Wine competitions are organized events where a variety of wines are rated by consumers and trained judges. A wine competition can be a great way to learn more about the best wines available.
There are many reasons why a wine competition might be beneficial for a business. For example, it can generate sales or visibility for a new product. Wine competitions provide a snapshot of your competitors’ activities and market position. Also, judging wine competitions helps a business owner understand where they stand in the market.
Typically, a panel of judges will evaluate a flight of wines. Each flight is organized into like-minded styles and varietals. The judges then determine which wines have the highest scores. The scoring system is numerical, allowing for some debate among the judges. The most common judging method for wine competitions is blind tasting.
Judges are generally divided into panels of three or four, with two of them blind tasting each wine and not revealing the variety or producer. Judges take notes on each wine and decide which one deserves a medal. Some competitions have a Double Gold category, which requires unanimous approval by the judges. Gold is awarded to the best wine in each category. A Bronze medal is given to wines with good to excellent quality.
Whether you enter a single or multiple competitions, the overall outcome of the results are usually the same. The best wines in each category earn medals, but this does not necessarily mean that the best wine is the winner. Wine competitions are an excellent way to introduce new products, get exposure, and market your wines.
