NZ Fellow: Dr Richard Smart
Dr Richard Smart began shining a light on grape growing in the late 1960s, increasingly fascinated by how sunlight interception by vineyards impacted yields and fruit quality.
This tasting is used as a primary resource for the selection of wines for international seminars, masterclasses, education programmes and feature tables that make up the International Education Programme. While our physical New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) masterclasses have been impacted by Covid, our virtual tasting events still allow us to share exemplars of the New Zealand wine category and it is important that we keep our offering current and relevant.
The Blind Tasting is able to address two of the themes from the New Zealand Wine of the Year review, which NZW committed to pursue: benchmarking and mentorship. Benchmarking will be achieved via feedback to entrants on wine varieties and style. Individual scores will also be sent to entrants on request.
Associate judge positions will be introduced this year, and expressions of interest for these roles will be open to all members. We are delighted that Jo Gear will be leading this for NZW. Jo is an expereinced winemaker, judge, and wine show organiser and is seen running the back room at many of New Zealand's wine competitions. We are also very pleased to welcome Emma Jenkins MW to the new position of chair of judges. She will oversee the judging team, providing leadership and rigour to the process, as well as very mentorship.
Key Dates:
- Entries open - Monday 20 September
- Entries close - Friday 22 October
- Sample deadline - Monday 8 November
- Judging - Tuesday 16 November
- Results notified to entrants - Friday 19 November
