CAPE TOWN, 23 SEPTEMBER: American hotelier and wine maker Chris Bates – who took the world championship in the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs’ 6th Concours International des Jeunes Sommeliers at the Mount Nelson on Friday – today praised the South African wine industry for the quality of its products, and for the speed with which it has evolved.

Twelve wine professionals – each representing one of the world’s top wine loving countries – faced a formidable panel of experts during the 8-hour-long Concours. Their tasks included blind tastings; demonstrations of practical skills in red wine decanting, glass service, champagne service, food and wine pairing; the identification of spirits by nose alone; and two theoretical skills tests - the correction of a faulty wine list, and a one-hour written exam about the wines and wine regions of the world.