WellsFaber Best Value Whites

Our WellsFaber Best Value blind tastings kick off next Wednesday and bottles of white are slowly filling up the The Pendock at the Taj Hotel like animals entering Noah’s Ark: two by two. RECM pioneered the Best Value tastings back in 2014 and wealth manager WellsFaber has now been passed the baton. Today we received wines from Allee Bleu and Nederburg.

The competition is popular among producers for this is a rara avis indeed of a wine competition as there is no entry fee (thank you, WellsFaber!) and our panel of sommeliers who judge the samples blind is a million miles away from the stodgy status quo in terms of a) age b) complexion c) sex appeal. Taj sommelier Pearl Oliver chairs the tasting panel.

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The category for the first tasting of the year is “new whites” by which we mean the latest white releases. They will be available for the public to taste from 5-7pm at The Pendock next Wednesday March 16.

We’ll be profiling our judges on a weekly basis and first up is Pearl. Ladies first.

Q: Your favourite wine?
A: Until I can taste and afford the new Warwick Touch Cabernet Sauvignon due to be released later this year I will stick to drinking amongst other favourites the De Toren V

Q: Your best food and wine match?
A: At the moment chef Harpreet at the Bombay Brasserie makes this Lamb shanks simmered in a delicate Saffron curry served with basmati rice, which is well complimented by the Wallovale Black Dog Malbec on our wine list whilst I would gladly reserve myself to a bottle Cederberg Shiraz too.

Q: The best thing about being a professional sommelier is?
A: The people you meet, the food you eat, the wine you drink and in the words of Dr Seuss “Oh the places you’ll go.”