World champions join jury for South Africa
Our wine list awards return to South Africa on 16 September and with a jury filled with champions - including two sommelier world champions! 2016 ASI Best Sommelier of the World Marc Almert returns to the jury like last year - and he is joined by this year's champion Raimonds Tomsons.
"I am very excited to be part of the SWL jury team for South Africa. This is a wine-making country with great development through recent years, with very dynamic new-generation winemakers and a wealth of diverse and exciting wines from great terroirs. I am really looking forward to seeing how all these trends and wines are reflected through the wine lists of the dining scene," says Raimonds Tomsons.
The jury is completed with Julie Dupouy, several times named Best Sommelier of Ireland and Zimbabwean sommelier champion Tawanda Marume returns to the jury.
"We are very excited to return to South Africa with our wine list awards and to celebrate the nation's wine teams with such an incredible international jury," says Krister Bengtsson, founder and publisher of Star Wine List.
Star Wine List of the Year South Africa will be held at the Hazendal estate in Stellenbosch and the event will coincide with the Best Sommelier of South Africa event. All restaurants and wine bars in South Africa was welcome to enter free of charge, deadline was Sunday July 30.
THE CATEGORIES
• Grand Prix, presented by Winterhalter
The best list overall
• Best Long List, presented by Winterhalter
For wine lists with more than 600 references.
• Best Medium-Sized List, presented by Amorim Cork
200-600 references.
• Best Short List
<200 references.
• Best Sparkling Wine List, presented by Nyetimber
• Best By the Glass List
• Best Newcomer List
• Sustainable Wine List, presented by WWF Conservation Champions
For the Sustainable Wine List category, not only the wine list is evaluated, but also the stated actions of the venue, as described through a questionnaire in the application.
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Amorim Cork
Amorim, the world’s leading supplier of cork stoppers and cork products, was founded in Portugal in 1870. The ethos of tradition and the values of a family business remain the cornerstones of a company committed to excellence and innovation, supported by modern scientific research and a continual drive to ensuring products of supreme quality.
Nyetimber
English sparkling producer Nyetimber is the leading producer of sparkling wine in the country.
WWF Conservation Champions
Through a voluntary membership model, WWF works with the environmental leaders in SA’s wine industry, known as the Conservation Champions. These landowners commit to biodiversity-friendly and regenerative farming practices, conserve their natural areas and continually improve their water and energy efficiencies.
