Cambridge scoop Varsity wine tasting title

The University of Cambridge’s wine tasting team has broken Oxford’s winning streak by winning the latest Varsity match.

The winning Cambridge team. Captain Vaiva Imbrasaite is on the right holding the trophy.

The 61^st Blind Wine-Tasting match was held on 18 February at the Oxford and Cambridge Club in London.

As usual, the teams had 40 minutes to taste and try and identify 12 wines , six white, six red, which had been chosen by Cassidy Dart.

Sponsors Champagne Pol Roger said the atmosphere was “tense” but that “months of diligent training were clearly in evidence.”

The papers were marked by Nancy Gilchrist MW and Jasper Morris MW and not only did Cambridge come out ahead for the first time in two years, their captain, Vaiva Imbrasaite, was named “top taster” scoring a “hugely impressive” 195 out of a possible 240 points.

She was awarded a magnum of the 2000 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill and the whole team will have a chance to visit Pol Roger’s cellars in Epernay this summer.

The wines tasted were:

Whites

1. Château Reynon Sauvignon Blanc, Bordeaux 2012
2. Kumeu River Estate Pinot Gris 2011 Auckland
3. Norman Hardie Chardonnay Unfiltered 2011 Ontario
4. Schloss Gobelsburg Riesling Vom Urgestein, Kamptal 2012
5. Moscato D’asti 2012 (Elio Perrone)
6. Contino Rioja Blanco 2010

Reds

1. Domaine Coudert Clos De La Roilette Fleurie 2012
2. Cahors, Clos La Coutale 2011
3. Mac Forbes Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2012
4. Valpolicella 2012 (Allegrini)
5. La Rioja Alta Viña Arana Reserva, Rioja 2005
6. Château Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux 2010

Cambridge and its wine consumption recently hit the news when a freedom of information request from the Telegraph revealed what colleges were spending on wine.

This sparked protests from students outside King’s College which was shown to have spent the most on wine despite not paying all of its staff a “living” wage.

The information also spawned a chart and much detailed (and deadly serious) analysis on how attending a college that spent more on wine generally increased your chances of gaining a first.

Last year the 60th Varsity match was held between members of the UK trade and press which the trade won by the narrowest of margins.