OIV Standards for International Wine Competitions

RESOLUTION OENO 2/94

OIV STANDARDS FOR INTERNATIONAL WINE COMPETITIONS

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

BASED ON THE PROPOSAL of Commission II, "Enology" taking into account the work of the Group "Wine Competitions",

APPROVES the new O.I.V. standard for international wine competitions described herein and annuls the rules for international wine competitions adopted in 1975,

INVITE the Executive Committee to create as required a new group "Wine Competitions" to examine the possible adaptations of the present standard,

DELEGATES the Director General of the O.I.V. to undertake the necessary measures for making this operational and to also be responsible for verifying the application made by competitions made under the patronage of the O.I.V.

Article 1:OBJECTIVES

With the objective of:

Facilitating the promotion of wines of good quality,
Encouraging their production and stimulating their
Reasonable consumption as a sign of civilisation,
Making known and presenting to the public the characteristic types of wines produced in diverse countries,
Raising the technical and scientific level of the participants,
Contributing to the expansion of wine culture.

An INTERNATIONAL WINE COMPETITION is organised in conformity with the protocol of agreement and with the present Standard

The OIV accords its agreement only if the competent, official authority presents its request, at least one year in advance for the initial request and at least six months in advance in case of renewal. This agreement is granted for a period of six years.
The rules governing the organisation of the competition must respect the present standard.
The competent official authority may delegate to regional or private bodies the details for the substantive organizing of the competition.

Article 2: PRODUCTS PERMITTED TO COMPETE

The competition is open, without discrimination, to all wines, special wines and mistelles, conforming to the definitions of the OIV "International Code of Enological Practices". In addition, it may be open under the same conditions to grape wine brandies, marc brandies and flavored wines which are, in that case, subject to a specific standard under the unique responsibility of the delegated body. All these products must bear the indication of the country of origin where the grapes were harvested and vinified. All these products must be contained with a view to sale in receptacles of a maximum volume of 2 liters. All samples must be presented in bottles with the authentic labeling and presentation.

Article 3: METHODS OF REGISTRATION

The registration form for each sample is required to include:

The complete and exact identification of the participant,
The exact designation of the product, in accordance with the regulations of the country of origin, and its vintage date,
The category of the product in accordance with Annex 1, (CATEGORIZATION OF SAMPLES), the delegated body being permitted to take responsibility for the division of the sub-groups,
The statement of analysis in conformity with Annex II submitted by an official or competent laboratory, in conformity with the law of the country,
If possible, the grape variety or varieties and their percentage in the wine;
The quantity of the wine corresponding to the sample.

Article 4: CONTROL OF SAMPLES RECEIVED

The delegated body verifies the receipt of wines and the official documents accompanying them, possibly correcting substantive errors, and rejects samples not corresponding to the provisions of the present Standard.

It is attentive to the correct use of appellations of origin or of geographic indications of which the authenticity must always be safeguarded in respect of the general principles of the O.I.V. It must therefore eliminate the samples whose labeling does not respect these principles. The responsiblity for all abuse in this area falls to the legal person responsible for bottling.
It then proceeds to the division of the samples initially based on the characteristics indicated on the registration forms referred to in Article 3, or, if needs be, on the confirmed characteristics.
It must store the samples under conditions of temperature and ambiance guaranteeing good preservation.
However, the division of the samples may be reexamined by the international juries, at the time of their operations.

Article 5: CLASSIFICATION OF WINES, ORDER OF THE SAMPLES PRESENTED

After control, based on the registration documents and certificates of analysis, of the accuracy of the registration into each category, the samples are presented to the juries in decreasing order of harvest year, taking into account, if necessary, the persistence of aromatic intensity (see Annex III).

Article 6: DESIGNATION OF JURORS

The delegated body responsible for the competition designates the jurors and the members of the office. It may ask the O.I.V. to suggest names of experts of different countries.
The samples are evaluated by the international juries, whose number is established on the number and the nature of the wines presented in the competition.
In a jury, each juror represents a different country. It is appropriate to respect a great geographic dispersion in the origin of the jurors.
Each jury is composed, in principle, of 7 jurors. In each case, the number of jurors may not be fewer than 5. The jurors are mainly enologists (as defined by the OIV).
It is preferable that one of the jurors represents a notable wine-consumer country. One of the jurors must be chosen from the list of official O.I.V. experts. One juror belongs to the organizing country.
Each jury functions under the authority of a Bureau (Executive Committee) consisting of 3 persons;

a President, belonging, in principle, to the organizing country,
a Vice-President,
an Enologist advisor,

The Bureau (Executive Committee) has a secretariat.

