If you’re a wine drinker, you’ve probably heard of the International Wine Challenge (IWC). For decades now, the IWC has played a big part in deciding what ends up in the supermarkets and in the restaurants where we get our vino from. The IWC also helps the wine community come to some kind of consensus on ‘what’s hot and what’s not’.
They even cover sake – everybody’s favourite fermented rice beverage (and by everybody I mean me)
Tasting Britain wanted to know more about where it all started, how it works and what it means to you and I. I managed to get in touch with Charles Metcalfe – the current co-chairman, head judge and one of the original founders of the IWC.
Why should you care about the IWC then? Here’s what he told us…
OK, tell us about the IWC! What, in a nutshell, is the value of the IWC to the regular wine drinker, and how can they make the most of it?
In its 31st year, the International Wine Challenge is accepted as the world’s finest and most meticulously judged wine competition. We invite the best wine judges from all around the world to come and blind taste thousands of wines from all corners of the globe. Unlike most wine competitions, each medal winning wine will be tasted on a minimum of three separate occasions to ensure consistency and fairness.
Our medal stickers allow to discover new wines, and navigate the sometimes confusing world of wine. From novices to enthusiasts, our medals are a seal of approval that shoppers know they can trust. If someone sees an IWC medal sticker on the bottle, they can buy with confidence, as they know it has been tasted by some of the finest wine judges in the world. It also is a great way to encourage people to try something new. From new grapes and styles, to wines from emerging regions, if a shopper sees an IWC sticker on the bottle they can be assured of the quality of the wine inside.
And again, but for the trade? (i.e wine producers, and distributors)
Entering your wine in the IWC is a great way to reach a huge international audience. Any producer can enter their wine, no matter where they are from or the size of their vineyard, and know that they will be judged purely on the quality of the wine itself. Winning a medal or trophy is a huge achievement. Winning winemakers will be exposed to an international audience and earn a global reputation within the industry.
We also have our Merchant Awards, which is a great way of awarding those dedicated and passionate people who source great wines and deliver those to consumers. We have awards for best ranges of supermarket own-label wines, wine clubs and independent merchants who consistently help consumers choose a great wine whatever their budget or occasion.
In a nutshell, what are the different categories and awards?
We organise the tastings by style and origin. For example our judges will blind taste a flight of Shiraz wines from Australia, before perhaps moving onto a flight of New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. It is a tough job, but someone has to do it!
During the first 10 days of the competition we award our Commended, Bronze, Silver and Gold medal winners. Next our Gold medal winners are blind tasted again to find our Trophy winners. We have numerous categories such as national trophies (ie Best Australian Red) and grape trophies (Best International Chardonnay). We then put the trophy winners against each other to discover our Champion wines for the year (Champion Red, Champion White…)
Could you tell us about the sake aspect of the challenge? I assume you guys put more emphasis on the wine part, though sake seems to be growing steadily in popularity in the UK! (I could be wrong?)
Now in its 8th year, the IWC Sake competition continues to go from strength to strength. We have seen the quality of Sake improve year on year, as it grows in popularity as this unique tipple seduces more people from all over the globe. Trying an IWC medal winning Sake is a great way for novices to start their Sake education as they can be confident they are trying a quality product. We are thrilled to be playing a part in the international success of Sake. I predict that the Sake element of the competition will continue to grow, as the global reputation of Sake continues to improve.
Tell us about the stickers, how they work and what people need to know about them?
Our sticker system is really simple and recognisable. Shoppers just need to look out for them. We award Commended, Bronze, Silver, Gold medals, and each medal will have a specific sticker. If you spot a Gold medal winner, you should definitely snap it up! We also have stickers for Trophy winners. They are displayed on the bottle labels as a beacon of quality to shoppers
Any recommendations for our readership on good ‘undervalued’ wines – as in, wines that punch well above their price in taste and character?
One very popular element of the competition is the Great Value Awards, as it shows how shoppers can pick up great wines for bargain prices. We award Great Value Trophies to the best wines in different styles which retail under certain price points such up to around £15 for still wines and £25 for sparkling. We then choose our Great Value Champion Awards from these trophy winners. This year, five of our six Great Value Champion Awards went to UK supermarket own-brand wines, in a record year of success. So it is entirely possible to pick up a fantastic wine at a bargain price on your doorstep!
Any emerging regions that are doing really well and that people should be looking out for?
This year wines from the Eastern Bloc have had a record year of success. Five Croatian and five Hungarian wines picked up Gold medals this year, with Bulgaria being awarded its first Gold medal. The standard of winemaking has improved so much in these countries that they’re really beginning to challenge Western Europe.
And we’re getting entries from so many countries these days it’s hard to keep up! With climate change running unchecked, we’re even seeing wines entered from countries such as Sweden and Denmark. (Scotland next?) And wines come in from all over South America, not just from Chile and Argentina. It’s a very exciting picture.
