Stellenbosch, South Africa, Tuesday 20 July: Andrea Freeborough, cellar master at the Bergkelder in Stellenbosch, clinched the coveted 2010 Landbouweekblad SA Woman Winemaker of the year title with her 2009 Fleur du Cap Noble Late Harvest.

Fleur du Cap, home of Fleur du Cap’s wines is one of South Africa’s most established and celebrated wine labels and belongs to the Distell group.

Andrea wowed the judges with her 2009 Fleur du Cap Noble Late Harvest, a wine made from 90% Chenin Blanc, 6% Semillon and 4% Weisser Reisling. Andrea’s win was no lucky coincidence as the wine that scored the second highest mark was also made by her: a 2009 Unfiltered Fleur du Cap Chardonnay.

She beat 77 wine entries from 32 woman winemakers across South Africa in this year’s competition, which is sponsored by Landbouweekblad, the country’s leading agriculture and agri-business publication. The competition took place for the seventh time this year and entries showed a marked increase from the 2009 competition where 64 wines from 28 winemakers were tasted.

The 2010 competition was judged in one round only as the interview leg of the judging had been done away with.

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We have made several changes to the format of the competition, the most significant being the disposing of the judges’ interviews with finalists. From this year the judging process will consist only of blind judging of the wine by the panel of judges, which will determine the 2010 winner.

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Ntsiki Biyela, winemaker at Stellekaya in Stellenbosch was crowned SA Woman Winemaker of the Year 2009 in Somerset West at the Lord Charles Hotel on Thursday 30th of July.

Ntsiki beat 64 wine entries from 28 woman winemakers across South Africa in this year’s competition, which is sponsored by Landbouweekblad, the country’s leading agriculture and agri-business publication. The competition took place for the sixth time this year.

Nontsikelelo, or Ntsiki as she is fondly known, was born and raised in the rural village of Ulundi in Kwa-Zulu Natal. She matriculated from Mahlabathini High School in 1996 where she excelled in science. Ntsiki had high hopes to study engineering, but did not have the funding for full-timne study. Not deterred and determined to save money to pay for her studies, she started off working as a domestic worker. Coincidently her uncle introduced her to winemaker Jabulani Ntshangase, who assisted Ntsiki in applying for an SAA scholarship. Ntsiki was chosen as one of ten black students to pursue a bursary program to study winemaking at Stellenbosch.

Six dynamic winemakers are through to the final round of this year's Landbouweekblad Woman Winemaker of the Year Award. South Africa's only competition for woman winemakers, now in it's sixth year, are sponsored by leading South African agricultural magazine, Landbouweekblad.

This year's competition saw 64 entries from 28 winemakers across the country. According to Lorraine Immelman-Steyn, organiser of this competition, the growing entries shows that women are now firmly settled into and impressing in the wine industry. “Not only in South Africa, but also in other parts of the wine world there are an increasing number of women entering the wine industry,” she said. “Across the world there is a growing awareness of woman winemakers, even through similar international competitions. Just think about the National Woman's Wine Competition, as well as the Women Winemakers Challenge.”

After a blind tasting of 64 wines, entered by 28 entrants, our six finalists are:

1. Danelle van Rensburg, Van Loveren Vineyards
2. Corrien Geleijnse, Swartland Winery
3. Carmen Stevens, Amani Vineyards
4. Ntsiki Biyela, Stellakaya Wines
5. Corlea Fourie, Bosman Family Vineyards
6. Nomonde Kubheka, KWV

This competition has always evoked some emotional responses and comes with it's fair share of controversy: why an award for a woman winemaker? Should she not compete on equal footing with her male colleagues?

And 70 women did just that, with the help of Graham Beck's bubbly, words of wisdom from Erika in her key note address and the hilarious shananigans of motivational speaker Elsabe Aldrich.

The morning was rounded off nicely with Egoli-fame singer, Sarah Theron singing favourites such as My Ouma Sêra and Sit die Ketel aan.

No-one went away empty-handed - with goodie-bags for everyone and lucky draws for Graham Beck wine, vouchers for pampering at the luxurious Lanzerac Spa, beautiful Spiegelau glasses and subscriptions to Landbouweekblad, South Africa's leading agriculture and agri-business publication.

• Corlea Fourie - Bosman Wines
• Erika Obermeyer - Graham Beck Wines
• Rianie Strydom - Dombeya Wines
• Mari van der Merwe - Diemersdal Estate
• Danelle van Rensburg - Van Loveren Vineyards
• Jocelyn Wilson - La Bri

6 x Bordeaux
6 x Young Red Wine
6 x White Wine
6 x Champage glasses

I left for Bordeaux at the end of May for an unforgettable week of wine-tasting, wine-living en wine-loving! The adventure was without doubt one which I will remember with fondness for the rest of your life.

This competition has always evoked some emotional responses and comes with it's fair share of controversy: why an award for a woman winemaker? Should she not compete on equal footing with her male colleagues?