San Diego International
Wine Competition
Celebrates 27th Year The San Diego International Wine Competition will celebrate its 27th year in 2010, making it one of the most venerable and prestigious of all U.S. wine competitions. Michael Franz, Editor of Wine Review Online, will return for his third year as Chief Judge. The Director is nationally syndicated wine columnist Robert Whitley.  Judges for the 2010 San Diego International Wine Competition were hand-picked by Whitley, whose experience at managing wine competitions is second to none. Robert also serves as Director of the Critics Challenge, the Sommelier Challenge, the Winemaker Challenge and the Monterey Wine Competition, which he co-founded with the Salinas Valley Fair in 1994.
The SDIWC will return to the Westgate Hotel in downtown San Diego for the seventh consecutive year. The Westgate is a premier hotel property in the heart of San Diego, and provides an elegant yet functional backdrop for visiting judges. Wines will be evaluated for Gold, Silver and Platinum awards. Gold-award-winning wines nominated for the Sweepstakes round of voting for Best of Show in their respective categories will automatically be elevated to the Platinum award. Judging Guidelines 1. The San Diego International Wine Competition is a blind tasting. Wines will be evaluated absent information about producer, vintage or price. 2. Because wines have been submitted from the world over, judges may ask questions pertaining to origin so that wines can be evaluated in context. 3. Judges should take into account the fact that winemaking styles vary. A wine that is well made within a legitimate style for the grape and category should be judged accordingly, regardless of any personal preference for an alternative style. 4. Judges may compare notes with others on the panel, but each vote should be independent and reflect the personal opinion of each judge. 5. Votes will be taken at the conclusion of each flight and recorded by the table monitor. Silver Medal A silver medal should be awarded to wines that are well made, absent flaws, and expressive, reflecting good viticultural and winemaking standards. Gold Medal A gold medal should be awarded to wines exhibiting outstanding intensity of flavor and/or complexity. While palate weight can be a positive factor in the evaluation, more delicate wines that possess exceptional nuance should not be overlooked for gold-medal consideration. Mineral-driven and fruit-driven wines should be given equal consideration. A gold-medal wine should leave the judge with an extremely positive overall impression. Best of Show/Platinum Any wine the judges believe would be competitive for best in its class should be put forward for the "Sweepstakes" round of judging to determine Best of Show in its category. All wines nominated for Best of Show will automatically be elevated to a Platinum medal. |
