Veritas Awards Open for Entries With New Online Platform and Extended Late Deadline

This year’s Veritas Awards entries have just opened – the country’s foremost and oldest wine competition for market-ready wine – and winemakers and viticulturists’ excitement is mounting along with that of wine lovers countrywide.

Participants in this year’s competition are now encouraged to enter via the on-line platform which is a collaboration between Veritas and its financial partner SA Litho. This considerably streamlines providing information for the competition, whose closing date for entries is 7 August, while late entries at an increased fee will be accepted until 19 August 2026.

Veritas prides itself as South Africa’s oldest wine and brandy competition for market- ready (bottled) products and as being the country’s foremost guideline of quality for consumers, restaurants, hotels and the trade over 36 years – ever since 1991. It has grown in importance from a marketing perspective over the years to highlight the quality of South African wines, not only locally, but also in the international markets.

The increased sales of the winning wines and brandies following the announcement of the results are clear proof of the Veritas Awards’ significance for the industry. Veritas is the only domestic wine competition run by the industry, for the industry.

The Veritas Awards showdown has since its establishment as an authoritative yardstick continued to serve as a benchmark for the country’s quality wines and brandies, confirming its vital position in the industry and among the consumers. Participants utilise the results and accompanying Veritas bottle stickers as an outstanding marketing opportunity.

The Vertex Award for the overall top wine at Veritas – known as the Duimpie Bayly Vertex Award – was introduced in 2017.

The judging will take place from 7 – 11 September 2026 in the Pavilion at Nederburg in Paarl. As has been customary over the years, specialist judges are appointed in all the panels to ensure that the best expertise is employed to identify the winners.

The regular use of accomplished international judges at Veritas has been an integral part of the success of the competition, adding the experience of these judges to the skilled local judges. Thanks to the Veritas financial partner Dry Ice International, who have undertaken to bring a group of foreign judges to South Africa annually, the international judges will continue to play a cardinal role on the various panels.

The awards function, known as the “Oscars” of the wine industry, is to be held on 10 October 2026 at the CTICC in Cape Town. The countrywide wine and brandy tastings will be presented for the public and wine trade again in collaboration with Veritas’s long-standing financial partner, Deloitte. These tastings will take place in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban, where all the Double Gold and Gold winners will be presented for tasting.

The “VinoVeritas by CTP” on line shop which has been specially developed by SA Litho will give wine lovers the opportunity to order the Double Gold and Gold winning wines immediately following the results for delivery to their doorstep, executed by GetWine wine traders.

A new sponsor, Agrimark, joined the ranks of financial partners, making a valuable contribution to spread Veritas’s image as the country’s leading wine show.

Agrimark is a leading agricultural and lifestyle retailer, serving farmers, families, and local communities across Southern Africa through a network of more than 80 branches. Drawing on over 100 years of experience, Agrimark delivers best-in-value products and solutions that support agricultural success from farm to fork.

Said Arno Abeln, managing director, Agrimark Operations, “Agrimark is proud to partner with the Veritas Awards in recognising and celebrating excellence in South Africa’s wine industry. As a trusted partner to wine producers across the country, we understand the dedication, innovation and craftsmanship required to produce world-class wines, and we remain committed to supporting the success and sustainability of this important sector.”

Christo Pienaar, chairperson of Veritas, said, “We are delighted to have Agrimark, a company with such an excellent footprint in agriculture in South Africa, on board at Veritas. It shows the important role that business plays in promoting our finest South African wines.”