This is the 5th year of this wide-reaching initiative, which not only facilitates competition, but also offers experienctial learning to the nominated wine stewards and young chef candidates. This year there are 29 hotels participating from all around the country - and the Cape Town candidates converged on the Southern Sun Waterfront on Thur 23rd March for a day of information exchange. They attended presentations by a number of producers of top quality products which they will be expected to be using in the competition, from the fine wines and brandies of Distell, to Rio Largo Olive Oil, Lancewood Cheese, Woodview Angus Beef, to organic stone-ground wheat from Golden Reef Milling (the Fouries - a 5th generation farming family from Caledon). There were Vertical Veggie gardens, Wine Ambassadorial expertise from the Sommelier Association by Jean Vincent Ridon and an introduction to Wine from the Cape Wine Academy. I look forward to seeing these eager young candidates learning and being put through their paces.