The winners of the 2024 Diners Club Winemaker and Young Winemaker of the Year awards were announced at a black-tie gala dinner at the Five Star Arabella Hotel & Spa on Saturday, 23 November, with Kiara Scott Farmer and Mika Engelbrecht claiming top trophy honours respectively.
Mika Engelbrecht and Kiara Scott Farmer (l toR)
This year’s Diners Club Winemaker of the Year (Category Chenin Blanc), Kiara Scott Farmer delighted the judges with her Brookdale Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2022. The 2024 Diners Club Young Winemaker of the Year, Mika Engelbrecht received her award (Red Wines Category) for her Neethlingshof Estate Range Cabernet Sauvignon 2022.
This is only the second time in its history that the Winemaker of the Year award has been awarded to a woman winemaker–quite a feat . The previous female winner was Ronel Wiid in 1999
The winning winemaker received R50 000 and the winning young winemaker received R25 000. In addition, both winners received a round-trip air ticket to a wine-producing region.