Varsity blind wine tasting match
Encyclopedia
The Varsity Blind Wine Tasting Match is an annual competition in blind wine tasting between the blind tasting teams of the Oxford University Blind Wine Tasting Society and the Cambridge University Blind Wine Tasting Society. It is sponsored by Champagne house Pol Roger and the current convenor is James Simpson, Master of Wine
(MW).
The winning team wins a trip to Épernay
, France
, to visit the vineyards of Pol Roger and compete in an international tasting match against a French university, plus a bottle of vintage
Pol Roger each. The taster with the highest individual score wins a magnum of Pol Roger's top cuvee
, Sir Winston Churchill. The reserve taster with the higher score wins a subscription to Decanter Magazine. The losing team each wins a bottle of Non Vintage Pol Roger.
MW, and the Cambridge judge was Hugh Johnson. Past judges have included Jasper Morris
MW. The papers are marked anonymously and cross-checked by both judges in order to ensure impartiality.
Master of Wine
Master of Wine is a qualification issued by The Institute of Masters of Wine in the United Kingdom...
(MW).
The winning team wins a trip to Épernay
Épernay
Épernay is a commune in the Marne department in northern France. Épernay is located some 130 km north-east of Paris on the main line of the Eastern railway to Strasbourg...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, to visit the vineyards of Pol Roger and compete in an international tasting match against a French university, plus a bottle of vintage
Vintage
Vintage, in wine-making, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product . A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certain wines, it can denote quality, as in Port wine, where Port houses make and...
Pol Roger each. The taster with the highest individual score wins a magnum of Pol Roger's top cuvee
Cuvee
Cuvée is a French wine term derived from cuve, meaning vat or tank. The term cuvée is used with several different meanings, more or less based on the concept of a tank of wine put to some purpose:...
, Sir Winston Churchill. The reserve taster with the higher score wins a subscription to Decanter Magazine. The losing team each wins a bottle of Non Vintage Pol Roger.
Judges
There are two judges, one nominated by each team. In 2008 and 2009, the Oxford judge was Jancis RobinsonJancis Robinson
Jancis Mary Robinson OBE, MW is a British wine critic, journalist and editor of wine literature. She currently writes a weekly column for the Financial Times, and writes for her website jancisrobinson.com...
MW, and the Cambridge judge was Hugh Johnson. Past judges have included Jasper Morris
Jasper Morris
Jasper Morris is a British Master of Wine since 1985, An expert on the wine of Burgundy, California and New Zealand, Jasper writes for several wine publications such as The World of Fine Wine, and holds lectures around the world....
MW. The papers are marked anonymously and cross-checked by both judges in order to ensure impartiality.