Klink Awards Results

Below are the final results as voted by you, the wine loving public.


Beyond Expectations

Award for Great Food and Excellent Value

Situated between our Klink awards for bistro-style country cuisine and fine dining, this award is for a Winelands restaurant in the mid-price category that serves seriously good food at very fair prices, attracting foodies by raising the bar and presenting local garden and winelands produce with passion and contemporary culinary style.

Comfort Zone

Award for Best Bistro or Café on a Wine Farm

This award goes to the best bistro or café in the Cape Winelands at a venue that combines quality, cuisine, setting and service without all the frills of silver service. We were looking for venues that source local, artisanal farm produce and showcase good food and wine in an informal, relaxed style as well as offer value-for-money on own wines and wines served by the glass.

Connoisseur

Award for Best Cellar Tasting Experience

This award goes to the cellar which offers the best vintage wine tasting experience. Criteria include the welcome and wine knowledge of staff, the use of the correct wine glasses, the condition of wine samples, the range of vintage wine releases available, the availability of vertical flights of flagship wines , the range of unique wines available at cellar-door only.

Country Comfort

Award for Boutique Accommodation on a Wine Estate

The winner of this category offers boutique accommodation on a wine farm that promises something extraordinary in a vineyard setting, whether that be in a Cape Dutch manor house or a luxury guesthouse. The winning venue will capture the romance of a wine farm getaway and offer world-class accommodation.

Crowd Pleaser

Award for Best Wine Route Event

This award goes to the most popular wine route event on the annual Winelands calendar - an event that draws repeat visitors year after year, helps to build a regional wine brand and market a specific wine route destination.

Delicious Deli

Award for Best Deli on a Wine Farm

These days, cellar-door delis sell all manner of goodies: estate olives and olive oils, artisanal breads, cheeses and charcuterie, boutique chocolates and nougat, organic vegetables, farm honey, jams, pickles and picnic baskets. This award recognises the top cellar-door deli, one that tempts wine tourists with an authentic range of traditional and contemporary Winelands produce grown on the farm or sourced locally from artisanal producers.

Family Day Out

Award for Best Child-Friendly Venue on a Wine Farm

This award goes to a wine farm where you can take the whole family and the kids are taken care of in a safe environment. There must be something for everyone here. The adults can relax and enjoy their wine experience - while a kids' menu, special kids' activities or a kids’ playground for all ages keeps everyone happy on a day out in the Winelands.

Gourmet

Award for Best Gourmet Restaurant at the Cellar Door

This award goes to the best of the best cellar-door restaurants in the Cape Winelands - those gastronomic destinations with signature chefs who create cuisine on the cutting edge to attract domestic and foreign wine tourists. We were looking for restaurants which pay great attention to detail in terms of an overall cellar-door experience, have a great location, first-class service, a focus on artisanal and local Winelands produce, seasonal menus, tasting menus which expertly pair food and wine, a sommelier service and a wine list which showcases older vintages, own wines and/or regional wines at the cellar door.

Happy Times

Award for Most Memorable Wine Route.

This award goes to the most popular wine route selected by wine tourists who cherish memories of their experience of a particular wine region because of its ambience, accessibility, scenic beauty, soul, sense of community, family tradition and heritage, warmth, friendliness, culinary offerings, etc. These criteria all go into the memory mix.

Percale

Award for Best Accommodation on a Wine Farm

This award goes to the best of the best, exclusive luxury hotel accommodation on a wine farm or Wine Route. Criteria include the highest standards in terms of location (landscape/scenery), style, reception welcome, quality and comfort of en-suite rooms, facilities, personalised service, and add-on attractions such as a restaurant, room service and mod-cons such as wifi and satellite television.

Tread Gently

Award for Most Green Wine Farm The wine farm that sets the standard for green, planet-friendly farming practices in terms of sustainable viticulture and wine production, biodiversity and conservation initiatives, as well as organic or biodynamic viticulture is celebrated with this award.

Warm Family Welcome

Award for Best Cellar Door Experience

This award acknowledges a family wine farm that offers the warmest country welcome. One that retains the authenticity of its Cape heritage while investing in a cellar-door experience and goes out of its way to make a visit to the cellar door a special experience - making wine tourists feel they are sharing in the special family heritage of the farm and the Winelands

Wild Card

Award for Most Unusual Attraction on a Wine Route

Celebrating the most unusual and memorable attraction on a wine farm, this award is for a destination that offers a unique selling point attracting wine tourists to the cellar- door - from wine and river cruises to vintage motorcar and heritage museums.

Yin and Yang

Award for Best Food and Wine Pairing on a Wine Farm

These days’ cellar doors tempt wine tourists with special food and wine pairings at the cellar tasting centre - from biltong, nuts, dried fruits and wine to cheese, chocolate, and nougat and gourmet canapé tasting platters. We went looking for the best Winelands experiences in the art of food and wine pairing over the tasting counter. Note: This category excludes formal restaurant pairing menus.