VERITAS 2019

5 VERITAS AWARDS 2019

attention, the expertise and experience of senior judges will continu- ously be harnessed. The annual inclusion of internationally distinguished and experienced tasters contributes to the favourable reputation of this wine competi- tion. This year, five esteemed international judges joined forces with the highly qualified Veritas group of more than one hundred local judges. For South Africa, this is a wonderful opportunity to create ambassadors for our wine in order to spread our wine message far and wide when they return to their respective countries. Veritas will continue to fulfil its role as a consumer-oriented wine compe- tition, run by the industry for the industry. It is the only competition in South Africa where consumers can rely on the market availability of the award-winning wines, as one of the conditions of entry is that a minimum of 300 bottles must be available for sale at the time of the results being announced. For Noble Late Harvest, Fortified Wines, Cape Ruby/Tawny/ Vintage Wines and Brandy, the required quantities are lower. Consumers increasingly take note of the results and use the Veritas Awards as a yardstick when selecting wines for their enjoyment. A Double Gold, Gold, Silver Outstanding, Silver and Bronze Veritas sticker on a bottle is indeed a great motivator to buy our best wines. The SANWSA would like to thank the wineries and brandy cellars that entered the competition. We are grateful to the qualified judges who have freely offered their time and expertise to participate in the mara- thon judging of so many wines and brandies. We also salute the indi- viduals who have worked effortlessly behind the scenes and thereby ensured that the 2019 Veritas competition ran smoothly and flawlessly. Finally, Veritas thanks our financial partners, Deloitte and SA Litho, for their continued and valued financial support which helps to uphold the proud Veritas tradition.

Christo Pienaar Chairman Veritas Awards