The 2014 Best Value Wine Guide has been released, and it includes 472 wines under R80 – all rated 2.5stars and above!
The Best Value Wine Guide is a must-have for cash-strapped vino lovers on the lookout for a bargain.
Come judging, there were almost a thousand wines on the tasting table selling at less than R80 a bottle.
Of these, 472 were found to offer the best quality-to-price ratio and worthy of inclusion in the 2014 edition of the Best Value Wine Guide, sponsored by Ultra Liquors.
You’ll find as many as 342 easy-drinking wines at under R50 a bottle, more than 200 wines at under R40 and 75 at under R30.
It’s clear there’s no shortage of choice to suit both palate and pocket.
Among the featured wines are two 4½ star wines – the KWV Classic Collection Cape Tawny (R61,88) and the Table Bay Blanc de Blanc MCC (R69,99) – and no fewer than 24 wines boasting 4 stars.
And 22 of those that made the final cut were found to merit Value Awards, each scoring 19 or 20 (out of 20) on the value scale.
The Value Award winners for 2014 are:
• BC Wines Shiraz 2012 (Brandvlei Cellar)
• BC Wines Hanepoot Jerepigo 2012 (Brandvlei Cellar)
• Herons Nest Reserve Chardonnay 2013 (Clos Malverne)
• De Wet Cellar Muscat de Frontignan Pettilant Fronte NV
• Saint Vincent Crisp and lively NV (DGB)
• Saint Morand Fruity White NV (DGB)
• Sedwicks Old Brown NV (Distell)
• Umfiki Merlot NV (Goudini Wines)
• Unbelievable Dry White 2013 (Gravel Junction)
• Unbelievable Dry Red 2012 (Gravel Junction)
• Imbuko Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
• Koelenhof Koelenhoffer Sauvignon Blanc 2013
• Pearly Bay Dry Red NV (KWV Wines)
• Pearly Bay Sweet White NV (KWV Wines)
• KWV Concordia White 2012
• Orange River Cellars Colombard 2013
• Versus Crisp and Fruity White 2012 (Stellenbosch Vineyards)
• d’Vine Natural Sweet Rosè 2012 (Swartland Winery)
• Secret Cellar Pinotage 2008 No.435 2008 (Ultra Liquors)
• Secret Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon No. 466 2008 (Ultra Liquors)
• Table Bay Blanc de Blanc MCC NV (Ultra Liquors)
• Tangled Tree Moscato Rosè 2013 (Van Loveren Family Vineyards)
All wines in the guide are grouped by category (reds, whites, rosé, bubblies, dessert wines and port and sherry) in order of good value, with each star-rated out of five for quality and scored out of 20 for value.
The Best Value Winery overall this year is De Wet Cellar in Worcester.
Their 2½-star Muscat de Frontignan Pettitant Fronté NV received a perfect score on the value scale from the judges, who described it as ‘a wine that has fun written all over it, from its fruity semi-sweet flavour and light alcohol (8%) to the bit of fizz threaded through it’.
It’s a gem of a bubbly at only R24 a bottle.
Apart from being taking the angst out of shopping, the Best Value Wine Guide is a great stocking filler for those thinking ahead to Christmas.
It is available free with the October issue of Getaway magazine, on sale from 23 September.
It can also be ordered online at www.bestvaluewineguide.co.za at a cost of R32,95 – a steal in itself!
Gauteng wine enthusiasts will have the opportunity to sample a wide selection of the wines from the 2014 awards at the Gauteng Getaway Show.
Entry to the Best Value tent will be R20, which includes a copy of the Best Value Wine Guide.
The show takes place at the Coca-Cola Dome, Midrand, from 30 August to 1 September.
Visit www.bestvaluewineguide.co.za to view all the wines featuring in the Best Value Wine Guide 2014, where you can buy a large selection of the wines online and get them delivered straight to your door.