Participants in this year’s competition are encouraged to enter before the new closing date of 9 September 2020. Late entries at an increased fee will be accepted until 22 September. Participating wineries will be glad to hear that there is no increase in entry fees this year. As announced earlier, the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing limitations on many economic and other activities had complicated and delayed arrangements for competitions.
The SA National Wine Show Association (SANWSA) which organises Veritas, SA Terroir and the SA Young Wine Show, has announced that they are the first to have developed a comprehensive protocol list for judging the wines in order to ensure the daily safety and health of judges and administrators. These protocols have already been implemented at the SA Novare SA Terroir Wine Awards, where the judges had only the highest praise for the arrangements. These will also be used at the Young Wine Show judging at the end of August and Veritas middle-October.
This protocol framework includes complete sanitation of the tasting premises, equipment and glasses. This process is the first of its kind in South Africa and probably world-wide to ensure 100% that no viruses are present in the tasting environment during judging. Tharo Wines has made available complete ozone and ultra-violet systems service to fully sanitise the premises, equipment and bottles on a daily basis.
The rest of the protocol list includes the following:
- An on-line form for screening, which has to be completed daily by all judges, organisers and workers
- Temperature screening and hand-sanitation on arrival
- Compulsory face-masks and maintaining a safe distance of 2 m between judges and personal hand-sanitation
- Only one handler of glasses to be placed on serving trays, with clean glasses for each round, and one person per tasting panel handling these
- All glasses and coffee mugs to be cleansed in a special washing machine at 80°C.
Veritas prides itself in being South Africa’s oldest wine competition for bottled (market-ready) wines and providing the foremost guide to quality wines for the wine consumer, restaurants, hotels and the wine trade over 30 years – since 1991. The importance of this from a marketing point of view has been proven over decades, not only locally, but also in the international market. Therefore, winemakers and marketers are especially encouraged in this year of the Covid-19 challenges to grab the opportunity to present wines for judging and to utilise the results thereof as a measure of quality during the rest of the year.
Veritas has over many years enjoyed the status as the country’s most authoritative competition of its kind. Participants use the results and accompanying bottle stickers as an excellent marketing opportunity. The annual Vertex Award for the overall top wine in the Veritas competition, was introduced in 2017 and carries great prestige. Veritas is also the only wine competition presented by the industry, for the industry.
The judging will be held from 12 to 16 October at the Nederburg Auction Complex in Paarl, which ensures ample space for social distancing for all the judges and officials.
In line with the practice over many years, specialist judges are appointed to all panels to ensure that only the best expertise is employed to name the winners.
A decision with regards to the nature and dates of this competition’s awards function and public tastings will be made at a later stage.
Visit www.veritas.co.za for entry forms.
Contact us for more information on tel 021 863 1599 or e-mail info@veritas.co.za
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