In what can only be described as an epic battle of skill, concentration and attention to detail, Richelle van Gemert, from the United Kingdom, has been crowned as the winner of the 2019 edition of the Wines of South Africa Sommelier Cup. Following several rigorous semi-final rounds in various countries, a total of 11 finalists from around the world competed in the grand final of the competition at The Vineyard Hotel & Spa in Cape Town today.
Since its discovery by Bruno Goussalt and George Pralus, sous-vide has come a long way from being used for meals to create scrumptious cocktails. Drinks, liquor, and cocktails are always a fun part of an evening out. So in the interest of discovering new flavours, what are some unique ingredient/liquor infusion combinations are worth trying out?
Though a notoriously difficult grape to work with, Pinot Noir is capable of making red wines of greatness when matched to the right site. It is at its most glorious in Burgundy, France but there are today impressive examples from Oregon in the USA, New Zealand’s South Island and increasingly South Africa. At the end of 2018, it was the 12th most planted variety locally making up 1.3% of the national vineyard.
Ace bartender Leighton Rathbone (centre) of Orphanage Cocktail Emporium has won the South African leg of the Angostura® Global Cocktail Challenge 2020. Rathbone was up against nine other top bartenders in a fierce competition, with Peter Lebese (right) of SIP Exclusive coming in second place and Martin Strobos of Slo-Jo (left) in third.
