.: Taj Classic Wine Trophy Award Dinner

Once a year, several fairly eminent French wine trade people come to South Africa and judge the local wines that are entered into this very interesting competition sponsored by the Taj Hotel. We so wish more farms would enter, because there were some huge gaps, especially not enough Chenin blanc, which they say they really appreciated, no viogniers and none of our best white blends, even though the judges say we are making stunning Semillon and not showcasing it enough.

We had a good dinner and each table had a bottle of each of the winning wines to share over dinner, so we had a really great experience with some excellent wines. Many of the winning winemakers had wrested themselves away from a very busy harvest to be there, so it made for a very happy and joyous evening

Sadly the head judge, Olivier Poussier, (the Best Sommelier in the World competition winner, wine consultant, writer and group sommelier of Lenôtre), seems to dislike our Sauvignons blanc – many of us think perhaps he has not tasted enough of them or the right ones.... He says we don’t have the right terroir and fairly obviously prefers French but really likes those made in Australia and New Zealand where pyrazines are a feature. .. He doesn’t like our pyrazines. Lynne had quite a conversation with him as he left, mostly in French, and he said he had enjoyed the competition very much. The Award ceremony was ably MC’d by Neil Pendock

The award is a plaque rather than a trophy

The menu for dinner. All the winning wines were served with the meal and every table had a bottle of each

Small torchon of chicken with Poached pear and camomile served as an Amuse Bouche

The starter was the best dish. Franschhoek trout in an Asian marinade with salmon caviar and lemon. A perfect match for the only Chenin Blanc to win , the magnificent De Morgenzon 2013 Reserve Chenin Blanc

The line up of the white wine Trophy winners. We also started the evening with glasses of Villiera’s trophy winning 2008 elegant Monro Brut MCC

Our table companions lined up all the wines in front of them and it was a little difficult to get their attention and get some of them to taste

John did manage to get a photograph of all the red Trophy winners

Our main course of seared loin of veal with sweetbreads and garlic mash. Our veal was very PC and nice and dark in colour, obviously not a crated baby animal. And it was a sizeable steak they served.

Riana Hall sat through the awards next to Lynne till the end of dinner, thinking she had not won anything and then with dessert she was at last presented with her trophy for her stunningly good Rudera Noble Late Harvest Dessert wine, So well deserved and she was so delighted.

Award winners Vineyard manager Floricius Beukes and Winemaker Boela Gerber From Groot Constantia get the award for their 2013 Chardonnay and Gouverneurs Reserve 2011 which was one of our favourite wines of the evening