Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines has secured the prestigious World’s Best Rising Star title at the Golden Vines 2026 Awards in London, marking the second consecutive year the South African producer has received the accolade.
Announced at the awards gala on 8 November, the win follows the winery’s inaugural success in 2025, cementing its growing reputation among the world’s leading fine wine producers.
Often described as the Oscars of Wine, the Golden Vines was established in 2021 to celebrate excellence in fine wine and rare spirits while raising funds for the Gérard Basset Foundation, which supports education, diversity and innovation across the global wine, spirits and hospitality industries.
The awards are particularly significant for their international reach. This year’s results were determined by votes from more than 1,300 fine wine merchants, Michelin-starred sommeliers and industry professionals across more than 100 countries, including Masters of Wine, Master Sommeliers and WSET Diploma holders.
Spanish icon Vega Sicilia took home the Golden Vines Best Fine Wine Producer award for the third consecutive year.
For Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines, however, securing the World’s Best Rising Star title twice in succession represents a significant achievement for South African wine. The recognition extends beyond an individual wine or vintage, acknowledging the producer’s overall philosophy, consistency, quality and future potential.
“As a winemaker rooted in the unique terroirs of South Africa, our recognition at this global gathering is both a tremendous honour and a meaningful affirmation of our commitment to craft, place and purpose, and the incredible potential in the Cape,” says Andrea Mullineux, co-owner, head viticulturist and winemaker at Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines.
Andrea believes the credibility of the award lies in the calibre of those who determine its winners.
“The Golden Vines recognises excellence on a truly international platform, and it comes through the voices of people working at the top of the trade. Fine wine merchants, Master Sommeliers, Masters of Wine and other leading professionals taste widely and without sentiment. To be recognised by them as the World’s Best Rising Star in two successive years is incredibly meaningful.”
The award also recognises the broader philosophy behind the business, which encompasses two distinct wine identities: Mullineux in the Swartland and Leeu Passant in Franschhoek. Each has its own vineyards, character and story, but both share a commitment to expressing their respective terroirs, preserving the heritage of Cape winemaking and pursuing uncompromising quality.
“Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines is more than two wineries. It is a partnership, a focused collection of people, places, vineyards, philosophies and experiences that all contribute to a greater whole,” Andrea explains.
“Although our wines have distinct identities and individual stories, they share a common philosophy of respect for place, a commitment to quality, responsible farming and an uncompromising approach to winemaking. The Golden Vines recognition brings international attention to our entire family of wines.”
The consecutive wins also build on the momentum generated by the winery’s first success in 2025, when the awards ceremony took place in Miami. According to Andrea, the recognition brought an immediate sense of excitement within the team, followed by continued international interest in the wines.
“Winning the World’s Best Rising Star at the 2025 Golden Vines was an extraordinary moment for us. There was an immediate sense of excitement and pride, and there is a continued interest and recognition that has followed,” she says.
“It also creates an opportunity to tell a bigger story about South African fine wine. Now we have to keep pushing ourselves and always strive to make even better wines.”
Co-owner Analjit Singh, who joined Chris and Andrea Mullineux in 2013 to establish Leeu Passant on his Leeu Estates property in Franschhoek, dedicated the latest award to the people behind the wines and the international trade that supports them.
“As a South African wine producer, we are deeply grateful for this award at the Golden Vines, as this recognition at the highest level affirms the country’s growing reputation as a leading maker of fine wines,” says Singh.
“While we as Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines are honoured to receive this award for the second year running, it is our wish that this accolade plays a further role in helping the South African wine industry receive the recognition for excellence on the international stage.
“We dedicate this award to our vineyard teams, cellar hands, and the fine wine merchants, sommeliers and industry professionals who believe in our wines and share them and our story with the world.”
Co-owner Chris Mullineux adds that the recognition speaks to the wider contribution of South African winemaking on the international stage.
“The award highlights the rich heritage of Cape winemaking, the incredible quality of our wines, and the unique and exciting voice we bring to the global conversation on fine wine.”
As preparations for the next harvest gather pace across the Swartland and Franschhoek, the latest recognition provides further encouragement for the team. While international accolades do not change the work taking place in the vineyards and cellar, a second consecutive Golden Vines win reinforces the growing global standing of South African fine wine — and the potential for the Cape to compete with the world’s most established wine regions.
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