Wine blogger Joe Roberts, the infamous 1WineDude, offers an interesting perspective on wine competitions after participating in several of the major competitions this year.
In a post intended to debunk a number of myths about wine competitions, and to spoil the fun for those who would discredit the results as unreliable, Joe arrives at the conclusion that wine competitions certainly aren’t perfect, but trusting the evaluations of wine pros who sample thousands of wines every year sure beats the alternative.
The alternative being a visit to the grocery story for a trip down the wine aisle without a clue. That’s what most people do and it’s a hit-or-miss proposition, at best. That and the fact that there’s real money on the line is what drives many consumers to consult wine ratings and/or purchase medal-winning wines.
I have a vested interest in this ongoing debate because I operate four international wine competitions and participate in several others as a judge.
I have tremendous faith in the results, and I know for a fact that a professional wine judge is capable of delivering consistent analysis. I know this because I am tested for consistency at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles each time I’m invited to judge, and to date my scores have been consistent when tasted on the same wine twice, always blind.
I also have faith in the results because I make it my business to invite only competent, proven wine pros to judge at the competitions I stage. The recent Critics Challenge is but one example. Those guys are good.
And for the upcoming Sommelier Challenge in September I believe I have the strongest group of Somms in the five years of that competition.
Wine is a living thing and sometimes even good wines don’t show well on judgment day. But if James Tidewell, MS (Sommelier Challenge) or Leslie Sbrocco (Critics Challenge) tells me a wine is deserving of a gold medal, I would be inclined to give it a try.
Wine judging isn’t rocket science. Most of us who taste wine for a living know when we have a good one in the glass. You would have to be a fool, as iWineDude says, to think otherwise.
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