The Robertson Wine Valley consists of 55 members and plays host to four wine festivals throughout the year: Hands-on Harvest in February, the ever popular Wacky Wine Weekend in June which attracts over 18 000 visitors, Robertson Slow in August and Wine on the River in October. In addition the Robertson Wine Valley has extended its inimitable hospitality to the north and stage the Robertson Wine Festival @ Kloofzicht Lodge in Gauteng in September.

Elizma Spangenberg, manager of the Robertson Wine Valley, comments, “We are extremely proud to be the recipient of this prestigious award, which recognizes our on-going commitment to the development of wine tourism in the Valley. Nine years ago the RWV identified wine tourism development as one of our core objectives and since then, by means of a wide selection of wine tourism events throughout the year, we have been successfully building the Robertson Wine Valley brand, both locally and internationally.”

Established in 1969, Drinks International is the only magazine devoted solely to the global spirits, wine and beer markets, providing their readership of international drinks buyers with news on all the latest developments and trends within the global drinks industry. Drinks International launched these prestigious awards this year to reward producers, winemakers and generic bodies who have recognised and grasped the importance of wine tourism by implementing a successful tourism initiative, which in turn generates brand awareness, brand loyalty and ultimately an increase in sales.

The judging panel comprised Christian Davis, editor of Drinks International, Ian Harris, CEO of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, and Emma Roberts, director of a major London PR and marketing agency, Eviva. In announcing the RWV as the winner of the best generic wine body category, Drinks International editor, Christian Davis, commented: “Robertson has a battle on its hands. With the likes of well-known names Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek within (easier) driving distance of Cape Town, Robertson has to work hard to get people to visit it ... Impressive for a small region with limited resources. Original and made the region sexy.”