Brazil Reaches the Podium at the World Blind Tasting Championship
Brazil earned its first World Tasting Championship podium in Avignon, finishing third behind France and Japan after identifying 12 wines blind.
France defended its title, Japan came within one wine of victory, and Brazil secured the best result in its history at the world’s leading national blind-tasting competition.
Brazil finished third at the 2026 World Tasting Championship, held on October 17 beneath the vaults of the Palais des Papes in Avignon. It was the country’s first podium in 11 appearances and the clearest sign yet of how far its competitive tasting program has progressed.
France won with 189 points, followed by Japan with 181 and Brazil with 159. Germany finished only four points behind the Brazilian team, while the United States completed the top five.
Palladius 2005: Before Swartland Became a Movement
At Culture Wine Bar in Cape Town, a remarkably fresh Palladius 2005 took us back to the years when Sadie Family was beginning to change the course of South African wine.
The World’s Best Sommelier Is Decided in 40 Minutes. Preparing Takes Years.
Nikolai Haram Svorte won the world sommelier title in Lisbon. The final lasted 40 minutes, but reaching it required years of study, tasting and service.
Alentejo Makes the Lightweight Bottle a Regional Project
The new 390-gram bottle is not the lightest on the market. Its relevance lies in making lower-impact packaging available across an entire wine region. Alentejo has unveiled a 390-gram wine bottle developed for producers across the region. The bottle will reduce glass use, transport weight and packaging