Second place at the 2025 Dutch Blind Tasting Championships

Last Sunday, the Dutch Blind Tasting Championship was back on the agenda. If you mention this to someone outside the wine world, it's bound to get a laugh. Does the Dutch Blind Tasting Championship exist? Absolutely, and it's more popular than ever, judging by the many preliminary rounds being held these days.

Ultimately, 20 teams remained to compete. Just like last year, the Brabant Wine Society won. This club consists of two teams, and this time it was the other team that took first prize; the team that won last year came in third. And us? We came in second! Woohoo!

How does the Dutch National Blind Tasting Championship work?

A team consists of four tasters and, if applicable, a coach. The coach doesn't participate in the tasting but helps structure the conclusions. During the championship, the teams are presented with twelve wines, one at a time, and completely blind.

Guess what, this year we have a coach too. Kim Bruggink, owner of wine shop Vino Veno in Vollenhove, joins us. She's tasted with this group before (and even won!).

For each wine, the team tries to determine the following: grape variety, country, region, and vintage. In previous editions, the producer was also asked, but that component has since been dropped. Points are awarded for each correct answer, with a maximum of 25 points per wine.

What wines were served?

We hesitated a lot, but all in all, it seemed a bit easier than last year. The scores showed that. Last year we finished third with 79 points, this year second with 120 points.

Below you'll find the wines, including our raw thoughts.

#1 Champagne, Vollereux, Blanc de blanc, 2014
A piece of cake. This screamed champagne, chardonnay, and vintage. We were just a year off.

#2 Schloss Gobelsburg, Grüner Veltliner, Ried Renner, Kamptal, 2022
The second wine remains a challenge for us. After the acidity of the Champagne, we find everything that comes after it full-bodied and creamy. We were torn between a white blend of Marsanne and Roussanne from the Rhone or a Pinot Gris from Alsace. We ultimately chose Rhone; Gruner never crossed our minds.

#3 Mas Baux, Autant en Emport le blanc, Côtes Catalane, 2021
Very subtle and delicate. We weren't entirely convinced, but we noted down a Burgundy Chardonnay. Still, a good Grenache Gris. I would like to taste this wine again.

#4 Rossi, Malvazija Templara, Monte d'Oro, 2023
The second Croatian wine ever served at the Dutch Blind Tasting Championships. Delicious, Fred. My tasting notes: banana milkshake. We went for Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc. It's not going so well. Will it improve?

J. Adam, Dhroner Hofberg Riesling cabinet, Mosel, 2023
Unmistakably a Riesling from the Mosel. Delicious. Only the vintage isn't right.

Famille Perrin, Les Sinards, Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge, 2022
We thought Gamay came from Beaujolais. The country and year were good.

Hispano-Suiza, Pinot noir Bassus, Utiel-Requena, 2022
Spätburgunder from Rheinhessen. Quite different from Spain. Very well made! Excellent vintage and grape.

Glaetzer, The Bishop Shiraz, Barossa Valley, 2022
We were using shiraz for a long time, but then switched to tourgica nacionald from the Douro.

Monte Meao, Baga, F. Olazabal Filhos, Douro, 2022
Oh, I poured this myself at the André Kerstens tasting earlier this year. We immediately opened a bottle at home. We thought it was a (good!) Valpolicella. It also had some Pinot vibes, but we knew it was something else. This is so good!

Franc-Phélan, Saint-Estèphe, 2019
Spot on, except for the year. This was very typical.

Col d'Orcia, Nastagio, Brunello di Montalcino, 2019
There was a brief hesitation between Barolo and Brunello, but luckily Brunello was written down.

Domaine Huet, le Haut-Lieu, Vouvray Moelleux, 2018
I recognize Huet from thousands. Nice!