The old adage says that things happen in threes, but for the Groot Constantia 2013 Chardonnay it seems three is simple not enough as this award winning cultivar walks away with its fourth Gold Medal – the most recent being at the South African Wine Makers Choice Awards.
The annual Winemakers’ Choice Awards is unique in the South African Wine industry in that it is the only wine show judged exclusively by winemakers, and representing all wine regions of South Africa. Only the top 10% of entries receive awards, which means that judging is strict and wines are awarded only on merit.
Groot Constantia’s Chardonnay is no stranger to acclaim – and in fact previous vintages of the Chardonnay have received gold awards from competitions such as the Michelangelo International Wine Awards, the Juliet Cullinan Wine Connoisseurs Awards, the S.A Terroir Wine Awards, the Classic Wine Trophy, the Santé Classic Wine Trophy, Chardonnay-Du-Monde, Top 100 SA Wines, the Taj Classic Wine Show, and the Triton Express Winemakers Choice.
In addition to a total of 13 awards achieved overall in the above mentioned competitions since 2002, the Groot Constantia Chardonnay has also won five Veritas gold, and double gold, awards.
“The awards achieved are testament to the quality of this cultivar and the consistency of the Groot Constantia Chardonnay speaks for itself,” says Grant Newton, sales and marketing manager for Groot Constantia.
During the Eighteenth century, wines produced in the cellars of the Groot Constantia estate received international acclaim for their superior quality. In fact, before his death in 1821, Napoleon had 30 bottles of wine, produced in Groot Constantia’s cellars, shipped over to St Helena every month to ease his exile.
193 years later and the cellars of Groot Constantia are still producing notable, exclusive and desirable wines.
For more information on Groot Constantia visit www.grootconstantia.co.za.
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About Groot Constantia
Groot Constantia is South Africa’s oldest wine farm – in existence for 329 years this year. Wine has been produced on the estate without interruption since 1685 when Commander Simon van der Stel of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) was originally granted the land on which Groot Constantia stands.
It has changed hands many times over the centuries of course and now Groot Constantia is a National Monument and a living museum with the task of preserving the history and cultural legacy of the South African wine industry for the people of South Africa. The current owners of the estate, the Groot Constantia Trust, a non-profit company, has ensured that Groot Constantia is beautifully maintained and operated to the highest standards – delivering a top-quality experience to visitors.
The estate boasts two top-notch restaurants, Jonkershuis and Simon’s where visitors can eat after they have finished exploring the beautiful old manor house Iziko Museum and its surroundings. Visitors can also enjoy a cellar tour and wine tasting in the recently upgraded tasting room.
Groot Constantia is no stranger to having their wines awarded, and in fact Groot Constantia’s wines have collectively won 83 gold medals since 2003.
This is the only wine farm that is a member of the Big Six tourist destinations in Cape Town. The other members include Table Mountain, the V&A Waterfront, Robben Island, Kirstenbosch and Cape Point.
