Spier Celebrates Award-Winning Wines Across Every Price Point
Spier added a total of 21 top-shelf accolades to their awards cabinet in the 2023 award season, including 11 Gold and two Double Gold medals, three 4.5-star Platter-rated wines, and two South African Top 10 wines.
2023 was a golden award season for Spier. The 332-year-old Stellenbosch farm brought home over 21 awards, including the Drinks Business Ethical Award and recognised as Best South African Producer 1993-2023 at Mundus Vini Spring. These accolades are an encouraging sign of Spier’s dedication to crafting high-quality wines while implementing regenerative agriculture practices in the vineyard. As one of the most awarded wineries in South Africa, Spier Cellar Master Johan Jordaan reflects on these unprecedented achievements:
“While we’re deeply honoured by these awards, recognition isn’t the reason we do what we do. Rather, these accolades serve as a reminder that our dedication to caring for the land and our people translates into quality wines. Ultimately, that’s the true reward.”
A Toast to Every Tier
Spier’s philosophy shines across its portfolio, offering award-winning wines for every budget. The crown jewel, the Frans K. Smit collection is named after the former Cellar Master of 27 years. It includes a nuanced Sauvignon Blanc-Sémillon blend and a vibrant, red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Frans K. Smit’s advice, “Respect what the vineyard hands you,” has guided these wines to prestigious 4.5-star ratings in Platter’s 2024 guide.
Another highlight, the 21 Gables range, celebrates the farm’s architectural heritage with its characterful, single-varietal wines. Showcasing the best of each season, the range earned accolades for the 2021 Chenin Blanc, including Best of Show South African White in Retail Markets at the Mundus Vini Spring 2023. Additionally, the 2019 21 Gables Cabernet Sauvignon received Gold from both the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles and Decanter World Wine Awards, and the 2018 vintage was placed in the Top 10 Pinotage at the Absa competition.
The Creative Block series, inspired by the Spier Arts Trust’s initiative, is the most awarded range at Spier, melding artistic creativity with the art of winemaking. In 2023, this series made its mark once again, with the 2022 Creative Block 2 and the Creative Block 3 both winning Gold at the Veritas and Mundus Vini Spring Tasting, while the Bordeaux-style Creative Block 5 was awarded a Double Gold at Veritas.
Onwards and upwards, the Seaward collection celebrates the unique influence of coastal vineyards. In 2023, the Seaward Sauvignon Blanc was recognised in the FNB Top 10 in SA, showcasing the crisp and nuanced flavours characteristic of Spier’s coastal range. Additionally, the 2022 Chardonnay won a Gold medal at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, and the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded Gold at Veritas, while the 2021 Shiraz also claimed Gold at the Global Fine Wine Challenge.
Additional awards include gold medal wins for the Good Natured Organic range, made entirely from organically grown grapes, and Woolworths’ Private Collection, which extends Spier’s hallmark quality to a broader audience. Perhaps most notably, Spier’s Signature wines, a single-varietal and blended range designed for everyday enjoyment, received top honours with a Gold medal for the 2022 Sauvignon Blanc at the Concours Mondial du Sauvignon, alongside a Double Gold and Gold for the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, respectively, at the Ultra Value Wine Challenge. With prices starting at R80 a bottle, these wines are as delicious as they are down-to-earth, driving home the message that every bottle of Spier, no matter the price, tells a story of good wine from good people, grown in good soil.
A Golden Thread
The 2024 harvest at Spier wrapped up recently, with encouraging signs for the quality of the upcoming vintage. While the growing season started with a mix of abundant rainfall and cold spells to a dry, windy phase, the fruit delivered to the cellar displayed impressive natural acidity and vibrant flavours – a sign of good things to come. Spier is also proud to see their commitment to quality recognised with their Creative Block 3 2020 receiving the “Best South African Red” award at Mundus Vini this past March. As Spier’s Cellar Master, Johan Jordaan, often remarks, ”We look after the land, we look after our people and the wine shows the results.” With over three centuries of rich heritage to its name, Spier proudly continues on its trajectory to redefine winemaking success as a force for good, with a golden thread running through everything they do.
