The Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show - previously known as the Fairbairn Capital Trophy Wine Show - has, in the few years since its inception, acquired an enviable reputation for the quality of its judging process.

The tasting panels - which include the best international and local wine judges - subject all the wines submitted to them to the most rigorous scrutiny.

Their job is first to dismiss those not worthy of a medal, to sort the wines into their respective medal categories, and then from among the medal winners to identify the very best of the best. The panel is required to reach its results by consensus.

In the event of this not being possible, the panel chairman calls in the show chairman whose decision is final.

All gold medal winners go through to the trophy judging where a full bench of all the judges determines the best wine in each category and the overall top wine on show.

The competition results are announced within a month after the judging, and ICONS, the book which details the performance of all the medal winners together with the Show panels' scores and tasting notes, is published shortly thereafter.

However, while show discoveries obviously enjoy the sudden success that comes from being thrust in the limelight, even the established cellars like Vergelegen experience an enormous commercial advantage from the kind of corroboration that comes from great show results.

In 2003, Vergelegen won the trophy for the best wine on show, the best red wine, the best white wine, the best Bordeaux-style red blend, the best Shiraz - a performance that may prove impossible to repeat.

Vergelegen's managing director Don Tooth acknowledges that this kind of show result translates into an increase in already strong demand and a pricing opportunity that is sometimes difficult to resist . . .

Date: Delivery dates and times for wine submissions to Grande Roche Hotel, Plantasie Street.
Paarl: 28 to 30 April (between 10:00 and 15:00)
Judging: 5 to 8 May 2008 (Paarl)
Announcement of results: 2 June 2008 (Cape Town)
Public tasting: 12 June 2008 (Westin Grand, 17:00 to 20:00)
Location: Paarl – Cape Town – Westin Grand

For more information on events taking place in and around Cape Town, subscribe to our Editor’s Picks Newsletter and we’ll keep you in the loop.