Winemakers are encouraged to get their entries in for the 2017 New World Wine Awards, the wine show with
a unique point of difference from others in its focus on wines that
are affordable and accessible. Now in its 15th year and one of New
Zealand's largest and most influential wine shows, entries continue
to increase each year as awareness grows among wineries of the
benefits that success at this competition brings.
In addition to the distinction of an award that judges quality
using the same internationally recognised 100-point system as other
leading wine shows, winning wines are guaranteed national
distribution and extensive promotion, driving sustained
sales.
Annie Winmill, Managing Director of Central Otago winery, Pick
& Shovel, which won a Gold Medal for its 2015 Pinot Noir, says
success at the New World Wine Awards has significantly increased
their brand profile and delivered a platform for rapid
growth.
"Being a small boutique winery, our Pick & Shovel Pinot Noir
was previously only sold at stores in the South Island and from the
cellar door. As a Gold-Medal winner in the Top 50, the wine was
promoted extensively and distributed nationwide through New World
supermarkets. For us, this has opened a whole new market in the
North Island and has put us on the road to doubling the size of our
business," said Annie Winmill.
In order to be eligible for entry to the New World Wine Awards,
wines entered must retail for $25 or less and there must be at
least 5,000 bottles (or 3,500 for niche varietals) available for
sale through New World supermarkets nationwide. This ensures the
award-winning wines are more accessible for wine lovers than is
often the case for other wine awards.
The wines are judged by an independent panel of expert wine
judges, which has grown to 15 this year to accommodate the growth
in the number of entries. The panel is chaired by Jim Harré who
celebrates his 10th year in this role. Working alongside him are a
line-up of some of the country's top wine judges joined by guest
international judge Meg Brodtmann MW, a senior winemaker for Helen
& Joey Estate in the Yarra Valley, Australia, and who has over
20 years of wine-making and judging experience.
The panel will blind taste and judge each wine using the
internationally recognised 100-point system. They will award Gold,
Silver and Bronze medals, with the best wines in each category
re-tasted to determine the Champion wine of each varietal, plus the
overall Champion Red and Champion White.
Chair of the judging panel, Jim Harré, says the calibre of the
judging panel and integrity of the judging process are essential
elements for any serious wine show, and have always been the focus
in the New World Wine Awards.
"As a result, wine lovers are increasingly recognising the value
of these awards for taking the guesswork out of choosing quality
wine. They eagerly anticipate the results of the New World Wine
Awards each year, as reflected by how quickly some of the winning
wines are snapped up," said Mr Harré.
Following the announcement of the 2016 New World Wine Awards
results last year, nearly 400,000 bottles of the Top 50 wines, with
a retail value in excess of $5.3m, sold within the first six weeks.
Some of the Champion and Gold Medal-winning wines sold-out across
New World stores in less than ten days.
To celebrate its 15th year, some enhancements have been made to
the competition. These include new sales opportunities for
medal-winning wines and the addition of new classes for selected
New Zealand wines that retail over $25.
The New World Wine Awards judging will take place over three days
at Wellington's Westpac Stadium on 31 July and 1 & 2 August,
with results announced later in the year.
Entries to the New World Wine Awards close on Friday, 23
June. All details can be found online.