SA wine trounces tri-nations competitors

RAY SMUTS THERE IS a side to Tri-Nations competition some would consider a touch more genteel than body-bruising encounters on the rugby field. It involves wine, one of life’s great pleasures, in which South Africa’s wine-making prowess has once again triumphed. The close encounter of the vine kind is known as the Tri-Nations Wine Contest and as the name suggests, its purpose is to discover the finest wines from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Results just out from Sydney, Australia, pronounce that even though South Africa only managed one trophy, for the 2004 Nederburg Noble Late Harvest, the panel of prominent international wine critics were unanimous is describing it as a ‘stand-out wine.’ Wines judged are submitted by invitation alone and the Nederburg laureate was pitted against not only other South African contenders but those from Australia and New Zealand.