What’s new for IWC medal winners?

There are even more reasons to enter the world’s most impartial and influential wine competition, the International Wine Challenge (IWC), this year. With the deadline for this year’s Challenge fast approaching, the organisers have revealed they are working with Wine-Searcher to communicate the 2024 results to tens of thousands of independent wine retailers around the world, ensuring they will be able to promote all the medal-winning wines they list.
Also new this year is basic feedback on all wines entered, irrespective of medal status.
This is on top of the usual benefits of winning a respected IWC medal:

• Global recognition. It’s been proven that winning an IWC medal can help boost sales and visibility. As Madison James, brand manager at Joval Family Wines in New Zealand, says: “For Nanny Goat Vineyard, recognition through international awards competitions such as IWC has greatly helped in spreading the message of our quality and consistency as a Pinot Noir producer in Central Otago. From use in trade and retail environments, to adding credibility when talking to new export markets, the reputation of IWC and our strong results each year makes participation absolutely essential.”
• Extensive reach. The competition is recognised throughout the world and its global PR campaign in 2023 reached more than 2 billion consumers and retailers, according to media company Cision.
• 100% blind tasting. The IWC judging process ensures a level playing field for all wines entered. All wines are assessed on their own merits, with no pricing or producer information provided to the expert judges (who come from more than 40 countries). All they are told are the grape(s), style, region, and vintage.
• 500 or so expert judges from around the world are led by esteemed co-chairs Tim Atkin MW, Oz Clarke, Dr Jamie Goode, Peter McCombie MW, Sam Caporn MW, and Helen McGinn. The panel chairs include renowned wine experts such as Madeleine Stenwreth MW, Winnie Bowman, Christy Canterbury MW, Brendan Heath, Ken Ohashi MW, Martin R Reyes MW, Joe Wadsack, Matthew Stubbs MW, Annette Scarfe MW, Clem Yates MW, Anne Burchett, Susan Hulme MW, Elizabeth Kelly MW, Richard Kershaw MW, and Cathy Van Zyl MW.

Still wondering if you should enter the 40th annual tasting before the deadline of March 15?
Jan Peterson, owner of Bodegas Fernando de Castilla in Jerez, Spain, says: “We are a small but highly specialised producer of very top-quality sherries, brandies and other products from the Jerez region. We were lucky enough to get the prize as the best fortified wine in the International Wine Challenge 2023. This prize has been very important for us due to the importance of the International Wine Challenge itself, the jury (judging) and it has created a lot of interest for our products. It had a very big impact in the press in Spain. The singular Oloroso – the wine that won the prize – sold out in weeks after the news came out.
“I would recommend other producers to enter the International Wine Challenge because it’s definitely the most important wine competition in the world. And there are a lot of similar competitions in the world. But, for us, the definitive one is the International Wine Challenge. So, we will definitely continue to participate in future editions as well.”

‘It’s definitely the most important wine competition in the world’

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