Lock stock and wine barrel: Wine events this weekend in Western Cape

This coming weekend, Cape Town and Stellenbosch will be the centre of what you need in your glass going forward.

The Michelangelo International Wine and Spirits Awards take place on Friday, with the Cape Winemakers Guild auction taking over Spier on Friday and Saturday.

Both events truly reflect the hard work that goes into making stellar tipple in South Africa.

Since introducing South Africa’s first brandy trophy in 2009, followed by the competition opening for spirits entries in 2014, Michelangelo International Wine and Spirits Awards has built a competition to include 21 spirits classes with some 80+ sub-classes.

With the input of professional spirits specialists from Europe and the Americas, who wrote and refined these classes, Michelangelo now attracts the most spirits entries of any competition in Africa.

But it is in the judging that the proof lies, and so the entries are judged by a spirited ensemble of local and international experts.

This year, the sole SA judge, Dr Winnie Bowman (Cape Wine Master), together with Rene van Hoven from the Netherlands, Carlos Arturaola from Uruguay, American expert Steve Beal and Bernhard Schäfer from Germany will reveal the best spirits at the Cape Sun on Friday.

Internationally, the Cape Winemakers Guild annual auction really sets a tone. Experts, trade and hospitality all create a confluence of wine celebration – and in 2019 it’s no different.

The annual Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction showcases the finest and most exclusive wines produced by some of SA’s leading winemakers in small quantities exclusively for this auction.

The auction is open to the public and attracts wine collectors and local and international buyers from the retail and hospitality industries.

Telephonic and proxy bidding options are available.

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