The Judging will decide the Nation of Show, The Wine of Show, Red and White wines of the show. A trophy will be awarded for the top scoring wine in each of the 17 classes.
Double Gold and Gold medals will also be awarded.
This is the only wine show in the world where the wines come in exclusively by invitation from the Judges.
There are seventeen classes: Sparkling; Riesling; Chardonnay; Aromatic (non Riesling); Sauvignon Blanc; Other White Varieties; White Blends; Pinot Noir; Merlot/Carmenere; Malbec; Bordeaux Blends; Non Bordeaux Blends; Major Red Varieties; Other Red Varieties; Shiraz/Syrah; Cabernet Sauvignon and Dessert Wine.
Each Judge is set the task of selecting 100 wines across the 17 Classes with a maximum of 10 in any one class – the best in their country regardless of size of company and quantity available.
The selections are communicated to the Challenge office in Sydney and the invitations to participate are sent out to the winemakers. The sample bottles are consolidated in each country and shipped to Sydney in time to take a rest in cool storage prior to the judging.
Two days before the judging the wines are transported to the judging rooms where the Stewards match the wines to the judging sheets and each wine is given a number within its class.
There are three judging days in Sydney. The wines are poured out of sight of the Judges who then convene and each judge judges all wines only by numbers.
The scores are calculated to determine:
Trophy and Runner up (Double Gold) in each class
Gold medals
Winning Nation: Australia
Winning Wine: Kusuda Syrah 2010 (New Zealand)
Winning White Wine: Presing Matter Reisling 2012 ( Australia)
Wining Red Wine : Kusuda Syrah 2010 (New Zealand)
All trophy wines are re-judged for the Wine of Show, White Wine of Show and Red Wine of Show. Nation of Show is then calculated.
