While Greece, the birthplace of democracy, is looking increasingly like becoming the graveyard of capitalism, hard pressed Greek consumers can console themselves with having the best rosé and sweet wines in the world as the results from the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, judged earlier this month, confirm:

• Best Sparkling : Joly-Champagne Cuvée Spéciale (Champagne – France)
• Best White : Hacienda Zorita Verdejo 2011 (Rueda – Spain)
• Best Rosé : Theopetra Estate Rosé 2011 (Meteora – Greece)
• Best Red : Poliphonia Signature 2008 (Vinho Regional / Alentejo – Portugal)
• Best Sweet : Samos Nectar White 2008 (Samos – Greece)
• Best Spirit : La Botija Pisco Italia 2011 (Chincha – Peru)

8400 wines from 52 countries, 320 judges from 40 countries (including Fiona McDonald and moi from SA) all tasted blind in three days and the results out in a week – so much for the claim from the Platter guide reported by sycophantic local hacks that blind tasting in SA won’t work because “panel assessment of each wine would be a logistical nightmare – including time and money (more than 7000 wines in 2012).”  Really Phil?