IWSC Wine and Spirit Judging in South Africa

This year, the IWSC will bring together a top panel of international judges, led by Victoria Mason MW, alongside regional experts. The panel is comprised of top buyers, Masters of Wine, and respected journalists and sommeliers from both the UK and South Africa.

Victoria Mason MW - IWSC Wine Judging Committee member & Buyer at the Wine Society
Victoria is a wine buyer with almost ten years of diverse wine buying experience in the UK market, ranging from supermarket, Waitrose, to fine wine merchant, Bordeaux Index, to online retailer, The Wine Society. Her specialisms include South Africa and Italy.

David Kermode - Journalist and Broadcaster
A journalist and broadcaster, with two decades of experience across TV, radio and print media, and a lifelong love of wine and spirits. David also hosts The Drinking Hour podcast.

Dan Orton - Buyer at The 10 Cases
Former Sommelier Dan Orton is the wine buyer for The 10 Cases in Covent Garden, where he curates a list of over 750 wines spanning global producers that delivers exceptional value and balances classics with exciting emerging producers.

Beth Kelly MW - Wine Product Development Manager at Tesco
Beth Kelly MW is a highly respected figure in the London wine trade, renowned for her extensive expertise and unwavering commitment to excellence. With experience primarily in large-scale retail her career has seen her contribute significantly to various aspects of the wine industry, including buying, education, and wine judging.

Beth Pearce MW - Head Buyer at Flint Wines
As a leading buyer with a career across Majestic, Lay & Wheeler and now Flint Wines, Beth Pearce not only has a deep knowledge of the UK wine scene but was also instrumental in setting up the spirits list at Majestic. In September 2021, Beth was awarded 'Outstanding Young Person of the Year' by the Vintners' Company.

Dr Winnie Bowman - Consultant 
A Cape Wine Master who also holds a PhD in Education, Dr Winne Bowman has long-standing experience as a wine and spirit-tasting judge, with an expertise in brandy. Her writing includes wine/brandy and restaurant reviews for the Die Burger and Beeld newspapers, Whisky and More magazine. 

Andrew Shelly - Co-founder of Winelab.Africa
An accomplished wine professional and educator with the aim to make world-class wine education accessible across Africa, Andrew also has a background in the live communications industry. 

Lauren Segers-Jewell - South Africa Buyer at Wine Cellar
Lauren is a former sommelier turned wine buyer with a specialism in South African wine, alongside a focus on relationship building and community upliftment. In 2024, she founded a tasting group for the youth of the industry to ensure they have exposure to the best wines in the world.

Tinashe Musora - Corporate Sommelier at Princess Cruises
Corporate Sommelier at Princess Cruises and recipient of the IWSC Emerging Talent in Wine Hospitality 2025 Award, Tinashe Musora is recognised for his commitment to education, community empowerment and making wine more accessible to new audiences.

Entering the IWSC Judging in South Africa offers producers an opportunity to elevate their wines on the international stage, connect with key trade figures and strengthen their presence in important markets. 

Producers entering the IWSC Judging in South Africa will benefit from:

• Convenient local delivery, helping producers avoid the cost and complexity of shipping samples internationally, including duties and taxes

• Exposure to some of the key figures in both the UK and South African trades
• Exposure of award-winning wines and spirits to the IWSC’s global audience through our trade channels, including IWSC website and social media, as well as our consumer platform Club Oenologique
• Inclusion in the IWSC’s 2026 communication campaigns.

In previous years, entrants to the IWSC Global Judging event in South Africa have seen a direct commercial impact from their medals, securing new listings with leading UK importers and retailers, including Waitrose, Majestic Wine, and prestigious on-trade venue, Mason Estelle. Find out more by heading to our case studies page.

The IWSC South African Wine Producer Trophy recognises top producers in the region, celebrating excellence, consistency and craftsmanship across their entire portfolio of wines.

In 2025, the trophy was awarded to Graham Beck recognised for its outstanding Cap Classique sparkling wine and strong medal performance across the judging.

All wine producers entering the IWSC and judged during the session are automatically considered for this prestigious award. Following the judging, the highest-performing producers are shortlisted based on their results, this shortlist is then reviewed by members of the IWSC Judging Committee who select the overall winner.

The winning producer will be announced shortly after the judging, with formal recognition at the IWSC Awards Celebration later in the year.

Entry deadline: 3 July 2026

Delivery Window: 1-13 July 2026

Judging: 18-23 July 2026

Results announcement: 28 July 2026

Entry fee (online entry): 1-3 entries - £174 per entry; 4+ entries - £162 per entry.

When entering your wines, please select “Judging in South Africa” as your judging location.

Delivery information:

Please send 2 bottles* of each entry. Please clearly mark your shipment: IWSC

Delivery address: Diamant Estate, Suid-Agter Paarl Road, 7624, Paarl

Delivery window: 1-13 July 2026

*Please note, if your wine or spirit is awarded a Gold medal, we will require 4 x additional bottles to be sent to the UK for our Trophy judging and Awards Celebration.

If you have any questions, or require further assistance please contact us.