Calling for Sauvignon Blanc entries for the inaugural tasting of NZ Wine Rater – November 26, 2020
We are excited to announce inaugural tasting of NZ Wine Rater.
Our first tasting will focus on New Zealand’s signature variety and key export ambassador, Sauvignon Blanc.
ENTER NOW!
Entries and samples must be received no later than Thursday 26 November 2020.
Our new website will provide independent, objective, professional evaluation of New Zealand wine for both the wine industry and the consumer. Our two judges’ 60 years-combined, exhaustive wine industry experience ensures wine ratings and notes that can be trusted internationally.
STEVE BENNETT, Master of Wine
Steve has worked in all facets of the wine industry including retail, education, distribution, production, and journalism.
He was the youngest ever of just 483 people to become a Master of Wine, since the exams inception in 1953.
LYNNETTE HUDSON BSc, PGDipVO, Winemaker
Lynnette has worked in numerous vineyards and wineries around the world including highly acclaimed NZ wineries: Pegasus Bay, Pyramid Valley, and Villa Maria.
She has expansive knowledge of wine regions, winemaking techniques, and their resulting wine styles.
To meet the needs of both the New Zealand wine industry, their importers, and consumers of New Zealand wine around the world in a challenging post Covid-19 environment Steve Bennett MW and winemaker Lynnette Hudson have teamed up to provide an independent, professional evaluation of New Zealand wine that the international wine community can trust.
Ours is not a wine show or magazine-style tasting where large quantities of wine are tasted quickly and compared against the standard of entries on the day. In our tastings, wines will be evaluated “individually” but tasted blind, grouped together by style in a focused, professional setting over a number of days.
Wines of all styles will be able to shine based on their intrinsic merits. A score using the internationally recognized 100 point system will be awarded based on an average between both judges marks and our reviews will be published on the website in concise, to the point language the consumer can understand without verbose, flowery adjectives.