International Wine Challenge
Encyclopedia
The International Wine Challenge (IWC) is an annual wine competition
. The International Wine Challenge (IWC) assesses every wine blind and judges each for its faithfulness to variety, region and vintage. Every wine is assessed independently of its price. Great Value for money awards are made after the wine has been judged for quality
The IWC now has over 12,000 entries.
The results of the competition are published on the International Wine Challenge website in May, in trade bi-weekly magazine Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade Review and the World's Best Wines Guide iPhone App available free from iTunes. (Just search for IWC 2011)
Joseph and Metcalfe jointly chaired the competition until 2000 when they were joined by Derek Smedley MW. In 2006, the IWC and Wine International were sold to William Reed Business Media.
, Tim Atkin
MW, Sam Harrop MW and for 2012 they will be joined by Peter McCombie MW.
In September the IWC Awards Dinner is held in London. Each year, the achievements of the top medal winners, and the leading wine merchants, are publicly rewarded at the International Wine Challenge Awards Dinner, with over 800 guests from the UK wine trade plus international producers and winemakers.
The IWC awards ceremony officially unveils the Champion Trophy Winners, Merchant of the Year Awards, Great Value Trophy Winners and Winemaker of the Year Awards, along with Personality of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Award.
Each year the Library Collection tasting focuses on five and 10 year old wines. For example, the 2011 tasting will review the 2001 and 2006 vintages. The results represent a wide variety of wines from around the world available on the high street and from specialist wine merchants.
The competition is judged blind on a 100-point scoring system by the resident Chairmen including Tim Atkin MW, Sam Harrop MW, Charles Metcalfe, Peter McCombie MW and Derek Smedley MW, who are accompanied by panels of international judges. Directed by this panel, the competition is backed by an advisory board of distinguished and knowledgeable experts in the fine wine trade.
The judging takes place in London in October. The results are announced in September and published in 'Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade Review magazine and online on the International Wine Challenge's website.
Wine competition
A wine competition is an organized event in which trained judges or consumers competitively rate different vintages or bands of wine. There are two types of wine competitions, both of which use blind tasting of wine to prevent bias by the judges....
. The International Wine Challenge (IWC) assesses every wine blind and judges each for its faithfulness to variety, region and vintage. Every wine is assessed independently of its price. Great Value for money awards are made after the wine has been judged for quality
The IWC now has over 12,000 entries.
The results of the competition are published on the International Wine Challenge website in May, in trade bi-weekly magazine Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade Review and the World's Best Wines Guide iPhone App available free from iTunes. (Just search for IWC 2011)
History
The competition was launched in London in 1984 by Robert Joseph and Charles Metcalfe, originally as a feature in Wine International magazine, later renamed Wine & Spirit, now Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade Review.Joseph and Metcalfe jointly chaired the competition until 2000 when they were joined by Derek Smedley MW. In 2006, the IWC and Wine International were sold to William Reed Business Media.
Current
The competition is chaired by Charles Metcalfe, Derek Smedley MWMaster of Wine
Master of Wine is a qualification issued by The Institute of Masters of Wine in the United Kingdom...
, Tim Atkin
Tim Atkin
Tim Atkin is a British Master of Wine, and wine correspondent of several publications.-Career:Atkin has published columns in The Observer, Observer Food Monthly, Off Licence News, Woman and Home, The World of Fine Wine, The Economist. Between 2000 and 2003 Atkin was editor of Harpers Wine and...
MW, Sam Harrop MW and for 2012 they will be joined by Peter McCombie MW.
Format of the competition
The competition takes place over two weeks. There are three rounds of blind tasting: groups of eight to twelve wines of the same style are tasted and scored by tables of 4 or 5 judges. There are over 400 judges. Wines scoring more than 84 points out of 100 advance to round two, where they are tasted again and medal winners in each style are awarded. Round three is a tasting of gold medal winners to decide on trophy winners. Throughout the rigorous judging processes, each medal winning wine is tasted at least three times and sometimes as many as six. There is no set number of trophies awarded.In September the IWC Awards Dinner is held in London. Each year, the achievements of the top medal winners, and the leading wine merchants, are publicly rewarded at the International Wine Challenge Awards Dinner, with over 800 guests from the UK wine trade plus international producers and winemakers.
The IWC awards ceremony officially unveils the Champion Trophy Winners, Merchant of the Year Awards, Great Value Trophy Winners and Winemaker of the Year Awards, along with Personality of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Award.
Library Collection competition
The Library Collection is a competition that focuses on the ageing potential of wine while following the same judging process established by the International Wine Challenge. Its aim is to introduce and promote fine wines to people that already appreciate wine and are keen to understand more about provenance and ageing.Each year the Library Collection tasting focuses on five and 10 year old wines. For example, the 2011 tasting will review the 2001 and 2006 vintages. The results represent a wide variety of wines from around the world available on the high street and from specialist wine merchants.
The competition is judged blind on a 100-point scoring system by the resident Chairmen including Tim Atkin MW, Sam Harrop MW, Charles Metcalfe, Peter McCombie MW and Derek Smedley MW, who are accompanied by panels of international judges. Directed by this panel, the competition is backed by an advisory board of distinguished and knowledgeable experts in the fine wine trade.
The judging takes place in London in October. The results are announced in September and published in 'Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade Review magazine and online on the International Wine Challenge's website.