Carl  
Grape Fermenter
Posts: 462
 | | 10-06-2003 07:51 PM |
| I picked up a big glossy magazine here in the UK with the results of the 2003 "International Wine Challenge" with 9400 entries (reds only). Basically it seems to be a UK prize with most entrants coming from Australia, Chile and other New World places. In the cabernet/bordeaux category, where I would naturally look first, i noted with disappointment that although the 2000 Bordeauxs were considered, almost none of the estates had entered their wines into the challenge.
So my questions:
1. Has anyone heard of this challenge, and if so, can they explain its history, targeted wines, regions, styles, winemakers, etc?
2. Does it mean anything to have won a prize? They stress that they do not give medals to anyone who enters, and it was true that under some varietals the highest ranking anyone got was silver. But does anyone care? | | |
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JonesWineNo1
Sommelier
Posts: 8568
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love_cab_chard
Master of Wine
Posts: 12597
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Carl
Grape Fermenter
Posts: 462
| | 10-06-2003 07:53 PM |
| | Wow, that has to be a record for fastest response! Do you mind explaining why you feel so emphatic about it? | | | |
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GATC
Wine Lover
Posts: 4740
| | 10-06-2003 08:10 PM |
| | Unless some good judges are used, the information will not be of much help in identifying good wine. Probably better than the Fresno County Fair. | | | |
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love_cab_chard
Master of Wine
Posts: 12597
| | 10-06-2003 08:25 PM |
| | I just don't follow things like that much. I prefer to follow recommendations from associations like VinoCellar. | | | |
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Carl
Grape Fermenter
Posts: 462
| | 10-06-2003 08:33 PM |
| And just to be clear, I am not defending it or anything, I was just curious if anyone had heard of it (I haven't). Looking closer at the fine print, I see they had 400 tasters and a system of rounds where anything that got knocked out after the first level had to be double checked by one of forty "superjurors", the majority of whom are Masters of Wines.
It basically seems to have been set up by the UK wide trade as a way for mid-market wines, especially new world wines, to get a chance to raise their profiles. However, as a threshhold matter, you only get a meaningful challenge if quality wines bother to enter.
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JonesWineNo1
Sommelier
Posts: 8568
| | 10-06-2003 08:55 PM |
| Quote:
However, as a threshhold matter, you only get a meaningful challenge if quality wines bother to enter.
Just like other wine competitions, that is the problem with this one. I just don't pay any attention to competitions like this one. | | | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts: 15756
| | 10-06-2003 09:33 PM |
| No.
No.
What they get to judge is the best of the worst. | | | |
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GATC
Wine Lover
Posts: 4740
| | 10-06-2003 10:59 PM |
| Good or bad, it is impossible to get the best wines at events like this, no matter how much effort the organizers go through. The makers of the best wines have nothing to gain and everything to lose by entering.
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Jeremy Matthew
Barrel Sampler
Posts: 2067
| | 10-06-2003 11:23 PM |
| The IWC (you will see I have mentioned it in a number of comments on various wines) is considered one of the top wine competitions in the world beside the Vinexpo competition.
The IWC allows any winery to enters its wines irrelevant of volume produced or vintage. This means that a number of wineries around the world are able to enter wines that would not normally be able to be entered- for example a winery that only produces 80 cases of a particular wine falls under the normally excepted limits of entrance into normal competition.
Hence many wines that normally are judged are considered more commercial especially when one considers the size of the winery represented. Example Cloudy Bay is able to enter its Sav Blanc into contest but not its Dessert wines. So the IWC caters toward smaller boutique wineries.
In the early 90's many French producers including Lafite and Mouton have entered their wines into competition. However they were beaten out by Aussie and a NZ cabernet.
The judges are Wine Masters and renowned critics from various publishing articles.
The IWC was the first competition to bring anumber of wineries into awareness including- Te Mata (1983- Gold medal for Coleraine), Stonyridge (1994- Top wine), Martinborough Vineyards (1983 Gold Medal for PN), Ata Rangi (1983 Gold Medal) from NZ. Many vineyards from Aussie have also benefitted as have Spanish and French wines.
Internationally, lesser known regions came into prominance through competition at the IWC. These regions include Priorat, Ribera Del Douro, Pessac Leognan and the IGT wines of Tuscany, which until the 70's were relegated to but one producer of proiminance- Antinori's Sassacaia and Tiganello.
This competition is targeted to the European market more than the US, and hence is probably unheard of on your shores. yet its place in the Inernational wine forum is important because it brings to light many producers that would otherwise be unheard of. Cloudy Bay is one example ( 1980- Gold Medal.). | | | |
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JonesWineNo1
Sommelier
Posts: 8568
| | 10-06-2003 11:37 PM |
| | Antinori does not make Sassicaia. Antinori makes Solaia. Its way too easy to mix up Italian "aias". | | | |
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Jeremy Matthew
Barrel Sampler
Posts: 2067
| | 10-06-2003 11:46 PM |
| Big ooopppps.
Thanks for clearing that up Jones.
Sorry I forgot it was Pierro Antinori not Marchese Antinori who was responsible. San Guido estate (where Sass comes from.)was owned by Mario Incisca della Rochetta ( a Piedmontese )whose nephew was the one and only Pierro Antinori. Thats right isn't it? | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Sorter
Posts: 307
| | 10-07-2003 12:16 AM |
| | i could care less of theie results. i'd rather listen to fellow forumites who i have alighned my palate with. | | | |
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Jeremy Matthew
Barrel Sampler
Posts: 2067
| | 10-07-2003 12:48 AM |
| Ant,
That maybe so. But this competition ,in particular because of the no limit on production rule, means that many wines people would not hear of are at least recommended by a recognised body of expert tasters.
The fact that Bordeaux producers haven't entered in recent times is actually because they have little to prove anymore.
A good example is German Riesling. Up until 2001 most forumites here didn't drink German Riesling. GATC, Stemor, Rieslingfan and myself were probably the biggest drinkers of German Riesling. However with the recognition of 2001 by WS and WA not too mention Terry Theise (more prominant here than the other two) German wines suddenly became popular again. Never mind that the 97, 96, 93 and 90 vintages were all of equal quality and also still readily available at cheap prices (looking at Auction sites).
Its important to note that Competitions for wineries is more about marketing wine than necessarily evaluating them (although that to is important.). Much like WA and WS wineries see these competitions as possible avenues of cheap marketing.
Nows there is a thought. Wineries could start paying us to drink there wine and comment...... thats right they already do- WS. | | | |
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Budman
Philly Suburbs
VinoCellar.com Extraordinaire
Posts: 23632
| | 10-07-2003 12:49 AM |
| That's 'whom I have' etc...  | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Sorter
Posts: 307
| | 10-07-2003 12:54 AM |
| jeremy,
good point. i never thought of it that way. this way a small winery has a chance to get their name on the map. | | | |
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Jeremy Matthew
Barrel Sampler
Posts: 2067
| | 10-07-2003 12:56 AM |
| Ant,
Thats it pretty much.
Budman,
LOL!
Who said that? or is it
Whom said that? 
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Carl
Grape Fermenter
Posts: 462
| | 10-07-2003 12:41 PM |
| | Jeremy, thanks. Your explanation was very helpful. | | | |
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ojeffso
warren, new jersey
Wine Lover
Posts: 4877
| | 10-07-2003 01:27 PM |
| | are the tasters in this competition just from the uk? | | | |
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