Page 19 - Grapevine May-June 2020

In The Winery

to customers at retailers and in the tasting room.
Additionally, the judging panels—often staffed with
sommeliers, publicists, wine reviewers, distributors
and other industry notables—provide another layer
of marketability. Some studies in France assess the
impact of gold, silver and bronze medals on wine
producers’ ability to increase prices by as much as
15%. That, at the very least, might be just enough
to offset the cost of entry fees, shipping bottles to
various competitions and printing medal-announc-
ing bottle neckers.

So, which competitions should you enter, with
what vintages and for what purpose? There are
many variables. Some winemakers feel the current
market is oversaturated with events—a rough esti-
mate suggests more than 100 competitions in the
U.S. and Canada alone—which lessens the impact
of winning. Others are concerned about entering
contests that award the equivalent of participation
medals instead of segmenting the truly best.

Nevertheless, the practice is still stacked with
advantages. So, prioritize your rationale. If you’re
new to the market, revising your marketing strategy
or want to showcase longstanding vintages or fresh
approaches, venturing into competitions might help
build your network and increase visibility. To guide
vintners looking to compete, we talked with four
distinctly different directors to provide an overview
of possibilities.
Turning Award Medals The Unique Flavor of Each Competition

into Marketing Gold: It’s essential to research competitions a year
or two in advance to gauge which ones match
your objectives. Study their entries and winners.
Examine the judges’ qualifications and whether the
How Wine Competitions Build evaluation is a blind process for impartiality. Also,
determine if their promotional partnership will be
beneficial and how it positions your wines.
Community & Recognition Critics Challenge

By: Tracey L. Kelley
“A wine competition medal is a third-party
endorsement. It says to the consumer that a
group of wine professionals found the wine had
merit. That can tip the scales when a consumer
is undecided about which wines to buy from the
many options available,” Robert Whitley told The
Grapevine Magazine. Whitley is the wine reviewer
for Wine Talk and founder/director of four inter-
national competitions: Critics Challenge, San Diego

877-892-5332 The Grapevine • May - June 2020 Page 17

Grapevine Main Pages GV050620_Layout 1-1 .indd 17 4/28/20 1:21 PM