NZ wineries look to continue their stellar performance

NZ wineries look to continue their stellar performance in the Sydney International Wine Competition - entries for 39th Competition set to close on 21 September

10 September 2018: Entry to the 39th Sydney International Wine Competition – the only international wine show that judges all its finalists in combination with appropriate food – is set to close on 21 September.

After a record year of production in many wine regions, entries to the Sydney International have been flowing in from all districts in Australia and New Zealand and from major wine producers in Europe. Entries to the Competition are capped at a total of 2000 wines to ensure the most rigorous judging process.

Last year, New Zealand wineries took out eight of the major categories, including Most Successful Winery of the Competition (Yealands) and Best Wine of the Competition (Bald Hills Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2015).

As with last year, there is considerable diversity in grape varieties and wine styles being submitted. Initial estimates suggest that last year’s record of 57 individual grape varieties is likely to be broken.

Judging will take place from 8-12 October, and provisional award and trophy winners will be notified by the end of October.

Online entries can be made via the competition’s website www.top100wines.com, which contains full details of the judging criteria and judges’ comments on all award winners from last year’s competition.

With no minimum production requirements, this show is particularly applicable to experimental and small makers to test their wines alongside wines from major producers.

This year’s competition will be judged by an international panel of well-credentialed judges, including five Masters of Wine. The judging panel will be led by Warren Gibson, a highly experienced judge of New Zealand, Australian and international wine competitions.

Renowned chef Michael Manners alongside Marcel Kustos from Adelaide University will once again partner to design dishes styled to complement the various wine categories being judged.

Amongst the innovations being introduced to the SIWC this year, a new temperature-controlled storage facility has been constructed at the judging venue in the Blue Mountains to ensure that wines remain at a constant temperature from the moment they arrive. In addition, the Competition’s website is receiving a major upgrade to make it easier for consumers to search for wines to suit their particular dining experiences and budget.

Entry details are available from: www.top100wines.com

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