How It Works

Judging

Judging integrity is at the heartof any wine or spirit competition and all judging at the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Competition is by region/area/variety/style/type/vintage/age etc. 
 
Wines and spirits that win awards may then go forward to the appropriate trophy category, where they compete at national or international level with the best. Samples are presented in flights with the judges never seeing the bottle. Judges are provided with a score sheet and given the basic parameters of the class being assessed. Samples are assessed quietly; and without comment; marks are recorded and collected by the panel chairman who may then open discussions in respect of judges comments/scores.
 
          
 
Judges are prohibited from entering the preparation area before or during judging sessions. Where judges are unable to reach a majority decision, flights will be referred to another panel. All results remain confidential until officially released.
 
Provided the required minimum score is reached gold, silver and bronze awards are given in each tasting category or flight. Products with the highest mark in their respective category are re-tasted for national and international trophies. Marks are out of 100 and made on one of the strictest marking systems around with awards made on the following system:
 
94-100 GOLD
Outstanding example; the benchmark.
90 – 93.9 SILVER
Fine example; excellent quality.
87 - 89.9 BRONZE
Good example; well above average
 
 

Food and Wine Judging
Judging of the best wine with individual dishes follows a very similar format to the wine and spirits judging with all the same procedures and restrictions in place.
 
Samples are presented in flights with the judges never seeing the bottle alongside the relevant food. Judges are provided with a score sheet and given the basic parameters of the class being assessed. Samples are assessed quietly with the food and without comment; marks are recorded and collected by the panel chairman who may then open discussions in respect of judges comments/scores.
As with wines and spirits judging wines are scored which then determines the medal, if any, that is awarded. Where necessary a further round of judging is held to decide the ultimate trophy winner.
 

Cuisine-specific categories include: “Best Wine Paired with…”:


Peking Duck: a perfect wine match with this dish will enhance the duck’s oily, crispy skin, gamey flesh and deeply flavoured condiments.  

Cantonese Dim Sum: the winning wine should pair equally well with steamed, deep-fried and stewed savoury items from the traditional dim sum trolley.

Kung Pao Chicken: judges will be looking for a wine that either harmoniously accentuates or suppresses the heat of this classic, chilli-laden dish from Sichuan Province in central-western China. 
 
Braised Abalone: the winning wine must have resolved tannins as well as complexity and concentration to pair well with this dish: a sun-dried abalone, reconstituted in a concentrated chicken and Chinese ham stock.  

Sashimi: the best match will show restraint and delicacy so the subtle seafood flavours aren’t
 
 

Winners

One of the key differences of the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine and Spirit Competition is the commitment to marketing our winners.
 
Winners benefit immediately with the awards announcement at the prestigious gala dinner on the first night of the HKTDC International Wine and Spirits Fair.
 
Winners also receives a FREE marketing pack including the relevant medal and competition logos for inclusion on their promotional materials. Bottle stickers are also available for purchase to ensure consumers see your award at point of purchase and you can influence the purchase decision in those vital last few seconds.
 
The competition also ensures winners receive global recognition by our targeted PR campaign to promote winning wines.
 

 
Part of the  IWSC Group Ltd