The 2023 World Brandy Awards have seen South Africa’s Van Ryn’s 15-year-old single potstill brandy named World’s Best Wine Brandy for the second consecutive year.
According to Biz Community, this is the second consecutive time the Stellenbosch-based brandy distillery has won the title and the third occasion since 2020. Furthermore, South African brandies claimed the lion’s share of accolades in the Wine Brandy category. South Africa led by a significant margin with 16 separate medals and awards, to leave France in second place followed by participants from Australia, United States and Canada.
In addition to the chart-topping Van Ryn’s, local brands singled out by the international judges panel include Viceroy, KWV, Klipdrift and Richelieu. “This is another proud moment for South African distillers. Their benchmark achievements have been unwavering for many decades and is recorded across every global competition,” says South African Brandy Foundation director Christelle Reade-Jahn.
The title of World’s Best Wine Brandy first went to Van Ryn’s in 2020 for its 12YO. Last year, the title was claimed by its 20YO Potstill Brandy. “In this competition, we compete only against brandies that are made from grapes and are aged,” says Van Ryn’s master distiller and general manager Marlene Bester. “The category undoubtedly comprises the crème de la crème and so to win this award consecutively is an unbelievable honour.
She attributes the achievement to a single-minded group. “I have a fantastic team working with me to ensure consistent production of top-quality brandy. The team’s commitment and focus on quality, consistent year to year, is truly laudable and I’m extremely proud to be part of it.”
In addition to the three crowning accolades at the World Brandy Awards, Van Ryn’s brandies have in the past 19 years received the trophy for World’s Best Brandy at the International Spirits Challenge (ISC) and International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) on no less than 13 occasions. Van Ryn’s is also a two-time winner of the title of Brandy Producer of the Year at the New York International Spirits Challenge.
It is a regular recipient of Double Golds at Veritas and has seen five stars awarded to every one of its brandies by the panel of the authoritative Platter’s South African wine guide.
