7th CYPRUS WINE COMPETITION
25 – 28 April 2012
RULES AND GUIDELINES
Article 1 – Introduction and Aims
The 7th Cyprus Wine Competition (“Competition” hereafter) is organised by the Wine Products Council (“WPC” hereafter) as the Competent Authority, in pursuance of section 12 (r) of the Wine Products Council Law 61(1)/2004.
Under conditions of intensive competition, the production of wine is judged and evaluated in terms of the product’s particular characteristics, its quality and approval by the final consumers. The choice ofCyprusto upgrade the quality of its wine products is now firmly established and comprehensible. Affirmation regarding the outcome this choice can only come from opinions and evaluations of wine experts.
The 7th Cyprus Wine Competition aspires to provide a forum for European and international recognition which shall act as a challenge for the Cypriot wine producers. Public awareness and respectful rivalry are considered to be powerful tools for the promotion and recognition of the upgraded quality, identified in Cypriot wines.
The current Rules and Guidelines, as well as all procedures referred to therein, are in accordance with the international standards of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (“OIV” hereafter), as laid down in the “OIV Standard for International Wine and Spirituous Beverages of Vitivinicultural Origin Competitions” and adopted by the OIV (Resolution 332A/2009).
Article 2 – Timetable
The Competition shall be held in “Amathus Beach Hotel” in Limassol, Cyprus. The tasting procedures shall be carried out on the 25th, 26th and 27th of April 2012.
Results shall be announced and medals shall be awarded on Saturday, 28th of April 2012, during a gala dinner which shall take place in “Le Meridien Spa & Resort” hotel inLimassol,Cyprus.
Article 3 – Organising Committee
The Organising Committee is appointed by the Board of Directors of the WPC and is composed by four (4) Officers of the WPC and one (1) representative of theCyprusWine-producers Association, who shall not have any direct or indirect benefit from or conflicting interest with any company which participates in the Competition. One of the five (5) members of the Committee shall be the Chairman of the Committee and at least one member shall be an oenologist.
The Organising Committee is responsible for the proper execution of the Competition. Specifically, the Organising Committee shall endeavor:
– to receive and store the samples in a secure place;
– to oversee the absolute anonymity of samples submitted to the jurors as well as the confidentiality of the results until the end of the competition;
– the organisation of the tasting procedure before the convening of the juries. Notably it shall verify the order in which the samples shall be presented;
– to inspect the opening of the samples in an adjoining storage room, their temperature, their identity and their anonymity when presented to the members of the jury;
– to oversee the correct handling and serving;
– to oversee the operations of the Secretariat responsible for the distribution and collection of score sheets, the computation of the scores, verification of results, posting and communication of results;
– to allow a second tasting of a sample, notably when it deems it necessary, or when the majority of jurors request it , or when the scores deviate immensely among the jurors;
– to announce the results.
Article 4 – Products eligible to compete
All wines ofCyprusorigin may participate in the Competition, given that they are produced and labeled in pursuance of the national and the EU Regulations and they are in conformity with the “International Code of Oenological Practices” issued by the OIV.
Wines with a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) or wines that obtained the approval of the WPC to indicate the variety and the harvest year in their label (Varietal wines) may participate in the Competition.
Wines not classified in one of the abovementioned categories may participate in the Competition and receive a score; yet, in circumstances where such wines shall compete, these shall be excluded from the award granting procedure.
All wines must be destined for sale and must be from a homogeneous batch of at least 1.000 litres. On an exceptional basis, a reduced volume, of at least 100 litres, may be admitted upon justification of a particularly low production. The aforementioned exception applies mainly for production made from rare indigenous Cypriot grape varieties.
All samples with their labels must be in line with their commercial appearance.
Article 5 – Application procedure
The deadline for submitting applications to participate in the Competition has been set to be the 23rd of March 2012. For each product to compete, the following information shall be communicated to the WPC along with the application:
- The Participation Form attached to this Rules and Guidelines (Form 1), fully completed and signed by an authorized person (original).
- The participation fee as defined in article 15.
- One (1) set of labels (front and back) identical to those used in commerce. (The labeling must be in conformity with national and EU Regulations).
- Samples must be accompanied by an analysis certificate drawn up by an accredited laboratory with, at least, the hereinafter specifications:
– Alcoholic strength by volume at 20 degrees Centigrade vol. (%)
– Sugar (glucose + fructose) (g/L)
– Total acidity (meq/L)
– Volatile acidity (meq/L)
– Sulphur dioxide (SO2) total (mg/L)
– Concerning sparkling wine: Pressure in the bottle (bars)
The methods of analysis used are provided in the Compendium of International Methods of Analysis and Appraisal of Wine and Musts.
All information stated above shall be submitted by the wine producer or bottler to the following address:
Organising Committee
7th Cyprus Wine Competition
Wine Products Council
Petra Business Center
86 Franklin Roosevelt Ave
3011, Limassol
Article 6 – Sample receipt and storage procedure
Officers of the WPC shall verify the receipt of samples. Four (4) bottles shall be received, along with their labels (as those should have been traded in the market), with a capacity per bottle of 75 cl, or four (4) bottles of nominal capacity less or equal to 2 litres and total capacity of at least 3 litres.
