The Cape Town leg of the South African Wine Tasting Championships took place on Sat 3 June, 2017 at The Taj Hotel. This year saw almost 200 entrants, with a much broader set of contestants. There were previous winners, wine writers, wine-makers, consumers, parents, waiters, sommeliers, students, marketers, PYDA Students, SA CellarWorkers from their Circle of Excellence, wine retailers and many others with whom I did not even engage! I have always said that the hospitality world is an area which is facilitating transformation in the wine industry and I was delighted to see so many young black contestants, many trying their hand for the first time, and some who were old hands!There were 50 wines tasted sighted and then 10 blind out of the same set of wines, and the contestants had to identify as many characteristics in the wines tasted blind.The finals will be held at the Taj Hotel again on Sunday 2 July, when the regional winners will taste Wines from the World - totally blind.The top 4 will make up Team SA for 2017, going with organiser Jean Vincent Ridon to France on 14th October to compete in the World Blind Wine tasting champs in France - to beat their 6th place in 2016 and take on China, the current champions!