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 their immediate and long-term enjoyment.
It is impossible to emphasise the value that this once-a-year benchmarking exercise brings to all the inhabitants of the Cape wine ecosystem. Producers who respond to the Show’s rigorous judging criteria engage in a process of constant improvement to keep ahead of the market’s relentless demand for excellence. Through the Show’s extraordinary reach – helped in part by the presence of international judges who share their experiences wherever on the globe fine wine is served – consumers have come to discover why so many critics now describe South Africa as the home of the world’s most exciting wine industry.
In the quarter of a century since its launch, the Investec Trophy Wine Show has become a beacon of excellence, of the creative synergy between those who make the wine, those who guide the aesthetic, and those who enjoy its finest expressions. In that time out of total entry of almost 23000 wines, there have been a mere 453 trophy-winning wines, along with an additional 320 gold and 2522 silver medallists, reinforcing the message that a medal, any medal, at the Investec Trophy Wine Show, is a real achievement.
Shop Podium wines:
Allée Bleue Old Vine Cinsaut 2025: Investec Trophy for Best Niche Red; Rosa Kruger Trophy for Best Old Vine Wine
Bellingham The Bernard Series Bush Vine Pinotage 2023: Trophy for Best Pinotage
Boland Cellar Reserve Red 2024: Investec Trophy for Best Pinotage-Based Red Blend / Cape Blend
Boschendal Nicolas 2023: Trophy for Best Other Red Blend
Boschendal Suzanne 2024: Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Blend
Cavalli Chardonnay 2025: Trophy for Best Chardonnay
Cederberg Five Generations Chenin Blanc 2024: Harold Eedes Trophy for Best Chenin Blanc; Investec Trophy for Best White Overall; Vinolok Trophy for Best Premium Wine
Delaire Graff Cape Vintage 2023: Tony Mossop Trophy for Best Cape Port
Delaire Graff Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2022: Investec Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon; Investec International Judges' Trophy; Investec Trophy for Best Red Overall
Diemersdal Grüner Veltliner 2024: Investec Trophy for Best Niche White
Diemersdal The Journal Sauvignon Blanc 2021: Trophy for Best Museum Class Sauvignon Blanc
Graham Beck Méthode Cap Classique Blanc de Blancs 2020: Trophy for Best Cap Classique
Hermanuspietersfontein Sondagskloof Sauvignon Blanc 2024: Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc
Kloovenburg Eight Feet White 2024: Trophy for Best Other White Blend
L’Ormarins Private Cuvée 2017: Trophy for Best Museum Class Cap Classique
Leeuwenkuil Grenache Blanc 2016: Trophy for Best Museum Class Niche White
Nederburg The Winemasters Shiraz 2024: Trophy for Best Shiraz; Investec Trophy for Discovery of the Show (Best Value Gold Medallist)
Neil Ellis The Left Bank Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2021: Riedel Trophy for Best Bordeaux-Style Red Blend
Paul Clüver Estate Pinot Noir 2024: Investec Trophy for Best Pinot Noir
Regna Loca by Rickety Bridge Semillon 2025: Investec Trophy for Best Semillon
Stark-Condé Monk Stone Chenin Blanc 2025: Trophy for Best Organic Wine
Zwartwater Estate Red Blend 2024: Investec Trophy for Best Rhône-Style Red Blend; John Skotnes Trophy for Best Blended Wine
The highest-scoring wines are already moving fast.