Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show 2019 - Judges behind the scene

The Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show has entered its 18th edition with 206 participating producers and 956 entries judged. Designed to enable the ultra-premium end of the Cape wine industry to benchmark performance to the highest international standards, the competition brought some of the world's leading wine judges to Grande Roche in Paarl for the judging from 6 - 9 May.

The judging panel was chaired by wine authority Michael Fridjhon. The three international judges this year included Kirk Bauer, founder of Mundus Vini, the largest European wine competition, panel chair for the International Wine Challenge, the International Wine and Spirits Competition, and the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. He joined Simon Field MW, formerly buyer at Berry Bros & Rudd responsible for French and Spanish wine regions, and Benjamin Roffet, who has the unique distinction of winning on consecutive years the two most prestigious titles in French sommellerie - the Best Sommelier in France 2010 and the Meilleur Ouvrier de France Sommellerie in 2011.