Wine guild endeavours to make the perfect blend

The Lydenburg Wine Guild has been entering the annual Blaauwklippen Blending Competition (BBC) since the club's inception in 1987 – and this year will be no exception. What with the guild's 2019 winning reputation and good name to be upheld!

October 14, 2021

Gerda Whitehorn 1 minute read

Jaco Pieters and André du Preez were two of the active participants in the annual Blaauwklippen blending competition.

Ten members and friends of the guild came together at Paardeplaats Nature Retreat to prepare their blending recipe for an exquisite Bordeaux blend. The guild president, Dr Jakkie Swanepoel, orchestrated the process, ordering the four raw Blaauwklippen wines and measuring apparatus for the winemaking exercise. The Paardeplaats host, Brian Whitehorn, prepared a mezze spread and warned newcomers that it would be “work before eat”.

The “raw materials” for the Blaauwklippen annual blending competition: Wine clubs have to incorporate a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot to create a winning Bordeaux Blend. In 2019 Lydenburg’s Wine Guild was the winner of this popular competition.

Each participant received a glass of Saronsberg Bordeaux blend for comparison, and the scene was set for intensive winemaking. Due to the intricate process of measuring different percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot, the blenders traditionally kept to multiples of 5 or10 ml at any time. Not so this year.

For more information or to join the club, WhatsApp Gerda on 079 515 7799.