QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

This will be the newest item on our Site Navigation Menu. We shall add to it from time to time as relevant questions are asked and, hopefully, relevant answers are offered. To pose a question, click here.

Bruce's Question - SIWC Style Categories.
I have wondered for sometime, what is the meaning of the various classes in which wines have been awarded medals? Could you guide me to a site or do you have a publication which explains this? Much appreciated. Bruce, Victoria, Australia

Warren's Answer - Style Categories As Opposed To Varietal Categories
Our Competition's main aim is to help people interested in eating well make a “satisfying wine choice” that will complement their food.  Of course, several “satisfying wine choices” also applies, to best complement “the several dishes”, if it was for a multi-course luncheon or dinner party.

Ever notice the service people at some restaurants, want to take your wine order before you have studied the food menu?  Wrong!  The better idea is to choose the food, ask questions until you know what to expect from the dish, then exercise some intellectual judgment about what ‘style of wine' you feel will complement your food selection.  If you are unsure about the wines offered on the restaurant's wine list, tell the wine waiter what you are looking for and ask him for his/her suggestions so you can then consider their recommendations, including the prices, of the recommended wines!  Wine by the glass often makes a lot of sense when you are dining a-la-carte in a restaurant and various dishes have been chosen by the several diners.

It is much easier when dining at home.  Usually, the same menu applies to all diners. You as host get to decide what style of wine will best complement each of the courses and can choose accordingly.  In this case, you have the Competition's website to help you choose.  Once you start thinking in terms of “what style of wine will best complement” you will understand why our Competition's Style Categories are named with user friendly titles like “Lighter Bodied Dry Red Wines”.

The wines in that particular Style Category will be of similar, lighter palate weight. You will know that the wines have gone through a rigorous “road test” for quality and food compatability by an expert Panel of international wine judges, that the judges themselves, by consensus, have placed the wines into that style category and, now, instead of one wine waiter's opinion, you will have the opinions of six highly experienced wine professionals to help you make your choice(s).

Which brings us to the question of Awards, both overall and within each Style Category. Within the Style Categories, we are not attempting to directly compare, for example, the Shiraz wines that may appear in the Rosé Category with the Shiraz wines that may appear in the Fuller Bodied Dry Red Wines Category.

If you are looking for a Rosé wine to complement your Carpaccio of Venison with Honey Vinaigrette, we are offering you a choice, by comparing each recommended Rosé against the other Rosé Award winners. Nothing to do with comparing Shiraz wines of diverse style.

In boxing, you wouldn't expect the fly-weights to be competing with the heavy-weights. That's unfair!  Each competes within his/her given weight division.  Same with wine. But there is still a boxing analogy in there. There is authoritative international recognition for the best "pound for pound fighter".  It is quite common for a boxer from the lighter divisions to be recognised as the best "pound for pound fighter" across all divisions.

That's where our trophies for "Best White Wine of Competition", "Best Red Wine of Competition", "Reserve Champion – Runner Up to Best Wine of Competition", and "Championship Trophy, Best Wine of Competition" comes into play.  These trophies go, very simply, to the wines with the highest aggregate points overall in the nominated classification.

To conclude, avoid buying wines to cellar for 5-10-20 years, only to be disappointed upon opening same down the track. That's thwart with potential disappointment.  Use our website's individual page, award winner listings for what you need tonight, next weekend, next month, this year!

And if you do maintain a cellar, balance it, so you don't just have "bold reds", but a selection of wine styles, to meet the requirements of the lunch or dinner prepared from what happens to be in the frig, for the old friends' unexpected visit. The Wine Style Categories of the Competition's website will be a great aid to help you choose what to buy for your living, functional Cellar.  For more detailed info on how the Award winners are chosen, check Judging Procedures in the "About Us" item on our website's Navigation Menu.