Red Wines On The Rise How The Industry Is Adapting To Win Over Millennials And Gen Z Consumers

The fine wine industry is navigating a period of significant transformation, influenced by global economic shifts and evolving consumer preferences. Geopolitical factors and changing trade dynamics have presented new challenges, while longstanding trends such as fluctuating per capita consumption and rising input costs require strategic adaptation. Additionally, as the Baby Boomer generation transitions out of the market, there is a valuable opportunity to engage and attract Millennials and Gen Z consumers through innovative offerings and digital experiences. Competition from alternative beverages like alcopops and cannabis has also spurred the industry to diversify and enhance its value propositions. By leveraging financial expertise, investing in sustainable practices, and embracing technological advancements, the wine sector can strengthen its resilience and seize new growth opportunities.

This is one of the many reasons why the results of the 2025 Trophy Wine Show – South Africa’s premier platform for the country’s finest wines, proudly brought to you by leading international bank and wealth manager, Investec – have a crucial role to play for producers of Cape wines. In a market that is rapidly having to adapt to meet new challenges, success at the country’s most credible competition can be life-changing for wineries. The country’s wine buyers know that a medal – any medal – awarded by the Trophy Wine Show judges is a guarantee of wine quality. To win one of the 40 golds awarded to current release wines is akin to hitting the jackpot*.

*In addition to wine sales at the medal-winning wineries, some R2 million worth of wine from the 2024 Trophy Wine Show sold through the designated retailer – Port2Port – within days of the results being announced.

The Trophy Wine Show generates more sales than any other competition or wine guide. The Trophy Wine Show is the industry’s leading platform for celebrating the excellence of South Africa’s premium wines. It also serves to pair the finest Cape winemakers with a discerning wine-loving audience, thus illustrating Investec’s commitment to being invested in one of the country’s key industries. This commitment extends to shining a spotlight on this crucial segment within agriculture, providing opportunities for local winemakers, and fostering growth and innovation within the South African wine sector.

Investec’s support of the Trophy Wine show underscores its commitment to one of the country’s key industries. That includes shining a spotlight on this industry, providing opportunities for local winemakers, and fostering growth and innovation within the South African wine sector.

“The Trophy Wine Show offers a platform to showcase South Africa’s homegrown, world-class wines on the local and international stage,” says Peta Dixon, Head of Sponsorships at Investec. “With approximately 17 million glasses of South African wine consumed daily worldwide, it’s a tremendous opportunity for Brand SA to highlight our country’s excellence in wine production. Additionally, the wine industry contributes over R56 billion to our economy and supports more than 270,000 jobs across various sectors, underscoring its vital role in our national growth and job creation efforts.”

This year the Trophy Wine Show launches a new pinnacle trophy – The Investec Champion Winemaker of the Year – for the cellarmaster directly responsible for making the most awarded wines of the competition. While the Trophy Wine Show has always recognised the team effort which goes into producing award-winning wines, it is clear that the force behind a winery’s achievements is the winemaker who inspires and drives the team – from those responsible for maintaining the vineyards to those who handle the fruit, manage the production of the wine, oversee its maturation and ensure appropriate sanitary conditions around the bottling process.

The first winner of this trophy is Hagen Viljoen from Zevenwacht Wine Estate.

Savvy wine consumers have discovered that the laureates of the Trophy Wine Show represent extraordinary drinking value. This is because in the blind tasting environment of the competition, wines compete solely on quality, without the influence of the marketing message attached to each and every brand. Wine producers often treat price as a proxy for intrinsic quality: the higher the price, so this logic goes, the better the wine.

Jancis Robinson MW OBE, who has judged several times at the Investec Trophy Wine Show and who is widely regarded as the most influential wine writer in the English-speaking world, is very clear about the importance of separating the label from the opinion. In her words “I value the chance to really assess wine by wine, not knowing who produced them, and not being bedazzled by a reputation.”

The Trophy Wine Show, now in its 24th iteration, serves to ensure that the opinions of highly regarded and suitably trained professional judges take precedence over the commercial messages of the nation’s wine producers. Leading figures in the world of fine wine – Michel Bettane, France’s best known wine authority, Tom Carson, past Chairman of the Australian National Show and Tamlyn Currin, a member of the JancisRobinson.com team – worked with the local panellists, all graduates of the Wine Judging Academy run in conjunction with the University of Cape Town, to produce this year’s results.

The competition’s trade mark methodology involves three-person judging panels with one of the international judges on each panel, every wine tasted by every panellist, never in the same sequence to eliminate the so-called “halo effect,” and with discussion and consensus achieved over every submission. This tried and tested approach ensures the fairest possible outcome to producers while guaranteeing for consumers that only the best wines percolate to the top.

This year the Show celebrates the second successive presentation of the Investec Trophy for the Show’s best Organic Wine. This award is made to highest scoring gold medallist which is also certified as fully organic. The 2025 winner of this trophy is Stark-Condé. In the same spirit of sustainability, the show has, since 2023, campaigned against carbon-footprint unfriendly packaging. Every bottle entered for judging is weighed: an astonishing variance of almost 300% was recorded at the 2025 competition.

Salient Information 

650 wines were judged at the 2025 Trophy Wine Show. 303 won a bronze medal, 133 silver and 40 won gold. There were 23 trophy winning wines.

