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Team South Africa proudly represented their country at the prestigious World Blind Wine Tasting Championship which took place this weekend at Chateau Dauzac in Margaux, France.

The event, hosted by La Revue du Vin de France, saw 39 countries compete in a highly competitive competition over 12 wines from across the world.

The South African squad, chosen following an intense national competition, included Chris Groenewald (team captain), Danielle Le Roux CWM, Bernard de Boer, and Wim Truter.

Their participation highlighted South Africa’s winemaking talent and enthusiasm, elevating the country’s standing among the world’s top wine enthusiasts.

Although South Africa got off to a great start by correctly recognising the first wine, a Corpinnat from Penedes made from Xarel Lo grapes, certain crucial choices proved more difficult though, forcing the team to ‘sniff outside the box’.

Wine styles have changed due to global warming, making it more difficult for tasters to use conventional standards.  The terrain is always being redefined by the changing environment, which makes international contests like this global blind-tasting championship more difficult.

While South Africa earned an honourable score, the high level of competition from teams like Italy (this year’s champions), Taiwan, and Switzerland made it difficult to secure a top spot.

The squad, who trained with a rigorous tour of France and Spain, was praised by coach Jean Vincent Ridon, who underlined how difficult it is at times to obtain foreign wines in South Africa because of financial constraints.

“Training for this competition requires significant resources, and we hope to secure partners for next year who can support a broader educational initiative. We aim to expand the pool of talented tasters in South Africa, encouraging diversity and fostering emerging talent.”

 

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It’s worth noting that South Africa has historically triumphed over Italy in 9 out of 11 encounters. This year, Team SA also outperformed France, a three-time world champion, and Hungary, the 2021 world champion.

South Africa ranked 26th out of 39 nations for this year’s tournament. However, South Africans are always optimistic and are already looking forward to next year’s championship in Jura, France.

[source:wine.co.za]