Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show 2009: How the show works

How the show works

The Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show is a national competition
that seeks to identify the top wines in South Africa. Judging takes place at the Grande Roche Hotel in Paarl, with the top-rated wines presented at public tastings in the major centres of the country.

THE CONVENORS: Convened by international wine authority Michael Fridjhon and WINE magazine (SA), the Show is now in its eighth year and has acquired a considerable reputation for the quality of its judgements.

REPUTABLE JUDGES: At least one member on every three-person panel is a widely recognised international taster, another is a winemaker with appropriate training in oenology, and the jury is expected to discuss and agree on all of its decisions. Each panel also works with associate judges - showpalates- in-training whose comments are recorded but whose voting powers are limited by the panel chairman.

TASTING PROCEDURES: Only market-ready wines may be entered - no tank- or barrel-samples are accepted. All entries are presented to the judges in Riedel glasses and the assessments are conducted blind (labels unseen), with the wines served at optimal temperatures and judged in categories according to the variety and/or type of wine (the class) to which it belongs.

SCORING CRITERIA: Submissions are scored using a 100-point system in ranking South Africa's top show wines, with medals and trophies awarded to the best entries and chartered accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers charged with monitoring the judging procedures and auditing the results.

GOLD MEDAL = 90 points or more; superlative, world class
SILVER MEDAL = 80 to 89 points; excellent, wine of distinction
BRONZE MEDAL = 70 to 79 points; good to very good, fine character
60 to 69 points = above average, appealing
50 to 59 points = technical fault

THE TROPHIES: The gold medal winners in each class are entered for the trophy selection, where all of the judges on the various panels are involved in determining the final score for each laureate and choosing the very best in each class. And among the most highly sought-after accolades at the annual awards presentation in Cape Town are the Fairbairn Capital Trophy for the Most Successful Producer overall, the Old Mutual Trophy for the Discovery of the Show (best value gold medal winner), and trophies awarded in the Museum Classes for white wines at least four years old and all other wines at least eight years old (showcasing the benefits of bottle ageing on older vintages).

For more information about the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show and results of the competition in previous years, visit the website www.trophywineshow.co.za