Samples must be stored in a secure place under temperature and atmospheric conditions guaranteeing preservation, until those are presented to the jurors.
Article 7- Classification and organisation of samples presented
Once all necessary testing procedures are completed, and based on the registration documents and analysis certificates obtained, the samples shall be recorded in a computer database, each having a unique code in accordance to its color, content of sugar and variety composition. The aforementioned unique codes shall be communicated to the jury, thus ensuring anonymity.
Access to the above computerized system shall be given only to authorized members of the Organising Committee.
Article 8 – Jury
The samples shall be evaluated by a jury of nine (9) wine tasters-jurors, who, in majority, should be oenologists or hold an equivalent diploma in the field of wine or spirituous beverages of vitivinicultural origin and who, in majority, should not be local residents. The Wine Products Council selects the jurors after taking into consideration their technique skills in organoleptic assessment of wines. The Organising Committee shall, also, delegate one juror as the President of jury, who shall be an oenologist or hold an equivalent diploma, as mentioned above.
The President, apart from his status as a juror, shall be responsible for ensuring the proper course of operations of the jury.
Article 9 – General functioning of the jury
Meetings of the jury are preferred to be held during the morning hours. In circumstances when dry still wines are tasted, each meeting shall include tasting of 42 to 62 samples per day divided into a maximum of nine (9) sessions of up to eight (8) wines per session.
- Discipline
Absolute anonymity shall be a fundamental principle of the Competition, consequently:
1.1. The jurors shall remain silent and make no gestures or facial expressions indicative of their impressions during the wine tasting and rating.
1.2. Before each sample shall be served, a data sheet of samples presented and corresponding score sheets shall be placed at the disposal of the jurors. Technical indications related to samples shall be indicated on the score. The identification of each juror shall be included on the score sheets.
1.3. The personnel collecting the sheets shall ensure that score sheets are correctly completed and certified as authentic by the President.
1.4. Duplicates of score sheets shall not be left with the jurors.
- Tasting environment
2.1. The jury shall be seated in an isolated, quiet, well-lit, well-ventilated, odour-free room. Access shall be in principle prohibited to all persons who are not essential to the organisation of the tasting. Ambient temperature must be maintained, to the extent possible, between 18 °C and 22 °C. Smoking shall be forbidden.
2.2. A second adjacent room, outside the jurors’ view, shall be reserved for opening the bottles and for concealing all signs enabling the samples to be identified. In all cases, the bottles shall be placed, beforehand, in packaging which conceals the form of the bottle and guarantees the anonymity of the sample. Subsequently, the bottles are carried in the tasting room to serve the wine in glasses in the presence of the jurors.
2.3. This packaging must guarantee anonymity for the duration of the tasting. The jurors must not, in any way, be able to recognise the identity of the samples presented.
2.4. The glasses used are of a certain type, in conformity to international standards, and, thus, acceptable from the OIV. Upon completion of each usage, these are washed, and left to dry in great care.
2.5. Where each juror shall be seated, a carafe of cold water, pieces of bread, paper towels or handkerchiefs and a discard receptacle shall be placed.
3. Presentation of wines
Each wine shall be tasted individually and not in comparison.
4. Breaks
There shall be a short break between each session, during which the organiser shall ensure that the jurors have bread and water. Beverages and food may be consumed during breaks, provided that they shall not impinge on the judgement of the jurors.
Article 10 – Order of presentation of samples and temperatures
The wines are tasted by the jurors and per session, in the following order:
- Dry white still wines
- Dry rosé still wines
- Dry still red wines
- Natural sweet wines
- Liqueur wines.
In each of the above categories, young wines shall be tasted before aged wines, always in a decreasing order of the harvest year.
The following temperatures shall be maintained during the tasting procedures:
- White and rosé wines: 10/12 °C
- Red wines: 15/18 °C
- Liqueur wine: 10/14 °C
It is essential that all products of the same type within the same session, shall be tasted at the same temperature.
The whole process is carried out according to the following standards:
Article 11 – Score sheet
During serving, each expert shall have the score sheet corresponding to a sample to be tasted and the definitions of descriptors used, which shall be in accordance with the principles set by the OIV.
For still wines, the score sheet shall contain the following indications regarding organoleptic qualities:
- Visual aspect: Limpidity, Aspect other than limpidity
- Nose: Genuineness, Positive intensity, Quality
- Taste: Genuineness, Positive intensity, Harmonious persistence, Quality
- Harmony – Overall judgment.
Evaluation of the above parameters shall be based on the subsequent scaling: Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Inadequate, for each of which a numerical grade (score) is predefined.
The score sheet shall also include the following: the sample number, the code of the category, the juror number and the date. A space shall be reserved for possible observations (remarks) concerning each organoleptic characteristic. Each score sheet shall be signed by the juror and the President of jury.
After tasting a sample, each juror shall tick the box on each line corresponding to the appraisal of a given characteristic, whilst they may also provide in writing any remarks.
