The Investec Trophy Wine Show 2026

For many people 2002 – the year the Trophy Wine Show was launched - feels like yesterday; for others it seems like a lifetime. In the Cape wine space, it is both. In one sense change in the wine world proceeds at glacial speed – the years it takes to plant new vineyards, for the vines to establish themselves and to yield fruit, and for the root systems to evolve so the wine has the depth and complexity to appeal to the most discerning consumers. On the other hand, producers must be able to pivot, to respond to an ever-changing market, to read the signs in time to act: too little, too late can spell disaster for even the best-known estates. Thoughtful and astute wine producers are acutely conscious of the need to read the trends, and to test themselves, not just in the ordinary commercial sense, but in the widest possible context of their trade. Are they as good as their marketing claims? Are they as sensitive to the expectations of the market, is their own vision of quality aligned with the world’s finest palates? The Investec Trophy Wine Show – now celebrating its 25th year – has provided generations of producers with a benchmark against which to measure their performance. At the same time, it has given generations of wine drinkers an opportunity to discover the very best bottles for thei...