THE announcement of the top wine cellar workers for the Paarl district on 13 August will kick off proceedings for what has become the highest level of recognition for South African cellar workers.
The Cellar Worker of the Year competition aims to acknowledge excellence by junior cellar staff in the winery and community.
The competition is conducted to the highest standards, in a three-round process judged by recognised members of the South African wine industry.
Technical advisor to the awards, Charl Theron, says, “The competition offers the chance for cellar workers to claim a share of the limelight for their hard work. To make it to nomination, the workers must show a special commitment and high capability.”
Candidates are nominated by their home cellar. The first selection is made on the basis of blind tasting, where a daunting 20 to 30 wines are presented to candidates for recognition of cultivar and basic tasting analysis.
In Paarl, as in many districts, special attention is paid to preparing the cellar workers for the testing phase.
“We hold the competition in the highest regard, for the strictness of the process and its importance to the industry,” Paarl Vintners CEO Annelize Stroebel said. “Study groups are held and our participating wineries invest a lot of time in training their nominees.”
The top few who make the muster from each area are charged with the task of facing the judges in the second round. At this stage they are questioned on performance at work, and participation in the community.
The third and final stage sees the top 30% present on a wine-related topic of their choice and discuss a wine analytically.
The competition heralds a round of local awards including the Santam Paarl Shiraz Chenin Challenge 2010 in August.
