Press Release: Announcing the Winners of the South African Wine Tasting Championship 2024
The 11th edition of the South African Wine Tasting Championship (SAWTC) has once again proven to be the ultimate test of sensory perception, wine knowledge, and palate precision. Held annually, this prestigious event seeks to identify South Africa’s elite “super tasters” through a rigorous and demanding competition. The 2024 edition brought together 241 candidates from across the nation, all eager to showcase their tasting prowess.
Each participant was presented with a challenging set of 10 numbered anonymous wine samples, tasked with identifying the vintage, grape variety, and producer from a list of 52 carefully selected wines. To aid their analysis, competitors were given access to detailed tasting videos curated by Cathy van Zyl MW, one of the country’s foremost wine authorities.
After hours of intense concentration and skilled tasting, it was Mr. Gavin Smith who emerged as the national champion for 2024. Known throughout the wine tasting community for his dedication and consistency, Gavin has competed in nearly every edition of the SAWTC. His remarkable score of 156 points out of a possible 200 points has secured his place at the top of this year’s podium.
In an unexpected and heartwarming turn of events, the second-place spot was claimed by none other than Gavin’s wife, Benthe Legg, who was the 2023 champion. Tied for third place were Chris Groenewald and Paul Sheridan, both of whom delivered outstanding performances that further underscored the depth of talent present in this year’s competition.
The 2024 SAWTC has once again highlighted the extraordinary skill and passion of South Africa’s wine tasters. The competition continues to elevate the nation’s wine culture, celebrating the expertise that defines the local wine community. Congratulations to all participants, and especially to our 2024 champion, Gavin Smith, on this well-deserved victory.
As the excitement from the 2024 South African Wine Tasting Championship settles, all eyes now turn to the next critical stage: the preselection of Team South Africa 2024. The top 10 tasters from this year’s competition will soon face off in a decisive round to determine who will represent the nation at the world championship of blind wine tasting. This prestigious event is set to take place at the historic Château Dauzac in Margaux, France, on the 12th of October.
The upcoming round will present our top tasters with a formidable challenge: a blind tasting of 10 international wines, mirroring the format of the world championship organized by La Revue du Vin de France. This round will be the ultimate test of their ability to distinguish wines from different regions, grape varieties, and vintages on a global scale.
While the sponsorship for Team South Africa 2024 is still being finalized, we are hopeful that even a reduced team can make the journey to France to compete against the world’s best. The SAWTC remains committed to showcasing South African talent on the international stage, and we are optimistic about the prospects for this year’s team, while acknowledging the challenge to finance this adventure.
All updates, including the announcement of the final team, will be communicated by our official media partner, wine.co.za. Stay tuned for more details as we prepare to select and support our nation’s finest tasters on their journey to Margaux.
The wineries participating to this 2024 SAWTC were: Blaauwklippen, Creation, Domaine des Dieux, Jordan, L’Avenir, Le Bonheur, Le Chant, Mellish, Meerlust, Mullineux, Metzer, Radford Dale, Rupert Wines, Spier, Springfontein, Van Loveren, Vergenoegd Low, Zandvliet, Hasher, Kanonkop, Atlas Swift, Almenkerk, Hartenberg, Kleine Zalze, Ken Forrester, Lothian of Elgin, Roodekrantz, Thistle & Weed and Painted Wolf.
The Top 20 champions for 2024 are, in alphabetical order,
Amy Schoeman
Benthe Legg
Bernard De Boer
Carla Lopes
Charl Schoeman
Chris Groenewald
Danielle Le Roux
Deidre Taylor
Gavin Smith
Gregory Lorimer
Heidi Kritzinger
IE Van Zyl
Natalia Danilowicz
Paul Sheridan
Pieter de Klerk
Pieter de Waal
Riaan Schemper
Tanya van Eyk
Thomas Moxon
Wim Truter
Contact:
For further inquiries, please reach out to Jean Vincent RIDON – jv@ridon.co.za
For the Cathy van Zyl MW SAWTC 2024 videos CLICK HERE
Download the SAWTC 2024 wine selection list below