One Bureau (Executive Committee) may control the activity of 1 to 3 juries. The members of the Bureau do not take part in the judgings.
The jurors are designated "intuitu personae". Therefore, they may only be replaced by the authority which designated them.
The expert delegated by the O.I.V. is designated for the entire competition. He participates, at his convenience, in the work of the different juries but does not take part in the judgings. He establishes a report as the competition progresses. Based on this report or an other information, the O.I.V. may retract its accord before the end of the event.

Article 7: MISSION OF THE BUREAU (EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE)

Under the responsibility of the president, the mission of the Bureau (Executive Committee) is to see that the preparatory operations, the examination of the samples and the communication of the results take place flawlessly. Notably:

To oversee the absolute anonymity of the wines submitted to the wine tasters as well as the secrecy of the results until the close of the competition,
To control, before the jury is installed, the organisation of the tasting for which it has responsiblity. Notably it verifies the order in which the wines will be presented.
To insure that the samples are well-presented, notably by correcting an obvious error in the order of presentation, exclusion of a sample which does not comply with the provisions of the rule, dismissal to a subsequent wine tasting,
To control the opening of the samples in a subsidiary room, their temperature, their identity and their anonymity relative to the members of the jury; to also oversee the correct handling and serving of the wine,
To control the function of the secretariat responsible for the scrutiny of the results: distribution and collecting of rating sheets, verification of the conformity of the identification of the sample, calculations, posting of the results,
To order a second wine tasting of a sample, notably when:
The majority of jurors request it, in writing on the rating sheets,
There are major deviations amongst the notations of the different jurors,
And each time that it is felt to be useful, according to its discretionary power.

Article 8: ORGANIZATION OF THE SESSION

The wines are tasted by the juries and by session, in principle in the following order:

1. still white wines
2. sparkling white wines
3. still rosé wines
4. sparkling rosé wines
5. still red wines
6. sparkling red wines
7. flor wines, sweet natural wines, liqueur wines,
8. mistelles.

For each of the above wines, the dry wines are tasted before the sweet wines, and the younger wines before the older wines, in conformity with Article 5.

The Bureau organizes the distribution of the samples amongst the juries.

Article 9: GENERAL FUNCTION OF THE JURIES

Discipline

Since absolute anonymity is a fundamental principle of a competition:

1.1. the jurors must maintain silence and make no gestures or facial expressions indicative of their impressions during the wine tasting.

1.2. Before each sample is served, the corresponding rating sheets which are distributed may already bear technical indications relative to the samples. These sheets may include the name and signature of the juror.

1.3. The personnel collecting the sheets assures that they are correctly completed. The president signs them to indicate authentication.

1.4. Duplicates of the sheets are not left with the jurors.

1.5. The jurors must not know the identity of a wine corresponding to the ratings and awards obtained.

Material Functioning

Once the jury is formed, in order to enlighten the jurors on the exercise of their mission, they may be united for one or more preliminary explanatory meetings and tastings in common, with a comparison of the results of each wine taster.

2.1. The jury or juries are seated in a isolated, quiet, well lighted, well ventilated room access to which is formally prohibited to all persons who are not essential to the organization of the wine tasting. Its ambient temperature must be maintained, to the extent possible, between 18 and 22°C. Smoking is forbidden. In addition, the juries must avoid using perfumes that may disturb the sessions.

2.2. A second room, contiguous but outside the jurors' view, is reserved for uncorking and for concealing all signs capable of permitting the sample to be identified.

It is also forbidden to smoke there.

Strict discipline and silence will be maintained there.

2.3. The glasses must be filled in the tasting room in the presence of the jurors. When it is necessary the original corks are replaced by a system of anonymous closures.

In all cases, the bottles are placed, beforehand, in packaging which conceals the form of the bottle and guarantees the anonymity of the sample. This packaging must guarantee anonymity for the duration of the tasting. In addition, the tasters must never know the identity of the samples presented.

2.4. Each juror receives a permanent number. The juror is provided with a seat and an individual table bearing the number and having a white surface with :

A uniform source of light which does not distort the colors
A carafe of fresh water
Small pieces of bread
A wine-discard receptacle.

2.5. The glasses in which the samples are presented are of the standardized international type which are accepted by the O.I.V. They are carefully washed, rinsed and dried after each use.

