Judgment Call: Northwest Wine Competition

By Kathy Ward

Why Judge Wines?
How does it benefit a wine consumer?

With thousands of new releases each vintage it sure helps to have expert palates do some heavy lifting first so we can simply raise a glass and explore the top choices. And that's what the Northwest Wine & Food Festival competition provides: a professional assessment as a launch to discovering our own taste preferences.

Our Seattle Wine Society competition, started in 1976, began as and still is intended as a benefit for members. "Unlike some competitions that are strictly commercial, ours was originated as a service to our membership," notes judging coordinator Gerry Warren. "A prime motivation is to offer members and the community information that guides them in the selection of Northwest wines."

The Society values the opinions of experts who evaluate overall character and quality of wines entered each year. Judgment translates to bronze, silver and gold awards for those deemed best.

Credible experts are the quintessence of a wine judging. To avoid any taint of provincialism and strengthen broader credence in the results, our five Festival judges are always from outside the Northwest. They are selected for their world-wise wine expertise, experienced palates and distinguished accomplishments in specific wine disciplines. These judges also must be a good mix to work well together. The panel is usually made up of:

• Someone working in wines outside North America, to bring a perspective from classical or emerging regions.
  
• A writer who presents wine information to the public in consumer terms.
  
• A winemaker with demonstrated skills who has achieved a recognized level of success, for a hands-on perspective of crafting wine.
  
• A trade person selling wine in restaurants or retail who deals with consumers and collective taste preferences.
  
• A person in wine education at the college or graduate level as one most technically oriented in enology and viticulture.

Mechanics of a judging

It's important that Festival judges feel valued in their role to ensure a cooperative and positive attitude throughout the judging period. They're housed and fed well, and made comfortable while they work in a scenic Columbia Tower venue.

The Festival competition is limited to 200 entries, the number that can be effectively evaluated by five judges in a two-day period. Seated at separate booths with appropriate lighting, the panel rigorously evaluates every wine in the competition.

A well-disciplined back-room crew, working quietly and efficiently, choreographs wine service. Red wines are served at 66-70 degrees, whites at 56-60, sparkling at 50-54. Wines and glasses are numbered. Judges don't see the bottles, only glasses with precisely 1.5 ounces of wine in each.

Presented in categories, the wines are served in ISO tasting glasses designed to enhance the sensory experience. (See sidebar). Taken to judges on trays, there are seldom more than 15 samples per flight. Categories heavy on entries are divided into two or more flights; the field is narrowed by retaining only wines the judges decide are candidates for a medal.

If all judges tasted in identical order one wine could collectively influence perceptions of the next. So wines within a category are randomized for each judge. They all taste the same wines each flight though not in the same sequence. But dessert wine flights are tasted in ascending order of residual sugar.

Judges must set aside personal preferences for one style over another and approach each entry objectively. They don't compare wines against others in a flight, but rather evaluate each on its own merit.

With an experienced palate and international perspective - relying on sensory memory as they swirl, sniff, taste and spit - judges search for standards in the varietal style. Each wine is judged according to classic characteristics of that grape type in the wine world. Judges note whether tannin, acid and fruit are in balance. They record winemaking flaws, jot down comments, and make a decision as to how the wine measures up.

Determining the medal winners

When tasting stops in each flight, discussion begins. Wines remain in front of judges for possible retasting.

So what is the magic that finally conjures actual winners? Consensus. It doesn't have to be unanimous either. Just three out of five votes determine the award.

Gerry Warren serves as moderator while each judge states an initial impression and announces their rank for each wine: no medal, bronze, silver or gold. He tallies the votes. Debate may ensue; opinions are shared and sometimes swayed. Some votes change, some remain adamantly fixed. The final vote is taken and a show of three hands awards the medal.

Judges can petition to retaste a wine believed to have received unfair consideration. Each has one "silver bullet" per day during the elimination round to bring back a wine they feel should be tasted again in the medal round.

Gerry's role may vary between mediator or diplomat or referee to allow equal time for all opinions. At least three palates have to agree before moving on to another wine. He notes that judges are selected for their level of professionalism so that they can function as a group seeking consensus. "Panel members must be able to tolerate other opinions" he says. "There's no room for ego issues."

An additional accolade occasionally conferred is the Grand Award. This requires a unanimous vote for a wine that all five judges consider truly outstanding among all wines of that type they have experienced. Often mistakenly considered a "best in show" as in some competitions, the award is far more encompassing than simply topping the Festival list. Only 14 Grands have been awarded in the 30-year history of this Seattle Wine Society competition.

Though primarily a service to our membership, the Wine Festival judging has a secondary benefit as well. Though not the original intent, the event also serves as a marketing tool for the wine industry.

"Seattle is a very competitive market so it's great for our wine to be recognized with a gold medal by the Seattle Enological Society," states Diane Boles, general manager of Canoe Ridge Vineyard. "It helps us get the word out to our top market."

Len Parris of Chandler Reach Vineyards says retailers seem to key on the results soon after they are published, adding, "I can say winning two golds in our first outing isn't hurting the sales force."

An award list is only a starting point though, a reference to pursue styles that interest you. "Drink what you like," Gerry advises. "The judges will tell you this also."