Elsenburg Brandy Excels at the 2014 Veritas Awards

The Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute put in a stellar performance at the 24th annual Veritas Awards, presented by the South African National Wine Show Association.

They entered the Veritas Awards 2014 and earned a double gold medal in the brandy category for the Cellar’s 13-year old Potstill Brandy.

Minister of Economic Opportunities, Alan Winde, issued his congratulations to the team: “This is a major achievement and milestone for the College and the Western Cape Department of Agriculture. These results are firm proof of the quality of our products, and I would like to congratulate the teams involved in producing them on their wonderful achievement”.

There were a total of five double gold medals awarded to brandies from a total of 1 767 entries. In the same category as Elsenburg, KWV led with two double gold and four gold medals. Oude Meester and Van Ryn each won one double gold and two gold awards.

To add to Elsenburg’s achievements for the evening, its Sauvignon Blanc and Cinsaut received bronze in the White Wine and Other Cultivars categories respectively. 

Lorraine Geldenhuys, cellar master and Elsenburg lecturer expressed her gratitude to all who played a role in the bottling of the brandy.

“A special thanks to the Department of Agriculture that believed in our vision of bottling the brandy. I work with a remarkable team of colleagues at the cellar and we all have a share in this award. The feedback and excitement from the industry is astounding.”

The B. Agric students studying Cellar Technology deserve a special thank you for their dedication, passion and interest in this course. Without the students it would be impossible to partake in competitions of such a high caliber and the hard work over the years has materialised in a double gold at Veritas.

Local and international wine and brandy buyers put a high premium on the Veritas results as the stringent and unbiased judging standards by specialist panels produce trustworthy results that act as a reliable barometer of quality.