Some wine recommendations mean more than others…

WINE AWARDS, ratings, reviews, recommendations. They needn’t be complicated or controversial, however it helps to know what you’re dealing with in distinguishing between pretty darn useful, somewhat interesting, and just a waste of time… Some folk get into a froth over whose opinions count most – besides your own that is – and some troubled souls even question whether wines should be rated at all by anybody other than themselves. On one hand it has to do with context. On the other it’s about the scoring system and how the scores are presented. The desire to compare all manner of things is innate – people generally love the idea of competition, if only to argue about the outcome. Which is why Top Wine SA looks for consensus among the experts over time and in various forums, preferring the results of respected panel tastings to individual assessments, conducted without the judges knowing the names of the wines, where they come from or what they’re priced at. It’s also why we’re relaxed about there being a number of great wines and cellars of whatever kind at any given time, rather than insisting that there can be only one.

In every major wine market there are critics with considerable followings in their individual capacities. In the UK, these include Jancis Robinson, Tim Atkin, Oz Clarke, Hugh Johnson, Jamie Goode, Anthony Rose, Andrew Jefford and quite a few others. In the USA, the most influential wine recommendations include those in the online and print versions of Robert Parker and The Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast, whose reviews of South African wines are by Anthony Mueller (previously Neal Martin), Alison Napjus (previously James Molesworth) and Lauren Buzzeo respectively. Whereas South Africa’s leading wine commentators when it comes to their own assessments are ‘Wine Wizard’ Michael Fridjhon, Winemag.co.za’s Christian Eedes and London-based Greg Sherwood. All of these professional tasters’ opinions can be interesting and some of our personal tastes may well be in line with some of theirs, but none of their reviews conducted solo count towards the SA Wine and Cellar Classifications.

Also in every major wine market there are challenges, competitions, shows, championships, awards and guides involving taste-offs that vary in size, focus and procedures. They culminate in ratings or awards that range from trophies and medals of one sort or another to 20- and 100-point scoring systems. Definitions of the accolades differ, either bracketing groups of wines according to quality and interest, or ranking numerically to come up with precise pecking orders. However, such is the nature of certain competitions that they have little bearing… For information about those panel tasting results that count towards the SA Wine and Cellar Classifications, click here. The following are examples of those that don’t:

What’s odd about these wine competitions?

CONCOURS MONDIAL DE BRUXELLES & SAUVIGNON SELECTION by CMB – BE
The entries in these competitions include wines that are still in tank or barrel, i.e. wines that are not yet market-ready and which could change considerably by the time they are available for purchase.

DINERS CLUB WINEMAKER OF THE YEAR – SA
There’s one competition for winemakers up to the age of 30 and another competition for the rest. And every year the main event is limited to a particular, different type of wine, precluding a large number of top winemakers from entering.

GOLD WINE AWARDS – SA
Little transparency, questionable motivation and judging standards/procedures. Gold signifies so-called good value more than it does good quality, with a price ceiling included among the entry criteria.

LUMO AWARDS – SA
All/only women on the panel of judges… Winemaker of the Year award reserved for women only…

MICHELANGELO AWARDS – SA
The entries include wines that are still in tank or barrel, i.e. wines that are not yet market-ready and which could change considerably by the time they are available for purchase.

MUNDUS VINI – DE
The reporting/record-keeping by the publisher Meininger Verlag can be problematic, and the entries include wines that are still in tank or barrel, i.e.wines that are not yet market-ready and which could change considerably by the time they are available for purchase.

ULTRA VALUE WINE CHALLENGE – SA
Gobbledygook.

VITIS VINIFERA AWARDS – SA
Little transparency, little gets out about who does the scoring or about the judging process. Another case of ‘if we can’t win there, then let’s try here’.

YOUNG WINE SHOWS – SA
The wines are judged while still in their infancy, with some way to go before they are finally bottled. So the winners can taste quite different by the time they are available for purchase.

 

NOTE: this article has been updated since it was first published to include the names of additional wine competitions that are or have become problematic.

 

 

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6 comments

  • Regarding the SA Young Wine Show: “Correct on all counts.” It doesn’t mean much to the wine-loving public. The entries all judged pre-bottling and could be rather different (sometimes less impressive) on release. “Many of those wines are indeed blended and end up not being the wine which won the Award. However, there is a sticker available should you bottle the wine without blending or altering in any major way…”

  • The Merit Wine & Spirit Challenge? Hmmm. Almost as questionable as the Gold Wine Awards and the Vitis Vinifera Awards! As are the SA Women’s Wine & Spirit Awards!!

  • Sam Venter

    Wondering why anyone still takes the Gold Wine Awards and the Vitis Vinifera Awards seriously. They have remarkably similar websites and rules, and the same contact people – the only difference seems to be the “Gold” awards are limited to wines under R160?

    • Heard from some SA wine producers / exporters that the Chinese insist on having stickers on the bottles, no matter whose they are or where they come from! Surely the Chinese who buy good wine are more savvy than that! There I was thinking that knowledgable or discerning wine lovers would find the likes of Gold Awards and Vinifera stickers a turnoff!

  • Among the questionable wine competitions in the UK is one called the Sommelier Wine Awards, which is exclusively for wines served in hotels, restaurants, pubs and bars – wines sold in supermarkets or specialist wine shops are barred from entry!

  • About those questionable wine competitions… Yes, I concur, and it took courage to write, I suspect…

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