www.internationalwinechallenge.com
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INFORMATION BROCHURE
THE INTERNATIONAL WINE CHALLENGE 2016 contents and important datescontents and important International Wine Challenge 2016 Contents
About the IWC 3
The judging process 4–5
Award qualification 6–7
Discovery tasting 8
Results and Awards Dinner 9
Promotional tools 10–11
Media coverage 12–13
How to enter 15
Tranche 1 Tranche 2 Entry opens: Entry opens: 24 August 2015 3 December 2015
Closing date for entries: Closing date for entries: Paper: 15 October 2015 Paper: 11 February 2016 Online: 29 October 2015 Online: 3 March 2016
Delivery deadline for samples: Delivery deadline for samples: IWC shipping deal: 16 October 2015 IWC shipping deal: 3 March 2016 Private courier: 2-6 November 2015 Private courier: 7–28 March 2016
Judging: Judging: 16-20 November 2015 11-22 April 2016
Medals announced: Medals announced: 1 December 2015 11 May 2016
Tranche 1 / Tranche 2 Trophy tasting: Awards Dinner: 25-26 April 2016 7 July 2016
Trophies announced: 16 May 2016
2 www.internationalwinechallenge.com about the IWC International Wine Challenge 2016 About the IWC
MEDIA COVERAGE IN EXCESS OF
The International Wine Challenge (IWC) was established in 1984 and has 1.2 now firmly positioned itself as one of the most respected blind wine-tasting competitions in the world. The IWC has grown tremendously over the past BILLION 30 years with wines entered from every corner of the globe. As such, we PEOPLE employ a vast number of international wine experts to judge the competition. WORLDWIDE
The IWC is split into Tranche 1 and Tranche 2, which together form the IWC 2016 competition. Tranche 1 is judged in November and the results are announced in December. Tranche 2 is judged in April with results being announced in May.
This schedule, with its two medal release dates, allows entrants enter the tranche that best fits their schedule, allowing them to maximise the promotional impact of winning an IWC medal.
“Considering the judging process and the judges I’m in the clouds. I’m really, really honoured. As you may know, this is the second time we’ve won the IWC Champion Red Trophy in 5 years and our first award has completely changed our distribution globally, has changed the level of respect that people have [for our wine]. We are a small winery, so being able to say we’ve won an award like this definitely makes C H 5 A 1 L 20 a difference.” LENGE
Filippo Chia, Director, Castello Romitorio CHAMPION RED
ENTER THE INTERNATIONAL WINE CHALLENGE TO: • Benchmark your wines against the rest of the world • Benefit from millions of pounds’ worth of free publicity • Raise the profile of your brand among consumers and the trade • Increase sales by using the internationally recognised IWC medal logos
www.internationalwinechallenge.com 3 the judging process International Wine Challenge 2016 The judging process
SEE THE JUDGES IN ACTION VISIT
Hundreds of expert judges from all over the /winechallenge world meet in London twice a year to judge the International Wine Challenge.
At the helm of the IWC judges are five Chairmen, each of them leaders in their field. They are Tim Atkin MW, Oz Clarke, Sam Harrop MW, Peter McCombie MW and Charles Metcalfe. Between them, they taste every single medal-winning wine, ensuring that only the best succeed. They are supported by (about 30) Panel Chairmen, whose crucial role is to control the individual tasting panels to ensure that the quality, potential and typicity of every wine is assessed fairly, professionally and consistently.
Through the ranks the IWC judges are individuals with great palates and considerable experience. They are Masters of Wine, winemakers, senior wine buyers or specialist wine writers. Used to tasting large numbers of wines within their daily work, they have a thorough knowledge of a broad range of wines.
To learn more about the IWC judges visit www.internationalwinechallenge.com
4 www.internationalwinechallenge.com the judging process International Wine Challenge 2016
The sheer number of times a wine is tasted is what makes the International Wine Challenge truly unique. Every wine entered into the competition will be tasted at least twice, with Champion Trophy winners being tasted on up to eight separate occasions. This process, along with the unbiased nature of the judging, ensures that no good wines miss out on a medal from the IWC.
For a producer the IWC presents an independent view of their wine and a benchmark against the rest of the world. For the consumer the IWC is a mark of quality, helping them to buy great wines in all styles and at all price points.
