The 36th Blaauwklippen Blending Competition winners' lunch

To the terrace at Blaauwklippen to meet the four teams who have made it to the final

of the Annual Blaauwklippen Blending Competitions. Canapés were served, this was lavash flat bread

Very good small crisp tempura battered fish bites dressed with a lemon mayonnaise

More canapés of nut crumbed goat's cheese in half a strawberry

We were offered either a glass of Blaauwklippen’s new Garden gin ...

served with a Chinchona Pink tonic made with ruby grapefruit and natural quinine (not a hint of Angostura in sight)

which tempted Lynne and was very refreshing. John opted for the MCC made from Zinfandel

Bronwen and Guy MacDonald with winemaker Narina Cloete and Landbou Weekblad journalist Lucille Botha

That 'pink' gin

Time to go inside for the awards and lunch

On the table were bottles of this year's winning blend, which we were to drink with lunch

Always a long table

The lunch menu

Guy MacDonald was our lively MC for the day

The awards were under cover

Narina welcomed us and talked about this year’s wine. What they were looking for was accessibility, fruit, purity, not a one dimensional wine; good now, but with a possibility of aging. She headed the judges who were Clive Torr CWM, Karen Glanfield Pawley and Guy MacDonald. This year the wines sent to clubs were Shiraz, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Zinfandel. They judged the 77 blends entered. the tasting was audited and they used the 100 point system. They chose a top 8 and then whittled it down to just 4. She then introduced the four finalist wine club members

They were to tell us about themselves. First to speak were the Lydenburg Wynproewersgilde (Mpumalanga). Gerda, who is the secretary of the club, gave a very amusing and detailed account of how the club was formed, how it runs and how they approach the competition. They have four wine fundis, the rest are wine lovers. It is about ambience and fellowship. This is their 24th entry into the competition and the third time they have been in the top four

SLVWG (Serious Lovers of Vines, Wines and Grapes) (Western Cape) Their speaker was Paul Laenmle

It is a their pinnacle of achievement to reach the top 4. It was arduous and rewarding

John Mark spoke for the Thursday Club (Gauteng) They began in 2001 and have had 2 divorces and 20 children in that time

Only invited members. It goes back to UCT when members joined the wine culture society there

The club has won this competition two years running, then they came stone last. Good to be here for a third time

Wingerd Vista (Western Cape) has just two members, Chef Janine van Zyl and her partner Eckart Potgieter and it has been in existence for just one year. Janine, who is also a trained chef and sommelier, has her own restaurant at Del Vera wine estate and is currently studying to be a Cape Wine Master. Eckart says Janine has a fantastic palate; he just likes tasting wine

The wine is opened and violets show first on the nose from the Petit Verdot, incense oak, dark black cherry and cassis berry fruit with some spice. Smooth at first on the palate, then rhubarb and mulberry fruit acid shows; dark wood, tight tannins all make aging this wine a proposition. Black and red pepper on the end

Then it was time for lunch with the awards to follow afterwards. Keeping up the suspense! Lunch was served family style and Narina was being mother here. We had whole roasted fillet of beef, ready sliced, a chimmichurri sauce, a farmers salad of cooked and raw vegetables. Beef fat fries topped with roasted hazelnuts and parmesan cheese

Then time for Guy to announce the winners

The newcomer Club of the year was SLVWG (Serious Lovers of Vines, Wines and Grapes) (Western Cape)

They get a decanter, some glasses (sponsored by Vitria Glass) and a box of the winning wine

The winners of the Blaauwklippen Blending Competition of 2019 are the Lydenburg Wynproewersgilde (Mpumalanga) Their winning blend is 48% Zinfandel, 22% Merlot, 10% Shiraz and 10% Petit Verdot

The four club members who flew down for the award, all delighted at winning

Blaauwklippen Gin popsicles were the dessert. Oops, none for the driver please

Return to MENU

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

See John's photographs and follow us on Instagram

and on Pinterest

Please add me to the MENU subscriber list

All content ©  John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus