The Sommeliers Selection regards Hartenberg’s Alchemy as one of the ‘ultimate’ wines for 2017

Tuesday, 8 August, 2017
Hartenberg Estate
The Sommeliers Selection Wine Competition has revolutionized local wine competitions. It is a competition with a difference, as it is judged solely by top South African Sommeliers. The winning wines for 2017 have been announced with Hartenberg Wine Estate’s Alchemy Merlot Cabernet Franc Malbec 2015 securing a spot in its category, Economically Savvy Wine By The Glass (Reds), to make up the ‘ultima

Cellar Master, Carl Schultz, describes this dominant Merlot blend wine as being smooth and easy drinking, bursting with an abundance of fragrant fruit flavours, which follow through to savoury smokey plum flavours. Enjoy on its own or served with a homemade beef burger or pizza. Available directly from the farm at R65 per bottle or select outlets nationwide.

With the rapid and exciting growth of both the food and wine industry in South Africa over the last 20 years, consumers are looking for experienced guidance when it comes to selecting wine, and The Sommeliers Selection does just that.

With categories such as White: Fresh & Crunchy or Red: Voluptuous & Rich or Red: Elegant & Classy, wines of different varieties, blends, and pricing, but stylistically similar can stand alongside each other. The panel of Sommeliers then judges and chooses wines to match the various categories to make up the ‘ultimate’ wine list. 

The Sommeliers Selection panel members blind taste individually, before discussing the wines and deciding if the wine fulfills the criteria of being placed on the Sommeliers Selection wine list.

At the annual feedback session with the winning list, the panel discussed the entered wines, what they looked for in a perfect wine list and which wines “wowed them as well as the emphasis on the importance of judging wines for ideal pairing with food.  

Joakim Blackadder, a board member of The South African Sommeliers Association (SASA), chaired the 2017 Judging panel of The Sommeliers Selection. He was supported by members of SASA and BLACC, which included sommeliers Pearl Oliver, Joseph Dafana, Billet Magara, Barry Scholfield (Panel Chair), Esmé Groenewald and Spencer Fondaumiere (Panel Chair). They were joined by Trainee Judges Melusi Magodhi and Minnie Mthombeni.

Trade and Public tastings will take place in Johannesburg (Thursday, 28 September) and Cape Town (Wednesday, 5 October). For more information visit www.thesommeliersselection.co.za or email info@thesommeliersselection.co.za.

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Hartenberg Alchemy Merlot Malbec Cabernet Franc
Hartenberg Alchemy Merlot Malbec Cabernet Franc

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