“The International Wine Challenge is committed to rigorous and fair tasting and has subsequently earned its reputation as the most well-respected wine competition in the world. By hosting two separate tasting events across the year, wines are given the best chance to perform well, wherever they’re from.” “If a shopper sees an IWC medal sticker on a bottle of wine, its quality can be trusted, as it has been selected by some of the world’s best tasters. Whether they are a wine novice or an experienced wine drinker, our stickers can help them find a great wine every time.” Charles Metcalfe, IWC Co-Chairman www.internationalwinechallenge.com 5 award qualification International Wine Challenge 2016 Award qualification
Winning a medal at the International Wine Challenge is a significant achievement and an excellent benchmark of your wine against the rest of the world. These pages offer a detailed explanation of the medals awarded by the IWC and the award qualification process.
Medals Champion Trophy Awards The IWC 2016 has two medal release dates, the All IWC national trophy winners are tasted against first on 1 December 2016 for Tranche 1 wines each other to find the Champion Trophy winners in and the second on 11 May 2016 for Tranche 2 the categories of red, white, rosé, sparkling, wines. At this stage in the competition wines will fortified and sweet. The winners of these either receive a gold, silver or bronze medal or prestigious awards will be announced at the be given a commended award. Wines that do IWC Awards Dinner on 7 July 2016 and are not receive a medal or award are deemed ‘out’. considered the pinnacle of the International Gold, silver and bronze medal-winning wines Wine Challenge awards. have received the highest praise from our judges. Commended awards are for wines that A wine of the same label and vintage will not be have missed out on winning a medal but are allowed to win any Champion Trophy status twice considered noteworthy by the IWC judges. in a five-year period. The wine’s journey will stop at gold medal level and it will not be Gold medal-winning wines from Tranche 1 considered in any of the existing and Tranche 2 of the competition will be Champion Trophy categories judged together to select the IWC 2016 trophy However, former Champion winners. The IWC awards regional, varietal, Trophy winners will be entered international varietal and national trophies. into a new category to compete C The IWC 2016 trophy winners will be announced for the Champion of Champions H 6 A 1 on 16 May 2016. Trophy. L 20 LENGE
CHAMPION FORTIFIED Great Value Awards IWC Great Value Awards are given to wines that win a gold or silver medal and meet specific volume, availability and pricing criteria. The IWC willannounce the Great Value Trophy winners on 16 May 2016 with the Great Value Champions in the categories of red, white, rosé, sparkling, fortified and sweet announced at the Awards Dinner in July. To be considered for this award producers must accurately complete section 6 (Production and Retail) of the entry form.
6 www.internationalwinechallenge.com award qualification International Wine Challenge 2016
For details regarding International Wine Challenge award qualification visit www.internationalwinechallenge.com
Winemaker of the Year Awards Special Awards The IWC collates data from the results of the These awards aim to recognise excellence competition, analyses and scores it to determine in the global wine trade. The Len Evans the winners of the Winemaker of the Year awards. Trophy is awarded to companies which Producers are awarded points for each wine entered have consistently excelled in the IWC over into the competition that have won a trophy, gold, silver, the past five years. The James Rogers bronze medal or commended award. Points are Trophy is given to the best new wine deducted for wine submitted into the competition that entered into the competition in its first year did not win an award. The results are then weighted of production. To be in with a chance of based on the volume of entry and finally given an winning the James Rogers Trophy it is average score per wine. important that producers complete section 6 of the entry form. Only wines submitted within five years of the most recent vintage will be The IWC Personality of the Year included in a producer’s score for a and Lifetime Achievement Winemaker of the Year Award. Bonus Awards also fall into this points will be awarded for wines that category. These awards are are in the most recent vintage. For bestowed on those people
further details visit the Award C within the trade that have shown C 6 H 1 H 6 Qualification page on www. A 0 dedication and commitment A 1 L 2 L 20 internationalwinechallenge.com LENGE beyond the norm, and have LENGE WHITE made a real difference to the WINEMAKER global wine industry. LEN EVANS OF THE YEAR TROPHY
Planet Earth Awards These accolades are won by wines that have been awarded a trophy or gold medal in the competition and are certified as sustainable, organic, biodynamic or Fairtrade. Entrants must complete the certification question on section 4 of the entry form and be able to produce official certification C H 6 A 1 upon request by the IWC. L 20 LENGE
SUSTAINABLE TROPHY www.internationalwinechallenge.com 7 discovery tasting International Wine Challenge 2016 IWC tastings
Discovery Tasting The Discovery Tasting provides a unique platform for IWC competition entrants who are seeking representation in the UK. Only wines that don’t yet have an importer to the UK are eligible to participate. Buyers from all channels, including supermarkets, agents, independents, and major restaurant and hotel chains, attend the IWC Discovery Tasting.
Discovery Tasting wines are presented depending on their target audience: off-trade (independent merchants, high street retailers and supermarkets), which is split into off-trade independent and off-trade multiple, and on-trade (restaurants, hotels and bars). Within these categories, the wines are further grouped by country and style, enabling buyers to easily browse and fine products relevant to them.
To enter the Discovery Tasting, please see section 2 on the entry form. It is essential that you indicate your primary focus (off-trade independent, off-trade multiple or on-trade) so that we can categorise your wine correctly.
The fee for participating at the Discovery Tasting is £52/€72/US$81* per entry/ wine and two additional samples are required. The cost to ship wines to be included in the Discovery Tasting using the IWC shipping deal is £49.10/€68.27/$76.14*.
* Plus VAT, where applicable (Exchange rate correct at time of printing).
8 www.internationalwinechallenge.com results and awards dinner International Wine Challenge 2016 Results and Awards Dinner
SAVE THE DATE IWC 2016 AWARDS DINNER Key dates for the IWC 2016 results: 7 JULY 2016
Tranche 1 Medals: Trophy Medals: 1 December 2015 16 May 2016
Tranche 2 Medals: Awards Dinner: 11 May 2016 7 July 2016
The IWC 2016 Awards Dinner will take place in London on 7 July 2016. Here, the IWC will announce the highly anticipated results of the Merchant of the Year Awards and Winemaker of the Year Awards, as well as the Champion Trophy winners.
The IWC Awards Dinner is a great place to celebrate the hard work you’ve put in throughout the year with friends and colleagues.
WHEN THE RESULTS ARE ANNOUNCED ENTRANTS CAN LOG IN TO THEIR ONLINE IWC ACCOUNT TO: ■ Check the results for their wines ■ Print off temporary certificates for medal-winning wines ■ Download medal artwork in jpg, png and psd formats ■ Order IWC medal stickers ■ Buy a table or tickets for the IWC Awards Dinner
To watch the highlights from the IWC 2015 ceremony visit
/winechallenge
www.internationalwinechallenge.com 9 promotional tools International Wine Challenge 2016 Promotional tools
FREE WORLDWIDE DELIVERY
IWC medal stickers Winning a medal at the International Wine Challenge is a significant achievement and a fantastic endorsement of your brand. To help medal-winning producers make the most of their success the IWC produces high-shine, foil bottle stickers. These stickers are a proven sales tool which can directly influence a customer’s purchasing decision. A recent study has shown that IWC medal stickers increase average sales of an award-winning wine by 15% and also encourages shoppers to spend a little extra on wines that have won an award.
Medal stickers can be purchased online via the IWC shop in rolls of 1,000 or 5,000 (right or left-hand leading) with significant discounts for large orders. International delivery is free of charge and stickers can be ordered as soon as the results of the competition are announced.
Electronic copies of medal logos along with temporary medal certificates can also be downloaded via your IWC account for use on your promotional material. There is no embargo on the IWC results so we encourage all of our medal winners to make the most of these sales tools as soon as the results are publicised.
“When our customers see the universally respected and recognisable sticker of the IWC awards on a wine, it acts as a beacon, helping them to zoom in on their choice, safe in the knowledge that the industry’s finest have merited it with that sticker. IWC stickers are another tool that makes life easier for our customers and that’s why we value them highly”. Emma Shaw, category manager at Oddbins
10 www.internationalwinechallenge.com promotional tools International Wine Challenge 2016 Promotional tools
The International Wine Challenge FREE mobile app for iPhone and Android In the official International Wine Challenge mobile app, available free via the App Store and Google Play, you’ll find all the results for more than 8,000 wines and sakes from the International Wine Challenge. This free app is updated each year to include the latest results from the competition.
