At an event in Stellenbosch on Friday, the new 2022 black-and-gold cover design and a refreshed corporate logo for the Platter’s by Diner’s Club 2022 South African Wine Guide  was presented, the three Award-winning wineries announced, and the Wines of the Year Awards in 28 categories were presented.

This 42^nd edition of  the Wine Guide features more than 900 wine producers, merchants, and brands, including 36 new ones, more than 8000 locally produced wines, as well as brandies, husk spirits, and sherry-style wines.

For the first time in eight years the Platter’s Awards were not presented by its Publisher JP Rossouw, who left the publication earlier this year.

Earlier last week Platter’s announced the 2022 list of 234 wines achieving its five star rating:

Platter’s by Diner’s Club South African Wine Guide announces 2022 Five Star wine List!

Each year three prestigious awards are presented by Platter’s. This year’s three winners are:

#. The Top Performing Winery of the Year goes to the winery that achieves the most five star results after the annual final tasting round. This year the recipient is Sadie Family Wines, with an unparalleled full house for the ten wines in their range. This is the Swartland-based producer’s third time as Platter’s highest achiever.

 #  Editor’s Award Winery of the Year went to Cape Winemakers Guild member Frans Smit and his colleagues at Spier, a larger-volume producer with quality at both the premium and the volume ends of the market.

#. The Newcomer Winery of the Year is awarded to the producer who debuts in Platter’s this year and achieves the highest scores. The recipient is Jolette Steyn’s The Vineyard Party, with a pair of sophisticated small-batch Semillon wines, one of which achieved the Guide’s five-star rating.

 

PLATTER’S 2022 WINERY OF THE YEAR AWARDS 

 Of the 5-star-awarded wines, the top performers within each category received the Wines of the Year awards. There are 28 category winning wines:

Cabernet Franc

Jordan Wine Estate Insiders Wine Club Private Collection 2019

Cabernet Sauvignon

Boekenhoutskloof Winery Stellenbosch 2019

Cinsault

Savage Wines Follow The Line 2020

Grenache Noir

ArtiSons The Phantom 2019

Merlot

Shannon Vineyards The Shannon Black 2017

Petit Verdot

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Sutherland Reserve 2019

Pinotage

False Bay Vineyards The Last Of The First 2020

Pinot Noir

Oak Valley Estate South Ridge PN 777 2018

Shiraz/Syrah

Boschkloof Wines Epilogue 2019

Tinta Barocca

Sadie Family Wines Treinspoor 2020

Red Blends, Cape Bordeaux

Spier Frans K. Smit CWG Auction Selection 2018

Red Blends, with Pinotage

Beyerskloof Faith 2017

Red Blends, Shiraz/Syrah-based

Sadie Family Wines Columella 2019

Red Blends, Other

Marianne Wine Estate Floréal 2018

Chardonnay

Creation Wines The Art of Chardonnay 2020

Chenin Blanc

Sadie Family Wines Mev. Kirsten 2020

Colombard

Naudé Wines Langpad 2021

Grenache Blanc

Rall Wines 2020

Sauvignon Blanc

Buitenverwachting Hussey’s Vlei 2020

Semillon

Anthonij Rupert Wyne Laing Groendruif 2020

White Blends, Cape Bordeaux

Cape Point Vineyards Isliedh 2020

White Blends, Other

Mullineux Old Vines White 2020

Méthode Cap Classique

Graham Beck Cuvée Clive 2015

Dessert Wine, Fortified

Orange River Cellars Omstaan Wit Muskadel NV

Natural Sweet

Klein Constantia Estate Vin de Constance 2017

Noble Late Harvest

Boekenhoutskloof Winery 2018

Vin de Paille/Straw Wine

Savage Wines Not Tonight Josephine 2020

Port-style

KWV Wines Cape Tawny NV

The 2022 Platter’s Guide also contains 229 Highly Recommended wines, which narrowly missed five stars but are nonetheless extremely fine and collectable, earning a rating of 94 on the 100-point scale.

Philip van Zyl, acting Managing Director and Editor of Platter’s, says: “The guide’s descriptions and ratings, compiled in association with a team of leading experts, make it easy to find the right wine for any occasion, while the good-value indicators highlight those bottlings which are especially budget friendly across all quality levels. Red and white wines showing potential for cellaring are flagged by means of the Cellar Worthy icon, while wines which tasters feel are particularly worthy of note, being interesting, attractive, unique, representative of an important trend or simply extraordinarily drinkable, are highlighted with the Hidden Gems icon.”

Platter’s 2022 also includes information on where to go and what to do in the Winelands. Cellar door tasting options are covered, along with many winery amenities, attractions and activities, plus dining and accommodation opportunities in Cape Town and the Winelands. GPS and What3Words coordinates, easy-to-use maps and quick look-up tables provide invaluable help for visitors planning their own wineland rambles, while listings of specialised wine tour operators offer a variety of alternatives for those who prefer a guided experience

Fully updated notes on the major winegrowing regions, grape varieties, winemaking styles, winetasting terms, and the major wine competitions and awards, as well as listings of wine educators country-wide form part of a wide-ranging offering.

The Guide also contains an overview of important developments and trends in South Africa and the wider wine world.

 

The Platter’s 2022 hardcover is available from selected bookstores and retailers nationwide from the end of November 2021. The recommended retail price is R390.00 inclusive of VAT.

 

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.whaletalesblog.com  www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein Instagram: @Chrissy_Ulmenstein @MyCapeTownGuide