You’re clearly a man who knows many things about many wines. Can you tell us your personal three most important things that the regular wine drinker should bear in mind when buying and enjoying wine?
Be adventurous! If you have a favourite grape variety, try wines made from that variety from other countries or regions. You might have some pleasant surprises. Go for the latest vintage when buying whites and rosés (and don’t forget the southern hemisphere picks six months ahead of the northern). Most wines, red and white, are made to be drunk young. Certainly, almost anything under £8 per bottle.
Can you recommend any other good sources of information for wine explorers and acolytes?
My friend and IWC Co-Chair Tim Atkin has an excellent website with cracking recommendations, as do several other good writers. Jamie Goode has www.wineanorak.com. Susie Barrie and Peter Richards are married Masters of Wine, with a free wine club, at www.susieandpeter.com. Helen McGinn is an ex-supermarket buyer and IWC Panel Chair: her website is www.knackeredmotherswineclub.blogspot.co.uk. Mel Jones and Sandra Clement are www.birdswithbottle.com.
And you’ll never go wrong searching the IWC website for our top picks, for the type of wines you know you like. Sakes, as well. Speaking of sake, www.tengusake.com has an excellent selection of sakes here in the UK. But good sake isn’t cheap!
Are there any recurring themes in the wines that win? Things that vintners should bear in mind?
We see so many different styles and varieties of wines throughout the competition that there is no single theme which carries throughout them. From classic styles that adhere to very traditional methods, to new blends, grapes, and processes that are injecting new energy into the wine industry, we see it all during the competition. Our judges are looking for exceptional wines which wake up the palate and demonstrate the passion and mastery of the winemakers.
Where did the idea for the IWC come from originally? And how hard was it to put the first one together? Many trials and tribulations?
The first IWC was an idea Robert Joseph and I had to fill two pages in WINE Magazine, setting the best English wines against well-known wines from other countries. Such as Blue Nun, Piat d’Or and other famous names… Needless to say, the English wines won! So the wine trade suggested we should let them select the wines the next year. The IWC grew every year after that rather curious start, from fewer than 50 in that first year (1983) to about 14,000 in 2014. It has been an amazing ride!
What’s your role at the IWC and what’s the process of organising the whole thing like?
My role is principally as one of five top tasters, the IWC Co-Chairmen. We check and recheck the tasting results more thoroughly than any other wine competition I’ve ever judged at – and I’ve judged wines all over the world. We also get involved in discussing how the IWC should be run. But the great thing is that I am no longer involved in the detail of the organisation. We now have organisers who know how to organise! I’m happy to taste as many wines as I have to (and there are a lot), but am very glad I no longer bear any responsibility for the organisation of the IWC. It was never my strongest point…
What’s a Tranche?
For the first 30 years of the competition we had one annual tasting in April. However, this process did not always suit the production and marketing schedule of many winemakers in the Southern Hemisphere. For young wines, an extra six months of aging can make all the difference. We wanted to ensure that we lived up to our name, and that the process was fair for our winemakers, wherever they originated from.
So last year we decided to host two separate tranches (round of tastings) to allow winemakers greater flexibility of when to enter their wines. Tranche 1 is in November, and Tranche 2 is in April. We hosted our first November tasting in 2013, which was a huge success and plan to continue with this new competition process.
Do you recall the most memorable/wonderful wine you ever tasted/judged?
I have been hugely fortunate in the wonderful wines I have tasted over the years, so it would be hard to single out any one wine as the ultimate best. I have tasted astonishingly youthful fortified wines, ports and Madeiras from the 19th century, and great wines at all stages from extreme youth to distinguished old age. I remember one dinner in Bordeaux some years ago, held at Château Mouton-Rothschild. The dinner a couple of years before had been at Château Lafite-Rothschild, when the great 1959 Lafite had been served. Everyone was wondering how Philippine de Rothschild would be able to top that. She served the 1945 Mouton, a legendary wine!
What’s your greatest/most memorable professional moment been for the IWC, so far?
For me, the really memorable moments have been when we have paid tribute to great personalities in the wine world by giving them Lifetime Achievement Awards at our annual Awards Dinner. Peter Lehmann, the great Barossa winemaker, came to accept the award in 2009, and I felt so proud that the IWC had the opportunity to honour him before he passed away four years later.
If you had a limitless budget, what would you do with the IWC?
I’d travel the world, persuading the world’s great winemakers to enter their wines. We are very lucky in some of the wines that are entered from great regions and countries such as Burgundy, Champagne, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and many others. But it would be a dream to have all the world’s finest wines competing in the IWC!
Where next for the IWC?
We will continue in our commitment to celebrating great wine from around the world, discovering exciting new winemakers and regions, and continue to help wine-lovers choose a great wine every time they shop.
