PIWOSA - The Flight Club

Local Sommeliers and Wine Professionals Invited to Fly High with PIWOSA at Cape Wine 2018

Premium Independent Wineries of South Africa (PIWOSA), well-known internationally for their execution of innovative marketing programmes designed to raise the profile of premium South African wines, will be demonstrating their creative flair, for locals and internationals, here in South Africa for the first time. With a passion for the theatrical, get ready to be enthralled and enchanted by PIWOSA’s #LiquidArt programme of inspired events during Cape Wine 2018 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) in September.

Enter The Flight Club, one of their most successful feats, taking place in South Africa for the first time on 13th September at Cape Wine 2018. Local sommeliers and wine professionals are invited to take up the challenge and test their skills in a series of blind comparative tastings of premium South African wines versus some of the very best wines in the world. Highly regarded French wines are hidden in five flights of South African wines from PIWOSA producers, the flights being Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Bordeaux-style blends/varietals. The contestants are met by air stewardesses and directed to the respective airport gates to begin the tasting. All they have to do is correctly identify the one French wine in each flight with a great prize up for grabs: an all-expenses paid trip to Burgundy in France for a week. Seemingly simple, PIWOSA have seen astonishing results globally when presenting The Flight Club in the UK, Singapore, Japan, China, Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and Canada. Only one contestant to date, Zachary Tay, group sommelier for SPRMRKT Singapore has managed this feat correctly, winning himself an all-expenses paid trip to South Africa. “The fact that just one from over 600 top sommeliers and wine professionals around the world, in five years, could correctly pinpoint the French wine in each flight is a testament to the quality of South African wines today. Hopefully our local wine professionals will rise to the challenge and perhaps outshine their international counterparts,” says Rollo Gabb, Chairman of PIWOSA.

The Mile-High Club follows on from The Flight Club with a sixth flight of five South African wines where contestants have to correctly identify the varietals. Any prospective winner of The Flight Club will have the chance to double up with a second flight to Burgundy by passing the Mile-High Club challenge.

The Flight Club will be taking place in the CTICC Meeting Room MR 1.74 on 13th September, with flights departing every 45 minutes, starting at 12h30 and ending at 16h15. Each of the five sessions can accommodate a maximum of 20 participants, therefore a maximum of 100 entrants in total. The Flight Club winner will be announced later that day at the PIWOSA Stand K106 at Cape Wine 2018 at 17h00. Local sommeliers and wine professionals who are keen to demonstrate their tasting expertise, should register for Cape Wine 2018 at: www.capewine2018.com/VisitorsRegistration, or at the door. To book a place in The Flight Club tasting on 13th September, please email info@piwosa.com. There is no charge to register for Cape Wine nor The Flight Club.

Formed in 2013 with full support from Wines of South Africa (WOSA), PIWOSA is a collective of eleven likeminded, dynamic, independent wine producers. Operating as a united force, the members travel extensively, hosting ingenious presentations in targeted export markets to capture attention, re-set opinions and build a positive reputation and increased demand for all premium South African wines. 76 creative and dynamic events have been executed internationally over the past five years and a further 20 international events are already planned for 2019.

Watch the PIWOSA story of #LiquidArt unfold on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram where many surprises are being revealed #LiquidArt #CapeWine2018

PIWOSA Members: Bruce Jack Wines, De Grendel, Glenelly, Jordan, Journey’s End, Ken Forrester Vineyards, Klein Constantia, Paul Cluver, Raats Family Wines, Radford Dale, Springfield