022
Van Loveren Neil's Pick Colombar 2023
Christiena Trousseau Syrah 2020
Christiena Trousseau Chardonnay 2022
Zandvliet Hill of Enon Small berry pick 2020
Christiena Trousseau Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
Van Loveren Merlot 2022
Retief Reserve Cape Blend 2021
Van Loveren Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2021

For more information on these award-winning wines visit www.vanloveren.co.za/.