Big Blind League - Coonawarra Cup
Bellwether Wines
The Coonawarra Cup brings the Big Blind League to Bellwether Wines' shearing shed - South Australia's boldest new wine event, where blind tasting is run as a real sport and the label counts for nothing. The wines are poured blind, so the palate is the only thing in play, and the region's hero, Coonawarra Cabernet, gets a nod.
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.
Win the Coonawarra Cup and you take the "Free Run" - an automatic seat at the season's 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.
Bellwether offers camping and glamping on site, so it is easy to make a weekend of it. The Coonawarra Cup is one of five Regional Cups created by South Australian wine-media brand Bottle Shock. Places are limited.
