PAARL producers of Chenin Blanc and Shiraz are now offered the opportunity to enter their wines in the annual Santam Paarl Shiraz Challenge without being members of the wine route. The Challenge was originally launched in 1995 and traditionally allowed only members of Paarl Vintners to take part.
While membership is voluntary, the competition could unfortunately not be considered a benchmark for Paarl Chenin Blanc or Shiraz. However, the decision to open the Challenge to all producers will bring about a completely new scenario to the results.
Winemakers will now be able to pit their wines against those of all Paarl producers and not just those of their fellow members.
“We believe this is a step in the right direction as it turns the competition into a showcase of the best Chenin and Shiraz Paarl can produce,” says Danie Marais, chairman of Paarl Vintners.
When Santam Agriculture came on board in 2005 with their sponsorship of the event, the financial injection took the competition to a new level and entries in both categories showed a significant growth.
From 2010 the competition was renamed the Santam Paarl Shiraz Chenin Challenge and winners in the respective categories each take home a floating trophy as well as a certificate.
Winemakers interested in entering their wines can contact Annelize Stroebel at 021 863 4886 or 082 787 4118 by 20 June. The official tasting is on Tuesday 19 July.
