The 4th Vino Varsity Wine Challenge at Backsberg has a surprise element in 2012!

Stellenbosch in training for Vino Varsity

With the birth of the intervarsity wine competition in 2009, this year sees the 4th round of glass clashing between wine societies for the Backsberg Vino Varsity Wine Challenge.

With Stellenbosch taking the trophy the first two years running, and UCT clinching the title in 2011, this year promises to be a fierce fight. All eyes are on UCT to see if they can retain the trophy.

Vino Varsity seeks to get the university wine societies pumped up about wine. They are required to showcase their knowledge of the wines of the world, vinous history and winemaking in a general knowledge section. Following this, their tasting skills will be put to the test in a blind tasting of 10 flights of wine. Finally, they will have a head-to-head debate.  This year the debate topic is ‘What is more important – what’s in or outside the wine bottle?’.

The 2012 surprise element is the addition of Pretoria University to the competition.  Brought up on a diet of rugby, it will be interesting to see how Pretoria does in the fair Cape. Rumour has it that they have been training non stop, since getting the nod to partake.

With Vino Varsity just around the corner, this Friday 17th August, at Backsberg, the sword is about to fall, and the wine gladiators will soon enter the arena. May the best team win!

The judging panel for Friday includes winemaker and MW Richard Kershaw, winemaker and Commanderie de Bordeaux en Afrique du Sud member Tariro Masayiti, and the Ogilvy SA Head of Digital Innovation Chris Rawlinson.

For more information on Vino Varsity, follow us on Twitter @vinovarsity #vinovarsity, log on to the Vino Varsity Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/vinovarsity, visit the website http://vinovarsity.withtank.com or contact us directly on vinovarsity@backsberg.co.za

This post was written by Simon Back on Thursday, August 16th, 2012 at 12:59 pm.
After finishing up studying economics at UCT in 2007, Simon has joined his family wine farm, Backsberg. When he is not trying to figure out what marketing wine means, he is authoring his blog, Back Chat. .