The 20th edition of the FNB Sauvignon Blanc Top 10 Awards was held on 14th Oct at the gorgeous Weltevreden Estate just outside Stellenbosch. It is a quiet haven in amongst the rather excessive development in the area near Welgevonden. The event is hosted by Sauvignon Blanc South Africa with SmileFM presenters Ryan O'Connor and Success Lekabe as the MCs, and what consummate professionals they are! Their energy is infectious, they know their subject, and really read the room well! It is such a pleasure to see them in action.Well done to Stephan Claassens from FNB, the title sponsor. He clearly has a creative edge and is a very whole-hearted supporter of the wine industry and Sauvignon Blanc in particular. There is always some intrigue as to how the event will work as the team putting together the awards function is pretty creative! Well done to Eunice Joubert, Isabeau Joubert Botha and the Weltevreden team, who devised a fun treasure hunt and song-recognition link to the Top 10 winners, with each table's attendees wandering around the beautiful newly crafted gardens to find a QR code linked to a Spotify song which in turn was linked to one of the winning wineries. It was an amusing challenge, and 'Vat jou goed en trek, Ferreira!' clearly pointed to Tokara for the link to their owner, GT Ferreira! The 2026 FNB Sauvignon Blanc SA Top 10, in alphabetical order, are: Carmen Stevens Sauvignon Blanc 2025 (wooded) – Cape Town, Coastal Region De Grendel Koetshuis Sauvignon Blanc 2025 (wooded) – Cape West Coast, Coastal Region Groot Phesantekraal Marizanne 2025 (wooded) – Cape Town, Coastal Region Iona Elgin Highlands Sauvignon Blanc 2026 (unwooded) – Elgin, Cape South Coast La Motte Pierneef Sauvignon Blanc 2025 (wooded) – Cape South Coast Lomond Seven Rows Ben Nevis Sauvignon Blanc 2025 (wooded) – Cape Agulhas, Cape South Coast Quoin Rock Nicobar Sauvignon Blanc 2025 (wooded) – Western Cape Steenberg Black Swan 2025 (unwooded) – Constantia, Coastal Region Tokara Reserve Collection Sauvignon Blanc 2025 (unwooded) – Elgin, Cape South Coast Wildeberg Terroirs Sauvignon Blanc 2025 (unwooded) – Stellenbosch, Coastal Region Congrats are in order for the Top 10 Winners!