The Buyer talks to the organisers of the Winelovers Wine Awards to find out how the competition is run and what it offers wine buyers looking for new wines to list.
Where did the idea for the awards come from?
After six years of the wine selection process and four editions of “Winelovers 100 – 100 best Hungarian wines”, the contest and the 140-page publication of the results have become a reference point for the Hungarian market for wineries, buyers and consumers alike. In 2022, the time had come to open to the world and expand the contest not only regarding wines entered but also the members of the jury and communication of the results. (See: https://wineloverswineawards.com/organiser )
What do you see as the key difference in your awards versus other competitions?
The Winelovers Wine Awards has developed from an event focused on wines from Hungary to include wines from across Central and Eastern Europe
The objective of the competition is to connect the region with the world, where winemakers, traders, experts and even consumers can meet. The Winelovers Wine Awards aims to become the most influential wine competition in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and be considered one of the world’s leading wine awards. The location of the contest, Hungary, has always functioned as a gateway between East and West, and thanks to our winemaking traditions and values, we can proudly take a leading role and represent countries wishing to export to and import from the region.
How have you chosen the judges and what skills and backgrounds are you looking for?
Our jury members are rigorously selected. In 2022, we asked well-known and acknowledged professionals to join the jury. Four MWs and a Master Sommelier chaired five of the specialised juries. Sommeliers, writers, importers, wine business owners and winemakers were among their members. In 2023, as a new opportunity, we are accepting applications to the jury from wine experts. Our organising board will revise all enquiries and will carefully select the 2023 jury members. (Click here to see how you can become a judge in the competition).
How are the wines judged?
The high profile and expertise of the judging panel is key to the success of the Winelovers Wine Awards
The judging process is very strict, and there have been some modifications in 2023 as a result of last year’s experiences.
- The samples are poured by wine category by the serving staff.
- The samples are assessed in flights by the judges. A flight may contain up to six wines.
- If the wine category has more than six samples, the organising committee will divide the wine category into several flights, preferably with equal numbers of samples.
- The judging panels may only evaluate samples between 8am and 1pm on the judging days.
- At the beginning of judging, the panels will taste a so-called calibration wine, as a trial evaluation. The panel chairs and the president of the wine competition will discuss the score to be given to the wine, so that the judges can begin the judging from the same assessment level.
- The judging panels will only know the category and vintage of the wines they are poured.
- Samples will be judged with maximum discretion, in silence and without influencing each other.
How is the scoring organised for judging the wines?
Judges include Master Sommeliers and Masters of Wine
The scores will be awarded according to the following 100-point scoring system:
- After the evaluation of each flight, the panel members will hand in their signed evaluation sheets, and the scores will be checked by the panel chair. If the difference between the scores for any wine is greater than five points, a re-tasting and re-evaluation of the sample may be requested.
- If the panel chair considers the scoring satisfactory, they will request the existing samples are poured away and the next flight poured. The panel members will take a short break until the next flight is poured.
- Halfway through judging, the president of the wine competition shall declare a short break in tasting.
- You can find out more here about the full judging process.
How have the awards developed since they started?
The judging process is carefully monitored to ensure each wine is judged on its merits
As mentioned above, the competition goes back seven years. In the first two years, we organised the awards for a publisher
in the next four years, we organised the awards and published the print magazine “Winelovers 100 – 100 best Hungarian wines”
in 2022, we opened up to the world and expanded the contest not only regarding wines entered but also the members of the jury and the communication of the results.
How do you support the producers who win medals?
We support the producers in many ways:
- Any wine winning an award in the Winelovers Wine Awards may use the medal stickers on their labels to boost sales. The shape of the stickers gives a distinctive look to the bottle, as it differs from other medals.
The awards are promoted through a digital online magazine
- Medal-winning wines are published online in a digital magazine (distributed to at least 4,000 trade members, importers, merchants, HoReCa members and international wine writers) as well as on the Winelovers Wine Awards website (Results section).
- Award-winning wines can attend at the Winelovers X event, where producers can meet wine experts from the jury, from both Hungary and elsewhere.
- Wineries and wines have the opportunity to appear in the Winelovers 100 print magazine (circulation: 10,000 copies) and also on the online platforms of the organiser (Vinoport.hu and Boraszportal.hu websites, social media pages and newsletters). You can find out more here: https://wineloverswineawards.com/publicity and at https://wineloversrendezvenyek.hu/wineloversx/
Who is the competition aimed at and how do you hope to attract more producers to enter?
The competition is aimed mainly at Central & Eastern European wine producers. However, other producers also welcome, since the competition can boost their market activity in the region.
We believe in the importance of both wine professionals and consumers regarding a wine competition. Therefore, we publish a digital magazine with the winning wines, as well as generating extensive publicity for the competition.
The Winelovers X event also represents a special opportunity for winemakers to present their wines to wine professionals and high involvement wine consumers to gain feedback and sales opportunities.
- If you would like to find out more about the competition then contact Istvan Tabor, competition director at istvan.tabor@trinety.hu.
- You can find out more at the website: https://wineloverswineawards.com
- You can also follow the awards on social media at www.facebook.com/wineloverswineawards and www.instagram.com/winelovers_wine_awards/.
- The awards is founded and run by Trinety Media Ltd a leading publishing group in Hungary’s wine market with a complex portfolio including online wine portals, consumer events, WSET APP wine school and wine webshop.
- The Buyer is media partner to the Winelovers Wine Awards.
