The KLINK Awards

Last week I attended the KLINK Awards, which was held at the offices of DHK Architects, in Cape Town. What a truly amazing setting to celebrate some of the top achievers in the wine tourism industry. To get the evening started we were greeted with a glass of bubbles, nothing better on a balmy Cape Town evening! The waite-staff were top-notch, they kept the canapés flowing all evening! The food was certainly plentiful and rather scrumptious and the wine delicious!

On the stunning roof top terrace setting, overlooking the Mother City, Monica Alias from Wine Tourism SA, with the help of Mike Ratcliffe handed out the awards for the various category winners. As voted for by you the consumer.

The winners were as follows:

• Beyond Expectations “Award for Great Food & Excellent Value” – Haute Cabriéré
• Comfort Zone “Award for the Best Bistro or Cafe on a Wine Farm” – Harvest at Laborie
• Connoisseur “Award the Best Cellar Tasting Experience” – Fairview Master Tasting
• Country Comfort “Award for Boutique Accommodation on a Wine Farm” – Doolhof Grand Dédale
• Crowd Pleaser “Award for the Best Wine Route Event” – Durbanville  Wine Valley Season of Sauvignon
• Delicious Deli “Award for Best Deli on a Wine Farm” – Fairview Deli
• Family Day Out “Award for Best Child-friendly Venue on a Wine Farm – Blaauwklippen
• Gourmet ” Award for Best Gourmet Restaurant at the Cellar Door” – Pierneef  á La Motte
• Happy Times “Award for Most Memorable Wine Route” – Franschhoek Wine Valley
• Percale “Award for Best Accommodation on a Wine Route” – Majeka House
• Tread Gently “Award for Most Green Wine Farm” – Villiera
• Warm Family Welcome “Award for Best Cellar Door Experience” – Delheim
• Wild Card “Award for Most Unusual Attraction on a Wine Route” – Cape Heritage Museum at Solms-Delta
• Yin and Yang “Award for Best Food and Wine Pairing on a Wine Farm” – Creation Canapé Platter Pairing

Inspired by the marketing and consumer engagement efforts of the nominees, an additional award was specifically created for the #KLINK nominee with the most votes overall. The Supernova Award was presented to Blaauwklippen.

“Thank you to the thousands of domestic and international wine tourists who visited, voted for and provided feedback on their favourite nominees. The inaugural #KLINK Awards achieved our aims of using social media as a core marketing driver and important means of building relationships and engaging with potential and existing clients. Through the viral nature of these platforms, we have been able to reach a broad base of consumers. Congratulations to the winners. We hope that this encourages even more people to visit our winelands and give feedback on their experiences.” ~ Monika Elias, Wine Tourism South Africa and #KLINK Awards Founder

Thank you to Wine Tourism South Africa for a wonderful evening and congratulations to all the KLINK Award winners! Hope to see you all next year! To find out more about the winners pop over to the Wine Tourism website here.