International Wine and Spirit Competition
The International Wine & Spirit Competition is an annual wine and spirit competition founded in 1969 by the German/British oenologist Anton Massel. Each year the competition receives entries from over 90 countries worldwide. The awards given by the competition are considered as high honors in the industry. The event occurs annually in November, in London. Only products which pay the entry fee of £140 per category are judged, and three/four bottles of each product must be supplied. Depending on the points out of 100 awarded, submitted products can receive gold outstanding, gold, silver  outstanding, silver, or bronze awards, and there are no limitations on how many of each which can be awarded. There is also an extensive range of trophies each year. Judging. The judging process consists of blind tasting and panel discussion. Entries are judged by panels drawn from 250 specialists from around the world. Judging processes. The competition has its own purpose built premises including temperature controlled cellars, tasting rooms and regular staff. In 2019, IWSC wine judging moved to London for the first time. The competition has its own storage facilities and cellaring for over 30,000 bottles. It takes over  six months to judge all the products as they are sorted into over 1,500 categories. The categories divide the entries by several factors: region or area; variety, style, or type; vintage or age; and similar characteristics. Wines and spirits that win awards go forward to the national or international level. The competition makes use of over 250 specialist judges from all over the world. Many are Masters of Wine, some are winemakers or distillers, others are trade specialists, each judging in their special field. All judges attend an IWSC judges induction course. Annual IWSC banquet. The competition culminates in London  in November with the annual awards presentation and banquet, at the City of London Guildhall. Presidents. A president is selected annually from influential individuals in the wines and spirits industry. After their term, they serve on the competition’s Advisory Board.