MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release 2014.09.14

INTERNATIONAL WINE AND BRANDY HEAVYWEIGHTS JUDGE AT VERITAS

Some of the worlds best wine and brandy critics will gather together from 15-19 September at
Boland Park cricket grounds in Paarl to judge entries for Veritas, the longest running and most
prestigious wine competition in South Africa, celebrating 24 years of excellence.

Altogether 1 767 wines, entered in 18 classes with Dry Red (216 wines), Shiraz (190 wines) and
Sauvignon Blanc (189 wines) the top three, will be sniffed, swirled, tasted and adjudicated by
more than 100 judges, seven representing international countries where a lot of South African
wines are sold.

Lynne Sherriff MW, is one of the worlds most authoritative wine experts, the first South African
chairperson of the international Institute of Masters of Wine, and a qualified Cape Wine Master.
Joining Lynne will be Johan Larsson, who holds the title as wine adviser to the King and Queen
of Sweden. He is also the chief wine buyer of South African, Greek, Turkish and Asian wines for
the Swedish wine retail monopoly, Systembolaget.

Paul White is an American freelance wine writer, judge and editor with an international focus and
lives in New Zealand. A familiar face at Veritas, Thomas Lber from Germany, has extensive
wine judging and buying experience and has served as the chief buyer of SA wines for WIV Wein
International AG the worlds largest direct wine sales company.

Janke Johansson, a familiar name in wine circles around the world is an expert taster and
judge and a well known importer of SA wines in Sweden, will be joined by Australian Richard
Rowe, who is an exceptional judge, consultant and former chief winemaker at KWV.

Denis Lahouratate, cellar master at the French House of Bisquit Cognac, brings his expertise to
the competition to judge the 31 brandy entries.

According to SANWSA chairperson Charles Hopkins, judges may represent any sector of the
wine or brandy industry, but a judging certificate from the University of Stellenbosch, a Cape
Wine Masters Diploma or similar accreditation is essential.

International judges must be experienced wine tasters in their home countries, but international
experience is obligatory. These international panel members are all decision makers and experts
with brilliant experience in the tasting of wines and brandies. For South Africa, this is a wonderful
opportunity to create ambassadors of our wine to, when they go back to their respective
countries, spread our wine message. The reputation and integrity of the judges we chose this
year is without a doubt of the highest standard, he concluded.

The local team of judges consist of a variety of winemakers, researchers, academics, Cape Wine
Masters, wine buyers, wine writers and consultants. Panels of seven judges blind taste the
entries according to areas of expertise.

Scores are awarded according to the 20-point scale: 18 or more wins a double gold; 17 points is
worth gold and silver goes to a 16-point wine/brandy. A bronze medal goes to a wine/brandy with
15 points.

The announcement of the medal winners will take place on 4 October at the Cape International
Convention Centre (CTICC) at a dazzling event sponsored by Agri-Expo.

For more information, contact Elsab Ferreira on 021 863 1599, fax 021 863 1552 or e-mail
admin@veritas.co.za.

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ENDS

Issued by Marlene Truter Communications
tel 021 438 6836 l 083 294 6060
e-mail marlene@marlenetruter.co.za

On behalf of Veritas Awards
tel 021 863 1599
e-mail admin@veritas.co.za