Some 2100 glasses were being used for the two days of judging
As sponsors of the Marlborough Wine Show we had the chance to take a look behind the scenes during the first of the two judging days.
Taking us for a brief tour of the process from entry to judging was Wine Marlborough’s CEO Marcus Pickens.
In a workshop with chief judge and winemaker Ben Glover, we tasted our way through three Pinot Gris wines, getting an insight in the judges’ tasks at hand.
This year a 17 strong judging team sipped and spat their way through 549 wines and an army of wine stewards cleaned some 2100 glasses for the two days of judging.
The show is run by Wine Marlborough to promote sub regionality and diversity of wines grown in New Zealand’s largest wine region.
Marcus says, “the show provides a relevant, credible platform for Marlborough producers to promote their wines and is also a celebration of excellence - not only of Marlborough wines, but the local industry as a whole”.
The show culminates with the Marlborough Wine Show Celebration Long Lunch at the Rangitane Function Centre at which the trophy winners are announced.