Celebrating 40 Years Of The Art Of Wine Blending

Entries for the annual Blaauwklippen Blending Competition are open, and what makes this year so special is that the competition will be celebrating 40 years of the art of wine blending.

Who will be the winning wine club in this year's 40th Blaauwklippen Wine Blending Competition?

The competition is open to all aspiring winemakers with the objective to encourage budding wine enthusiasts to create a winning blend.

“Blends are a much-loved category of red wine, with so many possibilities and variations in character and style. This competition affords wine lovers the opportunity to get hands-on experience in blending – a combination of science and art that captures the strengths of each varietal to create a wine that is greater than the sum of its parts,” says Blaauwklippen winemaker, Narina Cloete.

For this year’s competition, the challenge is to create a Blaauwklippen inspired red blend with the potential to age another 40 years, but with limited components and limited volumes. The finalists will receive four wines, with the twist being the inclusion of two Shiraz styles. All four wines must be used in the final blend.

Entries are made up in the Blaauwklippen cellar according to each team’s formula and tasted blind by the judging panel, which consists of some of the South Africa’s leading wine personalities, along with Narina.

Blaauwklippen winemaker and Blending Competition judge, Narina Cloete

In addition to the trophy, the winning club earns recognition on the label of a limited-edition release of their blend bottled and sold by Blaauwklippen.

To enter simply purchase a blending kit online via www.blaauwklippen.com/bbc2023, and ensure your recipes are submitted timeously as per the stipulated dates. The deadline dates as well as other important information can also be found on this website.