This year’s
blending competition saw a total of 99 blends competing for the honour to be
crowned best blenders. Four international entries were received from
Axybel in Belgium, Blaauwklippen Wine Friends Heidiland in Switzerland, the
Portland Classique wine guild from Australia, as well as the Ongava
International Wine Tasters from Namibia.
“Receiving
more and more entries from abroad affirms the popularity of this competition
and the role it has on wine club calendars all over the world,” said Rolf
Zeitvogel, Blaauwklippen’s Cellar Master and convenor of the judging
panel.
“We have
cemented a reputation of professional, but hands-on approach to wine selection.
This competition, the only wine contest in South Africa where amateur wine
clubs are given the opportunity to submit their own blends for judging by a
panel of professional wine experts, gives those who enter a real look into what
happens on a working wine farm when creating a winning blend of commercial
value.”
For 2014 the clubs were tasked to
create a consumer friendly, every day, easy-drinking, juicy, modern red blend,
consisting of the following wines, Cabernet Franc 2012, Malbec 2013, Shiraz
2013 and Zinfandel 2013. A minimum of three of the four base wines had to be
used in the final blend, and Zinfandel and Cabernet Franc had to be included in
restricted quantities in the recipe.
After the
clubs had determined the ideal percentage of blending components to create
their final wine, the blends were tasted by a panel of wine judges to determine
the finalists. Six wines stood out with exactly the same blend, 30% Zinfandel,
20% Malbec, 15% Cabernet Franc and 35% Shiraz, which created a playful, yet
elegant red wine.
Finalist clubs
are treated to a fun filled and informative weekend in the winelands, courtesy
of the Protea Hotel Stellenbosch, and every finalist club is treated to a
personal visit and exclusive wine tasting by Rolf Zeitvogel, Blaauwklippen’s
Managing Director and Cellar Master. Other prizes include wine from
Blaauwklippen and glassware from Vitria, who has been a sponsor of this
competition since its inception in 1984.
The six
winning club’s red blend will be bottled under the Blaauwklippen Barouche label
and sold commercially. The label for this winning blend is based on a
specially designed artwork by well-known Stellenbosch artist, Frans Groenewald,
and all six wine clubs will receive recognition on the back label. The wine is sold in Magnum bottles from
selected retail outlets, and from the Tasting Room on the farm at R120 per
bottle.
An additional
award, the Newcomer Trophy, was introduced in 2008 by Blaauwklippen to
encourage new entries and wine enthusiasts to the competition. This trophy goes
to the highest scoring wine of a wine club which has never entered the
competition before and this year the honours went to Bonza Bay Winos
from East London.
Rolf’s panel
of judges this year consisted of Albert Basson (Blaauwklippen winemaker), Clive
Torr (Cape Wine Master and winemaker), Samarie Smith (wine judge and
journalist), Karen Glanfield (wine judge and journalist) and Elona Hesseling
(wine judge and journalist).