The number of wines judged per major category Chardonnay 

Chardonnay	68
Chenin Blanc	60
Sauvignon Blanc wooded and unwooded	67
Méthode Cap Classique	38
Bordeaux Blends	59
Cabernet Sauvignon	59
Shiraz	66
Pinotage	31

This year’s South African panel comprised Christian Eedes, Heidi Duminy CWM, Eben February, Malu Lambert, Mandla Patson Mathonsi, James Pietersen and JD Pretorius.

The associate judges, all graduates of the Michael Fridjhon Wine Judging Academy, were Clare Anderson, Kyle Davids, Tongai Joseph Dhafana, Matthew Draper, Lauren Segers, Kenny Nassen and Tarryn Vincent. They are provided with the opportunity of working in a rigorous show-judging environment and learning from the international and local tasters to whom they are seconded. Associate judges work in the tasting room with the main panel and are invited to participate in the discussion, however their scores are not included in the final tally.

Some gems from the international judges:

Tom Carson (Australia): “The progress with Shiraz has been phenomenal in the last 12 years…a lot of red-fruited shiraz … producing wines of varietal character… Australia, watch out!”

Tamlyn Currin (UK): “Tasting the Cap Classique class was joyful. It was a celebration…They are so South African, and really should stand in a class of their own. You can’t compare them to any other sparkling wine class (in the world), and that’s very exciting for South Africa.”

Michel Bettane (France): “The overall level is far better than 20 years ago. Better winemaking, better cultivation, experimenting… and with more experience.”

All results, including silver (90 to 94/100) and bronze medallists (85 – 89/100), are listed on the website: https://www.trophywineshow.co.za/winners-and-results/

The Results

Trophy Winners

Investec Trophy for South Africa’s Champion Winemaker of the Year Hagen Viljoen of Zevenwacht Wine Estate

Business Day Trophy for Best Shiraz Investec International Judges’ Trophy (joint winner) Investec Trophy for Best Red Wine Overall Stellenzicht Arenite Syrah 2023

Trophy for Best Chardonnay Vinolok Trophy for Best Premium Wine Investec Trophy for Best White Wine Overall Delaire Graff Estate Banghoek Chardonnay 2023

Harold Eedes Trophy for Best Chenin Blanc Rosa Kruger Trophy for Best Old Vine Wine Zevenwacht Z Collection Chenin Blanc 2024

Financial Mail Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Blend Investec Trophy for Discovery of the Show – Best Value Gold Medallist Cilmor Winemaker’s Selection Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2024

Investec Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon Boschendal Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Investec Trophy for Best Organic Wine Stark-Condé Three Pines Syrah 2022

Investec Trophy for Best Rhône-Style Red Blend Zevenwacht The Tin Mine Syrah Mourvèdre 2022

Trophy for Best Pinotage Bellingham The Bernard Series Bush Vine Pinotage 2022

Investec International Judges’ Trophy (joint winner) Groot Phesantekraal Syrah 2023

Sunday Times Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc Diemersdal The Journal Sauvignon Blanc 2022

Investec Trophy for Best Merlot Groote Post Merlot 2022

Investec Trophy for Best Niche White De Krans Tritonia Verdelho 2023 Riedel

Trophy for Best Bordeaux-Style Red Blend Grand Plaisir Red 2020

Investec Trophy for Best Semillon Constantia Uitsig Semillon 2024

Sowetan Trophy for Best Cap Classique Laborie Blanc de Blancs 2019

Trophy for Best Unfortified Dessert Wine Buitenverwachting 1769 Noble Late Harvest 2022

Tony Mossop Trophy for Best Cape Port Delaire Graff Cape Vintage 2022

Trophy for Best Museum Class Chenin Blanc Stellenrust 51 Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc 2015

Trophy for Best Museum Class Sauvignon Blanc Buitenverwachting Sauvignon Blanc Constantia 2017

Trophy for Best Museum Class Chardonnay Journey’s End Destination Chardonnay 2016

Trophy for Best Museum Class Niche White The Foundry Roussanne 2015

Trophy for Best Museum Class Cap Classique JC Le Roux Scintilla 2015

Trophy for Best Museum Class Dessert Wine Trophy for Best Museum Class Wine Overall Nederburg Private Bin Eminence 2009 (Noble Late Harvest / Botrytis)

Gold Medal Winners

Bonnievale Limited Release Red Muscadel 2024 (Fortified Red Muscat) Boplaas Cape Vintage Reserve 2022 (Port Style) Boplaas Cape Vintage Reserve 2021 (Port Style) Cilmor Winemaker’s Selection Chenin Blanc 2024 De Grendel Op Die Berg Chardonnay 2024 Diemersdal Private Collection 2018 (Bordeaux-Style Red Blend) Du Toitskloof Hanepoot Jerepigo 2021 (Fortified White Muscat) Durbanville Hills The Tangram White Blend 2023 (Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Blend) Graham Beck Artisan Collection Pinot Meunier 2022 (Cap Classique) Groot Phesantekraal Syrah 2023 Groote Post Seasalter Sauvignon Blanc 202 (Unwooded) Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Syrah 2021 Leeuwenkuil Reserve Chenin Blanc 2024strong> Saronsberg Full Circle 2022 (Rhône-Style Red Blend) Stellenzicht Tristone Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 Survivor Chenin Blanc 2024 Whalehaven Seascape Reserve Chardonnay 2022 Zevenwacht Estate Syrah 2022