Competition To Decide The Top 100 Wines Of 2008

12 August 2008

Competition To Decide The Top 100 Wines Of 2008

Judges ready themselves to taste more than 1,400 wines

Wine judge Mike DeGaris will lead a line up of 20 local and international judges in sampling and judging more than 1,400 wines for the country’s largest commercial wine event, the 2008 Liquorland Top 100 International Wine Competition.

Director of the awards and well known wine consultant, Belinda Jackson, explains that the high level of global participation in the Liquorland Top 100 competition, from both the judges and the entrants, reflects the value consumers derive from the annual event.

“Not only do the Liquorland Top 100 awards provide independent endorsement for wine lovers, they also give consumers the opportunity to try new wines. As a result of the awards, consumers are presented with 100 hand-picked, great wine choices.

“While it is always fun trying new wines, the awards also allow consumers to make a risk free choice as they know it will be of exceptional quality.”

Exploring and enjoying new wines is becoming more common in New Zealand, according to Belinda, as Kiwis are becoming more adventurous with their wine purchasing.

“Pinot Gris is still ‘hot’ with New Zealanders and Viognier is getting hotter. Arneis is coming on the scene and at last Riesling is increasing in popularity,” says Belinda.

“As a nation of people who often enjoy more informal socialising, it’s wonderful to see an enjoyment of wine growing – we’re realising there is a wine style for every occasion.”

Liquorland Merchandise Manager, Andrew Bartley, says the Liquorland Top 100 International Wine Competition is now in its 15th year and every year the company sees a recognisable boost in sales of wines named in the Top 100, illustrating that consumers trust the awards as a benchmark.

“What is extremely rewarding about the event is the fact that consumers have easy access to these high-quality wines as they are available in all of our stores,” says Andrew.

“For those who enjoy wine but who don’t have a great knowledge we have an informational catalogue they can use as a guide as well as wine tasting notes in our stores. This is very helpful when you want to take that special bottle of something new and different to a friend’s gathering!”

The Liquorland Top 100 International Wine Competition includes 20 classes, from Chardonnay to Shiraz, Pinot Gris to Pinot Noir as well as Sparkling, Fortified and Rose.

The judging will take place over three days at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington, from 26 – 28 August. The Liquorland Top 100 and trophies will be announced at the gala dinner on Friday 3 October at Auckland’s Hilton Hotel.

ENDS

Notes to the editor

The 2008 Liquorland Top 100 will be published in a colour catalogue and will be available online at www.top100.co.nz. The full list of trophy winners and medal winners will be available at Liquorland outlets nationwide from Monday 6 October.

Liquorland supports valuable industry research through auctioning unused bottles of wine from the judging process. The Auckland University Wine Science Programme and the Marlborough Wine Research Centre have been the recipients of scholarships funded by the Liquorland Top 100.

Award entries closed on Friday, 01 August 2008. The Liquorland Top 100 International Wine Competition is open to any wines made wholly from grapes, from any wine-producing country either directly from producers or via their distributors or agents in New Zealand.

Belinda Jackson

Belinda has been in the wine industry for over 20 years after discovering her life’s passion in Bordeaux. She has worked across Europe and New Zealand in all aspects of the trade, including selling, buying, educating, marketing and making wine. As well as director of the Liquorland Top 100 International Wine Competition, Belinda is also a consultant to various wine producers.

To arrange an interview with Belinda Jackson or for more information on the awards please contact:

ENDS

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