From a diary of a young wine judge

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Wine competitions are a fantastic invention and everyone benefits from them.

The producers have their wines tasted and tested by professionals and if successful, the wines can gain a widespread recognition and therefore increase sales, often at a skyrocketing rate.

The consumers who are new to wine or want to try wines from regions less known to them gain a certain guarantee that the medal sticker on the bottle means a good product, even if not always appealing to their palate but good in its class, price or style.

As for the judges, it is a pleasure, privilege and responsibility to be put against thousands of wines from around the globe.

The first-timers, like myself at this year’s International Wine Challenge, put to real test their tasting skills, communication skills and wine knowledge. At the same time they are given a unique opportunity to taste with the world class experts, learn from them and exchange experiences.

Judging wine at a major competition is quite different to tasting it at fairs or expositions, and there are several issues that have to be taken into account. The following are just a handful of recommendations for aspiring wine judges:

-Put all personal preferences aside. You are not judging for yourself, think of the responsibility towards the consumers and producers.

- Be fair to the wine that you judge. Take into account its country of origin; don’t forget about typical characteristics of the grape varieties and that they can vary depending on the region.

-Don’t rush or form hasty opinions. It’s not easy, especially if you find something exceptional or negative about a wine. By all means try to keep a cool head.

-Be understanding if the wine is served a bit out of its ideal temperature.

-Be attentive to possible faults in wine but don’t be overly eager to make finding them your mission.

-Be open-minded. Respect the opinions of other judges and be prepared to defend and justify yours.

- It’s all right if you don’t know everything. No one does. Especially if you taste at the IWC where you may be put against wine out of your area of specialization.

- Be nice to the crew that works at the venue, they work really hard to make the competition as smooth as possible for you. A simple thank you and a smile can do wonders.

Finally, be true to yourself, and above all have fun. If you love wine this is the place to be.

Results of IWC2013 will be announced on 13 May.