One blend could write your name into 344 years of Blaauwklippen history

Every year since 1984, one ordinary South African wine lover with an extraordinary wine blend of their own creation has seen their name immortalised on a bottle from one of the oldest cellars on the continent. Judged blind against dozens of entries from across the country, one elegant blend will earn its place in more than three centuries of Blaauwklippen history at the beloved annual Blaauwklippen Blending Competition.

The competition has been an iconic fixture on South Africa's wine calendar since wine lovers were first handed a blending kit at the estate 43 years ago with a challenge to create a memorable wine that excites the senses. Today, every entrant receives the same kit, and every recipe is recreated in the Blaauwklippen Cellar by our expert winemaker. The format has never changed, but like a good wine, the craft matures and refines with each passing year.

This year's competition centres on the exquisite 2025 vintage, with each kit containing three varietals – Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec. All three must feature in the final blend, with no single variety comprising more than 60% or less than 5% of the total – a brief designed to reward balance, structure, and the kind of considered decision-making that separates a good blend from a great one.

The winner's blend will be bottled as a limited-edition magnum that will remain a fixture in the Blaauwklippen cellar and a hallmark of its heritage.

The estate behind the competition

Established in 1682, Blaauwklippen the oldest registered company in South Africa and the oldest wine estate in Stellenbosch – home to South Africa's first Zinfandel vineyards, planted in 1977. Building on decades of prestige, the estate was most recently named Best Heritage Wine Estate at the 2025 Global Brand Awards.

Its Manor House, a Cape Dutch landmark dating to the mid-1700s, was extensively restored following a fire in 2024 and reopened in February 2026 – a two-year restoration using original materials that returned the building to its former character. “The same instinct, drive, and diligence that drove that restoration has kept this competition running, unchanged and uncompromised, for 43 consecutive years,” says Roelof van den Berg, CEO and co-owner of Blaauwklippen.

"The Blaauwklippen Blending Competition has become one of this estate's great traditions, and traditions like it cannot live on without the genuine passion of dedicated winemakers and the enthusiastic wine lovers who have cherished and helped elevate our wines for decades. It’s remarkable that, after more than four decades, the spirit of the competition remains a sincere invitation for wine enthusiasts to back their palates and see what they’re capable of.”

Narina Cloete, Head Winemaker at Blaauwklippen, adds that, “Each year, the competition asks: How do you create something never-before tasted from only three varietals? It always comes down to balance, but how you achieve that balance is where real artistry leads. Entrants who resist the temptation to let one variety dominate, and instead allow the blend tell its own story, are the ones who best capture the magic that our judges are looking for.”

Entry details

• Blending cases and kits will be available for purchase from 1 April 2026 to 30 April 2026.

• Kits will be dispatched in the second week of May.

• Participants are encouraged to experiment, refine their recipes, and share their journey on social media using #blendcomp2026 #BBC43 @blaauwklippen.

• Recipes must be submitted to nanette@blaauwklippen.com by 31 July 2026.

• Each recipe will be recreated in the Blaauwklippen Cellar and judged blind by an expert panel.

South Africa's longest-running consumer wine blending competition is open. The only question now is whether your blend is good enough to become part of its history.