General Introduction

 

The Cool Climate Wine Awards (CCWA) is an international contest for all kinds of  wines, still and sparkling, dry and sweet, from all wine-growing regions around the world that fall under the category of "cool climate" wines.

For the sake of CCWA competition the organisers accept all the wines produced in EU climate zones A and B plus Switzerland plus wines from all other wine regions, subregions or districts that may prove to experience less than 2650 GDD in ⁰F units (region 1b and 1a in Winkler Index and some cooler regions of II).

The aim of the IRC is to promote cool climate wines and boost the sales of the wines entered. An international jury consisting of the most renowned wine experts in the world, including Masters of Wine, delivers an independent and unbiased verdict on the wines, ensuring that the contest is both fair and professional.

 

1. Participation in the contest

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1. By submitting an on-line registration, the participant accepts the conditions of the competition as well as the verdicts of the Cool Climate Wine Awards.

2. Participation is restricted to bottled wines.

3. Eligible are all producers and marketers worldwide of still, sparkling, semi-sparkling and liqueur wines and products for direct human consumption as permitted by Annex VII Part II of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 for wine. Participants shall be responsible for the marketability of their wines.

4. Tasting samples must be received by the IRC office between 1st and 15th April.

5. Tasting samples not submitted by the stipulated deadline may be excluded from the competition.

6. There is no limit on the number of products a participant is allowed to enter for the contest. The wines must comply with the production and labelling provisions of the relevant third countries and/or EU regulations.

7. Each submission consists of three bottles. At the time of registration, at least 100 bottles must still be available for purchase from the participant.

8. Only duty-paid and carriage-paid samples are accepted.

9. A complete product pass, featuring all the required details, must be available for each sample, although the datas  can still be corrected after the submission up to 1st of March. The details indicated on the product pass shall remain binding for all publications, documents and awards.

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2. Fees

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1. A submission fee is incurred for each sample submitted. The fee covers the cost of receiving and storing the samples, travel expenses and accommodation for a jury of international experts, organising the competition, as well as the preparation of the awards and documents undertaken by the CCWA office.

2. The submission fees are EUR 90 net for one submitted sample, EUR 85 net for each of two submitted samples, EUR 80 net for each of three samples, EUR 75 net for each of four or more submitted samples.

3. Participants submitting five samples will be allowed to enter three further samples free of charge.

4. Submissions paid for before 1st January of the year previous to the year of the competition will qualify for an additional 20% discount.

5. Receipt by the CCWA of full payment of the submission fees is a prerequisite for taking part in the competition.

6. Registration implies a commitment to pay the suitable fee regardless of actual participation.

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3. Jury & Tasting

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1. A highly qualified international jury comprising oenologists, wine-makers, professional wine traders, sommeliers and expert journalists will taste the wines blind (the jury will be informed only about the category of successive wines, their vintage, varieties and possible barrel ageing/fermenting).

2. If the wine receives highly divergent scores from the commission members, its chair has the right to decide that is should be retasted by the chairs of all commisions and its final score may be elevated (but never decreased).

3. All wines receiving more that 88 avarage score will be obligatory retasted by all the members of the jury and their final scores may be thus elevated (but never decreased). 

4. Wines will be arranged in a tasting according to their product category, origin, quality level and flavour, and evaluated in accordance with the international 100-point scheme of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV).

5. The wine tasting will take place in May 2023.

6. The award grades are as follows:

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   ​Grand Gold Medal (93 points and more)
   Gold Medal (89-92 points)
   Silver Medal (86-88 points)
   

​4. Publication of the results

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1. The prize-winning products at the CCWA will feature in publications after the competition has finished. They will appear on the CCWA website and will be disseminated by the media sponsors of the contest. Information on the wines that do not receive the minimum number of points required for an award will not be published.

2. The remaining samples will be used for educational purposes.

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5. Use of Awards

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1. The winners may use the awards and logos from the CCWA for labelling and advertising. 

2. Only the original medals produced and distributed by the CCWA may be used for labelling.