Waimarino wine win

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 527, 15 March 1994, Page 12

Waimarino wine win

The Waimarino Wine Club travelled to Taupo on Saturday 27 February for it's summer challenge for 'The Slab' trophy competition - biannual wine options game contested between Taupo and Waimarino since June 1980. The return challenge is held in Ohakune in June. Taupo club member, Kias Harwood presented an interesting array of wine, four whites and four reds from New Zealand, Australia and France. The Waimarino Challenge team consisted of Di and Audrey Pritt and Vince Stockbridge and Ashley Strachan. Guessing grape The first wine had the challenge team guessing the grape variety but once they learnt it was a Chenin Blanc they were on the right track to correctly state it was a Collards Chenin Blanc '91. This put Waimarino ' A' in the lead, one point ahead of Taupo and Waimarino 'B'. The 'B' team consisted of 'new' testers Jane Davey and Chris Sloan with Chrissa Strachan, A J Jonsen and Phil Abel as consultant "in the wings". Tasters are asked four questions with three choices for answers, which each team member is meant to answer individually and the final question is a team question, discussion allowable. The second wine Cooper' s Creek Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc '89 saw Team 'A' squeeze seven points ahead of Taupo and the 'B ' team still lying second. Wine number three. Oh dear, another Chenin Blanc, this time from France and the scoring was very low. Domanine Bourillon D'Orleans Vouvrau '92 gave Waimarino 'A' two more points ahead of Taupo but a team from Tokoroa had taken

the lead by one point. The final white wine and again into the third question before scoring began to count. Tryingto 'guess' whether the wine was 100 percent Malolatic fermentation; two years in oak barrels or barrel fermentea, caused plenty of head scratching. The wine was uncovered to reveal Villa Maria Barrique Fomented Chardonnay '91. The score was then Waimarino 'A' 48, Taupo and Waimarino 'B' 41. The red wines started with another French wine, Domaine Rene Le Clere Bourgogne '90. No-one in the competition picked it was French. Wine six saw Waimarino 'A' score 18/20 for the Vasasour Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 91 and really stretch their lead. Good sunglass colour? Matua Valley Cabernet Sauvignon '85 caused great hilarity when two team members realised the colour of the wine changed markedly when removing their sun-glasses ! The scores are no longer read out with the last two wines and tension mounts. The final wine, a Wynn's John Riddoch Limited release Cabernel Sauvignon '88 saw the 'A' team really concentrating, (without their sun-glasses). The trick question this time was to determine the soil types in which the grapes were grown. Options of chalky, stony or red-earth to be considered. Red-earth it was as the wine had to be from Hawkes Bay. There were four very surprised people when the next options of regions were all Australian! The final results tallied with Waimarino 'A' 99, Waimarino 'B' 92 and Taupo 91. It was a thoroughly entertaining day which proved that with 'options games' luck and guess- work have a lot to do with the result!