South Africa's 2012 Diners Club Winemaker of the year winners announced

Diners Club is proud to announce that the Winemaker of the Year 2012 title has been awarded to Razvan Macici from Nederburg Wines, for his Private Bin Eminence 2007. Arguably the most coveted wine awards in the industry, the Diners Club Winemaker of the Year Awards have now been running for 32 years. Razvan Macici, a Romanian local, was not only granted the honourary title, but also received recognition and top honours for two additional wines -Winemaster's Reserve NLH 2010 and 2011 - a record first in the history of the competition.
Charl and Suzanne Coetzee with Adele and Benard le Roux
Sue de Groot, Neil Pendock and Sam Rodgers
Nomonde Kubheka, Dr Bhadra Ranchod and Neo Letuma
Bartho Eksteen, Monique and Matthew van Heerden
Mdudzi and Mimi Mtshali
Elana Afrika, Barbara Lenhard, Les Aupiais-Glenn and Jane Ledger
Gaye and Nick Davies with Chantal Lascaris
Ossie Sauermann, Jane Ledger, Marisa Logan and Clayton Reabow
Young Winemaker of the Year Anri Truter and Winemaker of the Year Razvan Macici
Hester Hahn, Sarah Eccles and Grace van Deventer

Also announced on the evening was the Young Winemaker of the Year Award, which encourages and inspires young winemakers to achieve greatness. Anri Truter from Beyerskloof was awarded this prominent title for his 2010 Diesel Pinotage, following in the footsteps of his father, Beyers Truter, who won Winemaker of the Year in 1997 for one of his family wine estate wine's, Kanonkop Pinotage. The art of viniculture evidently comes naturally to Anri, who started working from a very young age, assisting in the vineyards, cellars and tasting rooms of Kanonkop, where he was raised.

Diners Club Winemaker of the Year awards is one of the most sought after and well respected wine industry competitions, aiming to recognise excellence in wine production. 2012 marked another first for the Awards, as it was the first time the dessert wine (unfortified) category was selected as the judging criteria.

South Africa's top wine industry leaders and Diners Club guests gathered for the highly anticipated Award ceremony that took place on 3 November at The Conservatory in Franschhoek. Paying tribute to the competition and winemaker finalists was the MC, former Springbok rugby player and local sports presenter Bobby Skinstad, who was joined by Diners Club dignitaries and international guests. Diane Offereins, the Executive Vice President of Discover (Diners Club holding company), was one of the esteemed guests in attendance. Offereins is an award winner herself, having been recognised as one of the Top 25 Women in Finance for four consecutive years (2008 - 2011), as voted by U.S Banker magazine.

Diners Club was privileged to have the current International Wine and Spirit Board Winemaker of the Year, Neil McGuigan, CEO of Australian Vintage Ltd, join the panel of carefully selected judges. The panel was chaired by legendary wine critic and author Dave Hughes, Margaret Fry, Cape Wine Master; Nomonde Kubheka, judge of the SAA Wine Awards; Cape Wine Master and Dessert Wine connoisseur, Colin Frith; along with SA's leading independent drinks commentator and wine journalist, Neil Pendock, bio-technology expert, Margaret Fundira and the reigning Best Wine Steward, as nominated in the 2012 Diners Club Winelist Awards, Ewan McKenzie.

For more information, please visit http://connoisseurs.dinersclub.co.za/restaurants and follow Diners Club on Twitter via @DinersClubSA and #DCWinemaker2012


 
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