Wine lovers who enjoy the exciting, but often frustrating, game of wine options will want to get back into practice for the last time.
Kingsley Wood, who instigated and has continued to run the national competition - the world's largest continuous wine options competition, he says - is calling time.
The 30th consecutive challenge, to be held in Auckland in late June next year, will be the last.
The format has changed over the years from the serious classroom-style seating with no talking to full team participation on every question, with plenty of talking and suggestions making it more relaxed and informal.
Teams of four compete trying to identify the variety, country, region, vintage and producer of eight wines.
Wines are poured, a question is asked with three optional answers given and after the written answers have been collected, the correct answer is given and the next question asked.
Keen teams practise hard beforehand, learning a lot about wine in the process.
The first national final of the Wine Options, held in Christchurch in 1983, was won by the Dunedin Wine Lovers No 2 team - Kay Morganty, Dave Pilgrim, Norman Chan and Michael Frawley. Kay still competes in the wine options; she has missed just one event and has been in the winning team on six occasions.
Until 1989, the options were run by Wilson Neil, from 1990-2000 by Liquorland, and since 2001 Wood's firm, First Glass, has sponsored them.
The biggest year was in 1991, when 101 teams took part in Auckland - 404 competitors and 350 spectators.
About 50 teams have competed in the past five years.
Registrations of interest can be lodged with Kingsley Wood at firstglass@clear.net.nz
