Steenberg emerged as one of the competition's top-line international winners, winning two of the seven categories in South Africa, namely architecture, parks and gardens and wine tourism services.
The international network of wine capitals, in addition to Cape Town/Cape Winelands, includes Bilbao-Rioja (Spain), Bordeaux (France), Florence (Italy), Mainz (Germany), Mendoza (Argentina), Porto (Portugal) and San Francisco-Napa (US) and most recently, New Zealand's Christchurch.
Last year's global winner from South Africa, Rust en Vrede, which was then also ranked one of the two best restaurants across the network, has this time won the local restaurant category. The restaurant, which also features in the 2010 San Pellegrino World's Top 100 Best Restaurants worldwide, is run by chef David Higgs and sommelier Neil Grant.
Other winners from South Africa were Delaire Graff Lodges & Spa, situated on the Helshoogte Mountain Pass, (best accommodation); Grande Provence Heritage Wine Estate in Franschhoek (arts and culture); Warwick Estate on the Simonsberg (innovative wine tourism experiences) and Waverley Hills, between Tulbagh and Wolseley (sustainable wine tourism practices).
Steenberg joins the other global winners of the nine participating countries, which saw 80% of entries coming from new players this year. They are:
The nine will all carry the title as their countries' Best of Wine Tourism winners for 2011.