shows

[cans]

The funny thing about showing wines is the different variations in wines which receive awards. For example Our sauvignon Blanc received a Bronze medal in one show and the next show ( 3 weeks later) it won Top gold in Sauvignon Blanc Category. The extreme of a bronze to a gold status proves that the show ring is highly political. Both shows sporting the same chief judge.
How are the consumers meant to get a good idea which wines are indeed the best of the bunch when one wines does extremely well in one show and bad in another? One of our winewriters topic header in the paper was "perfect one day, Lovely the next"
How can you compare?

[Bucko]

Awards ranging from bronze to gold for the same wine is not difficult to understand if you do judging. Wines are brought out in flights and certain wines usually stand out. These wines are often chosen for medal rounds. The wines are subconsciously being compared to one another. Every wine judging will have some of the same wines, but there are also many different entries. Some flights are tougher than other. Some tasting panels are more critical of wines than others. The mixture of panels varies from one judging to the next, etc., etc.

I love to judge at the New World International Wine Competition because of the way they set up the panels. They try to put a restauranteur, a winemaker, a winetrade person (wholesaler, retailer, wine rep), and a wine writer on every panel. This lets different perspectives on a wine come forth. Some judgings only use winemakers -- not a good idea IMHO. I find a touch of Brett to add personality to a wine. The winemaker finds it a flaw. We argue, the wine gets a Bronze instead of no medal or a gold medal. And so it goes.......

Bucko

[Thomas]

Cans, you obviously believe that competitions guide us toward the so-called "best" wines. In my view, the only way a consumer gets to know which wines are "the best" is by tasting and determining which ones appeal to him or her.

Competitions should NEVER be considered a statement of the best wine, but rather a statement of competitive among its peers. There are so many variables in wine drinking and appreciation that the word "best," with regard to competitions, is at best a marketing term.