THE Grande Roche Hotel in Paarl will celebrate a decade of hosting South Africa’s most respected wine competition, the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show, when the prestigious event takes place at the hotel next week.
As part of the process, over 6 000 bottles of wine are held in temperature-controlled storage at the Grande Roche Hotel in Paarl in readiness for the judging.
The Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show enjoys a stellar reputation with local as well as international wine connoisseurs, recognising and rewarding the top local wines and winemakers in South Africa.
Its stature is largely the result of its judging process in which South African and international judges subject wines to the most rigorous scrutiny.
“The past decade has seen extraordinary changes at the top end of the South African wine industry. The Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show plays an important role in discovering new talent and showcasing this achievement,” says Michael Fridjhon, Chairman of the Judging Panel.
In honour of the Grande Roche Hotel’s key role in the staging of the show, the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show will introduce a new award - the Grande Roche White Blend Trophy – to this year’s judging category.
“The Grande Roche has always taken great pride in its reputable top-class wine selection. To have an Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show award named after our hotel is a great honour and something that we are very proud of,” says Grande Roche GM Anja Bosken.
Itself an international award-winner, recent accolades for the Grande Roche Hotel include the Wine Spectator 2010 Award for Best Award of Excellence as well as being named “one of the world’s top establishments” by the Fodors Awards 2010 (US) and “4th Best Hotel in Africa” on the Conde Naste Traveler Gold List 2010.
Executive Chef, Roland Gorgosolich, will be preparing several dinners for the Show’s judges at the hotel’s award-winning Bosmans Restaurant, including the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show gala dinner on 11 May in honour of the judging panel.
Results of the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show 2011 will be released on 1 June. The top-rated wines will then be taken on a country-wide series of tastings so that South African wine enthusiasts will be able to experience the top wines for 2011.
