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Nov 19 2008

Kanonkop’s winemaker is ‘best in the world’

Published by at 11:14 am under Companies,More News

Abrie Beeslaar, winemaker of wine estate Kanonkop, was named International Winemaker of the Year at the International Wine and Spirits Competition’s (IWSC) gala award ceremony in London last night.

I think I’m correct when I say this is the first time the Winemaker of the Year award was won by a South African. Fantastic. Beeslaar has probably proved long ago that he was a worthy successor to previous Kanonkop winemaker and Pinotage legend Beyers Truter.

With this award, he has “pulled ahead” of Truter, at least in the world of awards.

Read all about the competition and the winner here.

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6 responses so far

6 Responses to “Kanonkop’s winemaker is ‘best in the world’”

  1. # Peter Mayon 19 Nov 2008 at 3:56 pm

    Surely Beyers Truter won International Winemaker of the Year at the International Wine and Spirits Competition when he was at Kanonkop some years ago — was it 1981??

  2. # adminon 19 Nov 2008 at 4:08 pm

    Hi Peter,

    Thanks for that. I’ll double-check and “be back”, as Arnold once said.

    Christo

  3. # adminon 19 Nov 2008 at 10:28 pm

    Hi Christo

    According to my information, in 1991 Beyers Truter was awarded the Robert Mondavi Trophy for International Winemaker of the Year at the International Wine & Spirit Competition held in London.

    He was the first South African winemaker to win the award, and it was for his Kanonkop 1989 Pinotage.

    Cheers

    Peter May
    http://www.pinotage.org

  4. # adminon 19 Nov 2008 at 10:43 pm

    Hi Peter,

    Thanks again. Very helpful.

    This means, of course, that Truter “won the award twice”, so to speak. Beeslaar took over from him and, if I remember well, Truter showed Beeslaar the ropes for a season or two, before finally leaving Kanonkop for his own venture.

    Another thought: I really hope Beeslaar stays where he is and never thinks of doing his own thing. Somehow Beeslaarskloof doesn’t sound as successful as Beyerskloof.

    Christo

  5. # Peter Mayon 21 Nov 2008 at 9:28 pm

    I expect Abrie will at some point wish to have his own name on his wines. Beyers stayed at Kanonkop for 18 years and when he decided it was time to go he found his successor — Abrie was making wine at Swartland Winery.

  6. # adminon 21 Nov 2008 at 11:06 pm

    In a recent interview (you can listen to it here http://www.southafricanwinereport.com) Abrie said one should at least stay 10 years. Six done, four to go?

    Christo

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