Wines can be searched for by country, grape, style, price range, colour and medal type, or even by stockist. If a stockist isn’t listed for a wine, the wine-searcher.com function will find one. There’s also a wealth of accompanying information including images of the wine and some tasting notes from the IWC judges.
The app shows where to buy the wines, and how much they will cost all over the world; presenting IWC medal-winning wines to a growing number of wine lovers from across the globe.
Listings on the IWC app are free for all International Wine Challenge medal winners
/internationalwinechallenge @winechallenge
Video Tasting Notes
IWC now offers medal winners the opportunity to engage directly with an international audience via videos on the IWC App and Website. For more information and to book a space contact [email protected] or call +44 (0) 1293 846511 www.internationalwinechallenge.com 11 media coverage International Wine Challenge 2016 Media coverage in excess of 1.2 billion people worldwide.
Winning a medal at the IWC is the ultimate third party endorsement of your brand and presents the opportunity to be included in our international media coverage, potentially leading to £millions of free publicity.
UK
USA
HUNGARY
ITALY
PORTUGAL
CHILE
12 www.internationalwinechallenge.com media coverage International Wine Challenge 2016
GERMANY JAPAN
TAIWAN
AUSTRALIA
MALTA
NEW ZEALAND
www.internationalwinechallenge.com 13 affordable shipping International Wine Challenge 2016 Shipping your samples
SAVE WHEN YOU ENTER THE Shipping samples to the UK can be costly which is why the IWC offers a cheaper alternative via our shipping IWC 2016 partner Hellmann Beverage Logistics. ONLINE How much it costs The International Wine Challenge strongly suggests that participants use the Hellmann Beverage Logistics shipping service. Producers who use this service will save hundreds of pounds in fees and taxes. The cost of the IWC shipping deal covers all charges associated with duty, storage, carriage UK clearance and taxes on samples supplied. The cost of using this service for one entry is £45/€62.57/$69.78* in addition to the standard entry fee. If you have entered a wine into the Discovery Tasting, where two extra samples are required, this cost will increase to £49.10/€68.27/$76.14.
*Plus VAT where applicable (Exchange rate correct at time of printing).
IWC shipping service deadlines Tranche 1 samples must arrive at your local, approved Hellmann Beverage Logistics agent by 16 October 2015 and Tranche 2 by 3 March 2016.
Shipping agents Countries where a Hellmann Beverage Logistics agent is available are listed below. For full contact details visit: www.internationalwinechallenge.com/shipping-your-wines.html
If there is not an approved Hellmann Beverage Logistics agent available in your country, you will need to send your samples privately.
Australia Croatia Macedonia Slovenia Austria France Montenegro South Africa Bosnia Germany New Zealand Spain Brazil Greece Portugal United States Canada Hungary Romania Chile Italy Serbia
14 www.internationalwinechallenge.com how to enter International Wine Challenge 2016 How to enter
GLOBAL ONLINE ENTRY FEE: £105/€146/ $163 +VAT*
STEP 1: SELECT THE TRANCHE
Enter the wine at its optimum tasting time. Tranche 1 judging takes place in November 2016 and Tranche 2 judging takes place in April 2016.
STEP 2: ENTER THE COMPETITION
Entering online will save you money. Register on the IWC website or log in to your account if you have entered previously. Alternatively, download and complete the paper entry form from www.internationalwinechallenge.com
STEP 3: SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY
Complete and submit your entry before the relevant deadline dates. Tranche 1 paper entries must arrive by 17 October 2015 and online entries by 29 October 2015. Tranche 2 paper entries must arrive by 11 February 2016 and online entries by 3 March 2016.
If you would like to enter the Discovery Tasting make sure your tick the relevant box on the entry form. See page 8 for details.
STEP 4: ARRANGE SHIPMENT
Arrange shipment of your wine samples. We recommend using the IWC shipping deal using Hellmann Beverage Logistics. See page 12 for details of shipping options.
*Exchange rate correct at time of printing. VAT payable where applicable. www.internationalwinechallenge.com 15 6
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