Steenberg beats All Blacks

Steenberg emerged as one of the competition's top-line international winners, winning two of the seven categories in South Africa, namely architecture, parks and gardens and wine tourism services.

The international network of wine capitals, in addition to Cape Town/Cape Winelands, includes Bilbao-Rioja (Spain), Bordeaux (France), Florence (Italy), Mainz (Germany), Mendoza (Argentina), Porto (Portugal) and San Francisco-Napa (US) and most recently, New Zealand's Christchurch.

Last year's global winner from South Africa, Rust en Vrede, which was then also ranked one of the two best restaurants across the network, has this time won the local restaurant category. The restaurant, which also features in the 2010 San Pellegrino World's Top 100 Best Restaurants worldwide, is run by chef David Higgs and sommelier Neil Grant.

Other winners from South Africa were Delaire Graff Lodges & Spa, situated on the Helshoogte Mountain Pass, (best accommodation); Grande Provence Heritage Wine Estate in Franschhoek (arts and culture); Warwick Estate on the Simonsberg (innovative wine tourism experiences) and Waverley Hills, between Tulbagh and Wolseley (sustainable wine tourism practices).

International winners

Steenberg joins the other global winners of the nine participating countries, which saw 80% of entries coming from new players this year. They are:

• Yealands Estate in the South Island's Marlborough region, New Zealand's largest carbon-neutral certified winery that made international headlines for using miniature sheep to keep the vineyard's grass and weeds in check;
  
• Villa Vignamaggio, one of the oldest wine estates in the heart of Chianti Classico between Florence and Siena, dating back to 15th century Renaissance times;
  
• Bordeaux Supérieur property in the Haut Medoc, Chateau Paloumey that regularly exhibits paintings and sculptures;
  
• Wine Oil Spa Hotel Villa de Laguardia, set in the vineyards in a medieval town in the heart of the Rioja;
  
• Porto's Quinta Aveleda, a 300-year-old family-owned estate and one of Portugal's leading producers;
  
• Hyatt Regency on the banks of the Rhine in Mainz that integrates a 19th century building with 21st century architecture;
  
• Conn Creek Winery on the scenic Silverado Trail in Napa Valley that promotes the region's Cabernet wines;
  
• Bodega Diam Andes, a member of the high-profile Clos de los Siete partnership of wineries in Mendoza, whose driving force is French winemaker Michel Rolland.

The nine will all carry the title as their countries' Best of Wine Tourism winners for 2011.