The International Wine & Spirit Competition is an annual wine and spirit competition founded in 1969 by the German/British

oenologist Oenology (also enology; ) is the science and study of wine and winemaking. Oenology is distinct from viticulture, which is the science of the growing, cultivation, and harvesting of grapes. The English word oenology derives from the Greek word ...

Anton Massel. Each year the competition receives entries from over 90

countries A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while th ...

worldwide. The awards given by the competition are considered as high honors in the industry. The event occurs annually in November, in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...

. Only products which pay the entry fee of £140 per category are judged, and three/four bottles of each product must be supplied. Depending on the points out of 100 awarded, submitted products can receive gold outstanding, gold, silver outstanding, silver, or bronze awards, and there are no limitations on how many of each which can be awarded. There is also an extensive range of trophies each year.

Judging

The judging process consists of

blind tasting Wine tasting is the sensory examination and evaluation of wine. While the practice of wine tasting is as ancient as its production, a more formalized methodology has slowly become established from the 14th century onward. Modern, professional w ...

and panel discussion. Entries are judged by panels drawn from 250 specialists from around the world.

Judging processes

The competition has its own purpose built premises including temperature controlled cellars, tasting rooms and regular staff. In 2019, IWSC wine judging moved to London for the first time. The competition has its own storage facilities and cellaring for over 30,000 bottles. It takes over six months to judge all the products as they are sorted into over 1,500 categories. The categories divide the entries by several factors: region or area; variety, style, or type; vintage or age; and similar characteristics. Wines and spirits that win awards go forward to the national or international level. The competition makes use of over 250 specialist judges from all over the world. Many are Masters of Wine, some are

winemaker A winemaker or vintner is a person engaged in winemaking. They are generally employed by wineries or wine companies, where their work includes: *Cooperating with viticulturists *Monitoring the maturity of grapes to ensure their quality and to dete ...

s or

distiller Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heating ...

s, others are trade specialists, each judging in their special field. All judges attend an IWSC judges induction course.

Annual IWSC banquet

The competition culminates in London in November with the annual awards presentation and banquet, at the City of London Guildhall.

Presidents

A president is selected annually from influential individuals in the wines and spirits industry. After their term, they serve on the competition’s Advisory Board. * 2020 Tamara Roberts, UK * 2019 George Fistonich, New Zealand * 2018 Facundo L. Bacardi * 2017 Chris Blandy, Portugal * 2016 Matteo Lunelli, Italy * 2015 Neil McGuigan, Australia * 2014 Dr Laura Catena, Argentina * 2013 G. Garvin Brown IV, USA * 2012 Mauricio Gonzalez Gordon, Spain * 2011 Prince Robert of Luxembourg, France * 2010 Prinz Michael zu Salm-Salm, Germany * 2009 Sir Ian Good, UK * 2008 Rafael Guilisasti, Chile * 2007 Gina Gallo, USA * 2006 Anthony von Mandl, Canada * 2005 Wolf Blass, Australia * 2004 Paul Symington, Portugal * 2003 Claes Dahlbäck, Sweden * 2002 Dominique Hériard Dubreuil, France * 2001 Warren Winiarski, USA * 2000 Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, France * 1999 Miguel A. Torres, Spain * 1998 Sir Anthony Greener, UK * 1997

Jean Hugel Jean "Johnny" Frederic Hugel ( September 28, 1924 - June 9, 2009) was an Alsatian wine producer, described by wine expert Tom Stevenson as ''"the single most important person in the development of Alsace wine industry throughout the 20th century. ...

, France * 1996 Dr.Anton Rupert, South Africa * 1995 Marchese Leonardo de Frescobaldi, Italy * 1994 Michael Jackaman, UK * 1993 Mme May de Lencquesaing, France * 1992 Chris Hancock Hon MW, Australia * 1991

Peter Sichel Peter Max F. Sichel (born September 12, 1922) is a German-American wine merchant and former operative of US secret services, who created the Blue Nun wine brand, for a while the largest international wine brand in the world. Prior to this he ran ...

, USA * 1990 Robert Drouhin, France * 1989 Jos Ignacio Domecq, Spain * 1988 Marchese Piero Antinori, Italy * 1987

Kenneth Grahame Kenneth Grahame ( ; 8 March 1859 – 6 July 1932) was a British writer born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He is most famous for ''The Wind in the Willows'' (1908), a classic of children's literature, as well as '' The Reluctant Dragon''. Both books w ...

, UK * 1986 Dr.Max Lake, Australia * 1985 Marquis de Goulaine, France * 1984 Mme Odette Pol Roger, France * 1983 Robert Mondavi Hon MW, USA * 1982 Dr. Hans Ambrosi, Germany * 1981 Harry Waugh Hon MW, UK * 1980 Peter Noble, CBE * 1979

Cyril Ray Cyril Ray (16 March 1908 – 24 September 1991) was an English writer and journalist. After a spell as a war reporter, and then a foreign correspondent he became best known for writing about food and, especially, wine. He became a wine writer al ...

, UK * 1978 Sir Reginald Bennett VRD, UK * 1977

Lord Montagu of Beaulieu Baron Montagu of Beaulieu (, Engl. pronunciation: "bewley", from French ''beau'', "beautiful" and ''lieu'', "place"), in the County of Hampshire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1885 for the Conservative poli ...

, UK

References

External links

Official website
Wine tasting Wine-related events Distilled drinks Wine awards Awards established in 1969 Recurring events established in 1969