Article 12 – Transcription and calculation of results
The Secretariat shall verify that each juror shall have the score sheet corresponding to the sample to be tasted, that the sheet is completely filled out and carry out or check the total score allotted by the juror. Further, it shall ensure that the results are correctly recorded in the computer database.
When a wine is marked “inadequate” in at least one of the parameters cited above, the sample is rejected and removed from the award procedure.
Each wine shall be rated based on the average of the scores resulting from the calculation of appraisals from each of the jurors. The highest and lowest scores shall not be taken into consideration when calculating the average score.
If the President of the jury deems useful, he/she may ask the Organising Committee for a second tasting of the sample. In the case in which the Organising Committee responds to this request, only the score of the second jury shall be taken into account.
Article 13 – Granting awards
The wines that obtained a determined number of points for a tasting shall be classified according to the following award level categories:
– Grand gold – at least 92 points
– Gold – at least 85 points
– Silver – at least 82 points
– Bronze – at least 80 points.
The sum of all the medals awarded to the samples must not exceed 30 % of the total of samples presented at the competition. If this percentage is exceeded, the samples that obtained the lowest score are eliminated.
In the context of the 7th Cyprus Wine Competition, awards may also be divided into groups particularly for wine in accordance with sugar content. Thus, the following medals shall also be awarded to the 6 wine categories as follows:
Wines with PDO:
- dry wines,
- semi-dry wines and semi-sweet wines,
- sweet wines.
Wines with PGI:
- dry wines,
- semi-dry wines and semi-sweet wines,
- sweet wines.
The sum of medals awarded in a wine category must not exceed 30 % of the total of samples participating in that particular category.
The Organising Committee reserves the right to set the minimum score per award level category (which may be higher than the level set by the OIV, i.e. greater than 80 marks).
In case of an equal score between wines where only one medal can be awarded, the score of the President of the Jury can be counted as the winning score.
Article 14 – Recognition of Medals
Certificates prepared by the Wine Products Council accompany the medals conferred. Each certificate indicates the exact identity of the award-winning wine, as well as the identity of its producer.
The Organising Committee shall safeguard the proper use of “Appellations of Origin” and “Geographical Indications”, whose authenticity must be protected in accordance with the general principles of the OIV and the national and EU legislation. Accordingly, the Organising Committee reserves the right to withdraw any award given to a wine, the labeling of which does not comply with the provisions of national and EU legislation, or which incorrectly or improperly uses a PGI or PDO indication or incorrectly or improperly presented as Varietal.
The Organising Committee, in order to publicly present the awarded wines, shall publish all precise information regarding the awarded medals. Details of the awarded wines shall be processed to the media, whilst a flyer shall be prepared and distributed to professionals (e.g. wholesalers, retailers) and consumers.
Further, the WPC reserves the exclusive right for producing and selling stickers of a medal awarded to a specific wine participated in the Competition that shall indicate the year when the award had been granted. Interested wine producers may conduct the WPC and request the aforementioned stickers that shall be provided at the price of €15 per one thousand stickers.
Article 15 – Participation fee
The participation fee per sample has been set at €70 (incl. VAT) and shall be paid to the Wine Products Commission, simultaneously with the submission of the participation form (Form 1) and all necessaryinformation regarding the competing wines.
In circumstances where a participation form will be submitted but the participation fee will be outstanding up to the 23rd of March 2012, the sample will be disqualified.
Article 16 – Categories of competing wines
The 7th Cyprus Wine Competition is addresses only to wines produced and bottled on Cypriot territory. The proposed categories are:
Category 1 – White still wines:
1.1 Single-variety (at a rate of at least 85%)
1.2 Multi-variety dry wines
Category 2 – Rose still wines:
2.1 Single-variety (at a rate of at least 85%)
2.2 Multi-variety dry wines
Category 3 – Red still wines:
3.1 Single-variety (at a rate of at least 85%)
3.2 Multi-variety dry wines
The above categories shall be further classified in the below sub-categories, depending on reducing sugars:
– Up to 4gr/l (dry wines)
– Between 4,1gr/l – 45 gr/l (semi-dry and semi-sweet wines)
– Above 45gr/l (sweet wines)
NOTE: The Organising Committee reserves the right to omit categories which fall below a minimum number of samples. The Organising Committee shall also maintain the right to form new categories according to the needs of the Competition. Further, the Organising Committee may award special medals to single-variety wines produced exclusively from indigenous Cypriot grape varieties.
Article 17 – General Terms and Legal Provisions of the Competition
The Organising Committee shall keep one bottle per award-winning wine for one year following the Competition, and may seek special laboratory tests to be conducted on the winning wines if this should be deemed as necessary.
Further, it shall conduct control and identification tests on at least 5% (determined by draw) of the winning wines and on the same wines that have been placed on the market.
The person signing the participation form for the Competition shall be legally liable for all the information contained therein. The Organising Committee shall be entitled, following legal procedures, to verify the above information, in order to check the authenticity of an awarded wine that circulates in the market against the sample taking part in the Competition.
The results of the Competition shall be final. Due to their confidential nature, only the award-winning participations shall be announced and for each competing product, detailed scores shall be sent only to its legal proprietor.
Participation in the Competition implies acceptance of the terms and conditions provided therein.
