VAN RYN’S TAKES INTERNATIONAL TOP HONOURS FIVE TIMES
Van Ryn’s Distillery in Stellenbosch has retained its best in the world status amidst tough competition, having just taken the title in London of International Spirits Challenge (ISC) Best Brandy for the second year in succession.
On both occasions, the top score went to Van Ryn’s 12 Year Old Distillers Reserve, the same brandy to twice win the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Worldwide Best Brandy (IWSC) trophy, first in 2004 and again in 2005.
Last year, it was the turn of the Van Ryn’s 20 Year Old Collectors Reserve to be judged IWSC Worldwide Best Brandy for 2008.
The latest coup brings to five the number of times South Africa’s flagship brandy distillery has walked off with the highest score on a major international competitive event. No other local brandy distillery has been similarly honoured.
Van Ryn’s 15 Year Old Fine Cask Reserve won a gold medal on the 2009 ISC. The distillery also came home with three golds on this year’s IWSC. These were for the 12 Year Old Distillers Reserve and 20 Year Old Collectors Reserve, both of which also earned best-in-class scores, as well as for the Van Ryn’s 10 Year Old Vintage Brandy. The 12 Year Old Distillers Reserve also won gold on the 2009 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles.
Says brandy master Johan Venter, who conceived the Van Ryn’s Collection Reserve range and continues to oversee the handcrafting of its four limited-edition brandies: “With the growing international participation of specialist brandy producers the world over, the competition and thus standards continue to rise, making it progressively difficult to retain our front-ranking position. Apart from the actual brandy-making expertise we have developed and try to enhance with each passing year, we also give a great deal of focus to the sourcing of the right fruit and have established close networks with the viticulturists who manage the vineyards from which we draw our grapes.
“We also are extremely particular in the seasoning and toasting specifications for the French oak vats in which we age our brandies. So with top-quality fruit and wood at our disposal, we are well placed to apply ourselves to the traditional art of double-distillation and, of course, to the blending, which is where we make our most discernible mark.
”We are also very fortunate in that South African brandy-making legislation is amongst the most stringent anywhere in the world, which certainly has given us a head start.”
The four brandies in the range are stocked by specialty retailers and at Van Ryn’s Distillery on the banks of the Eerste River.
- DATE
- October 8, 2009
- ISSUED BY
- DKC (De Kock Communications)
- FOR
- Van Ryn’s collection reserve
- QUERIES
- Johan Venter, brandy master (021) 809 7000
Karl Schutte, Van Ryn’s marketing manager/Yvonne Gertse, Van Ryn’s brand manager (021) 809 7000
Tessa de Kock/Marlise Potgieter, DKC (021) 422 2690
