Overview
The McLaren Vale Cup brings the Big Blind League to Angove Family Winemakers' McLaren Vale cellar door: South Australia's boldest new wine event, where blind tasting is run as a sport and the label counts for nothing. The wines are poured blind, so the palate is the only thing in play.
Whether you taste for a living or have never swirled a glass, there is a seat at the table: any South Australian aged 18 and over can enter. Players answer multiple-choice questions on five blind wines, play a round of wine trivia on their phones, then the top eight go head to head until one champion is left standing. It is as much fun to watch as to play, and spectators are welcome.
It is the last of the season's five Regional Cups, so it is the last chance to win a "Free Run": an automatic seat at the Grand Final, where 24 of the state's sharpest palates taste for $5,000, winner takes all. It is a great leveller: in 2025 a bacteriologist with no wine background beat a room of seasoned professionals, then went on to win the 2026 Adelaide Hills Cup.
The Big Blind League is run by South Australian wine-media brand Bottle Shock. Places are limited.
Location
117 Chalk Hill Road, McLaren Vale, South Australia, 5171
