Awards, driven by the consumer.
A Competition driven by the consumer
The Vitis Vinifera Awards recognise quality wines and grape derived spirits available to the majority of consumers. Most other competitions focus on aspirational products in the ultra-premium segment of the market, enhancing the perception that good products are out of reach of the average consumer. This in turn leads to the misconception that appreciating wine and grape based spirits is an elitist matter, reserved for a small group of connoisseurs who are able to describe subtle flavours in obscure language.
Many fine wines and spirits are produced across a range of taste spectra and price points. With the Vitis Vinifera Awards, we aim to commend wines and spirits of quality, making them available to consumers on more shelves across the globe, and confer awards on superior products across price categories.
Wines are tasted blind by a group of consumers.
Red wine flights will alternate white wine flights where possible in order to prevent tannin build-up. No more than 10 products of a particular class will be tasted consecutively where possible to prevent flavour saturation.
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All panellists will be lovers of grape derived products like wine and spirits. These are the exact members of the public who will spend their time and money in the winelands whenever they can, and spend it most often on wine and spirits.
Panels will be comprised of experienced consumers who has a passion for wine and grape derived products.
We are sensitive to gender and age equity in our judging roster and try to staff each panel with judges who have professional diversity and experience.
And each flight is also designed to ideally have 10 products of the same class
Judges may ask for a new bottle to be poured if they believe a product to be faulty or corked. A product will be disqualified if the second bottle is found to be faulty. Entries will be judged randomly, but in order of vintage where necessary. The panel chair will assign a different tasting order to each judge (e.g. from low numbers to high or vice versa) in order to minimise the shadow effect within a flight.
Tasters will judge each product on an overall basis. Products will be presented to the judges in numbered glasses. No sample bottles will be visible to the judges at any time. The judges will have no knowledge of the identity of the products, except for the minimum information needed to score. Staff members will be instructed to avoid discussing any brand names entered into the competition.
This process of judging is referred to as double blind and uses concepts found in Wines: Their Sensory Evaluation by Amerine and Roessler (1983), and aims to avoid some problems often associated with blind tasting. The pouring area will be totally off-limits to the judges.
Red wine flights will alternate with white wine flights where possible in order to prevent tannin build-up. Whenever possible, no more than 10 products of a particular class will be tasted consecutively to prevent flavour saturation.
There will be morning and afternoon tasting sessions where necessary.
Flights are structured so no panellist has to judge only one type of product during the tasting event. Panels will typically be expected to judge about 90 products per day, rarely more. There will be a 20-minute mid-morning break given to the judges where tea, coffee and sandwiches will be provided.
In order to prevent tannin build-up.
In order to prevent flavour saturation.
To ensure an even spread of tasting opportunities.
Products will be awarded Gold and Double Gold awards, and the Top 10 producers will be able to add the Top 10 Producer sticker to their entries as well.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) and other helpful information
Competition opens: | 14th April 2020 | |
Early bird cut-off: Cut-off date for entries: | 9th July 2020 4th August 2020 | |
Delivery of samples: | 17th and 18th of August 2020 (Monday and Tuesday) | |
Results released: | 24th August 2020 |
The Vitis Vinifera Awards is one of the most affordable competitions. The cost is R975 excl VAT per entry. Gold, Double Gold and Top 10 producer stickers will be available at R375 excl VAT per 1000.
An electronic certificate will be sent by email to the winners. If the exact same product is sold under different brand names, you can request a certificate for each brand at no extra cost.
Results will be emailed to entrants on or before 24th August 2020 to notify them. The entrants can utilise the stickers and competition artwork to maximise exposure on various social media fronts and for their existing client base, but must display them together with the name(s) of the product and vintage if applicable, that earned this accolade. Stickers will focus attention on the award-winning products, leading to higher visibility and a boost in sales.
We will endeavour to have the stickers ready for collection around 7th September to 11th September 2020. The stickers have to be paid for prior to collection, unless other arrangements are made with the organisers.
You’re not obligated to order stickers; if you do not want any, indicate the number on the entry form as 0 (zero). Once the results have been revealed, you have to take the number of stickers you indicated. Stickers will be available approximately two weeks after the winners have been notified.
Any remaining samples at the end of the judging process becomes the property of Vitis Vinifera Awards.
The tasting procedure will be audited by a reputable auditing firm to ensure the judges are not influenced and the tasting is done blind and conforms to international standards.
The Awards Show (Pty) Ltd will not make available a list of all the producers that took part in the competition, or reveal the scores assigned to any product, or make available the details of products that were not awarded. It remains the prerogative of The Awards Show (Pty) Ltd to publish results of awarded products as they see fit.
Entries will only be accepted in English.
Sanet van Heerden (support@vitisawards.com) Tel 084 446 0412 — General Competition Enquiries And Administration
Or use the form below:
When you enter the main gate at Nietvoorbij, go through the security boom and drive up the road all the way until you reach the white walls at the top. You then turn left towards the Experimental Cellar and drive past the stairs on the right. Keep driving around the building, and to the right you will see the entrance to the back door of the cellar where the wine must be delivered.
Michelle’s contact details are michelle@turnkeyeventsolutions.com , 082 773 0738.
The address for the purpose of courier services is:
Nietvoorbij Experimental Cellar, Nietvoorbij, Klapmuts Road (R44), Stellenbosch; Attention: Michelle.
© Vitis Awards
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