2.6. The wine tasting sessions preferably take place in the morning. For the still dry wines, the taste-tasting is done at the rate of no more than 45 samples per day, preferably in the morning, in three sessions of approximately 15 samples each. For the other wines, the tasting is done at the rate of no more than 30 samples per day, preferably in the morning, in three sessions of approximately 10 samples each.

Presentation of wines

Each wine is tasted individually and not comparatively.

Breaks

A break is scheduled between each series. During the break, only bread and water will be made available to the jurors. One of the breaks may include other foods or beverages, provided that, afterwards, a sufficient length of time is allowed.

Article 10 : ORDER OF PRESENTATION OF SAMPLES AND TEMPERATURE

(1) The object of categorizing the wines is, as already indicated, essentially to present homogenous, successive series of samples to the juries. Moreover, these series must be examined in a rational order, in accordance with Article 8.

(2) Each morning, before the taste-testing session it is recommended that the jurors be presented, in preparation for their tastings, with a wine of the same type as the series to be evaluated. This wine must not be chosen from amongst those in the competition. There must be a general discussion of the taste-test.

(3) The greatest efforts must be made so that the wines are tasted by the judges at the following temperatures:

White and rosé wines : 10/12°C;
Red wines : 15/18°C;
Sparkling wines : 8/10°C;
Liqueur wines and mistelles : 8/10°C.

In any case, it is essential that all wines of a same type, in the same session, be tasted at the same temperature.

Article 11: DESCRIPTION OF THE WINE TASTING RATING SHEET

(See Annexes 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4.)

Each expert receives the wine tasting rating sheet at the same time as the sample to be tasted.

This tasting-sheet is described below (Annex 4.1). However the use of the rating sheet recommended by the International Union of Enologists (I.U.E.) is accepted by the O.I.V. (Annex 4.2).

This sheet must include the following indications relative to organoleptic character:

1.Visual aspect (*) Because of the great variety in the criteria for wine color which exists amongst regions and populations, wine color is not subject to absolute rating, however it must play an important role in the evaluation of harmony through its relationship with the other aspects of wine character.
2. Nose : intensity
3. Nose : quality
4. Taste and retronasal sensations : intensity
5. Taste and retronasal sensations : quality
6. General impression, harmony.

A scale of evaluation of at least 5 columns is provided for each organoleptic character:

1. Excellent
2. Very Good
3. Good
4. Inadequate
5. Eliminated

These evaluations are in French and translated into languages understandable to the wine tasters.

A place is reserved for possible observations concerning each organoleptic character (for example : cork-taste...)

This rating sheet must also include the number of the jury and the signature of the president.

For the wine tasting of sparkling and petillant wines, the form of rating sheet used is in conformity with that referenced in Annex 4.3. However, the use of the rating sheet recommended by the I.U.E. is accepted by the OIV (Annex 4.4).

Article 12 : ROLE OF JURORS

The jurors verify or complete, if necessary, the information on the rating sheet relative to the sample.

After the sensory analysis of the sample, each juror scores on each line of the sheet the box corresponding to the organoleptic evaluation of the given character. As concerns the O.I.V. rating sheet, the juror must not assign numerical scores to impressions and has no calculation to make.

The juror notes possible observations in the space reserved and returns the sheet.

Article 13: TRANSCRIPTION AND CALCULATION OF THE RESULTS

The qualitative evaluations indicated on the jurors' wine tasting rating sheets are translated into numbers by the secretariat in accordance with the following calculation chart.

When the wine is identified as being "eliminated" under one or more criteria, it is automatically classed under "eliminated" and may not then, under any circumstances, compete for an award.

Each sample receives a rating which is the median rating (2) based on the ratings resulting from the calculation of the evaluation of each of the jurors.

Article 14: CONFERRING THE AWARDS

The samples that received a determined number of points in each category of the wine tasting receive the following awards:

Grand Gold Medal,
Gold Medal,
Silver Medal,
Bronze Medal.

Awards are conferred on the basis of the data limits given in the following table :

AWARDS	OIV RATING SHEET		IUE RATING SHEET
	Still wines	Effervescent Wines
Grand Gold Medal	0 to 3	0 to 3	90
Gold Medal	4 to 8	4 to 10	85
Silver Medal	9 to 14	11 to 18	80
Bronze Medal	15 to 21	19 to 26	75

The sum of all the medals conferred on the samples that received the best results must not exceed 30% of the total of the samples presented at the competition. In this percentage is exceeded, the samples that obtained the least good results are eliminated.

Provided there is prior agreement with the O.I.V. is is up to the delegated body to confer supplementary awards by country or notably by variety, by vintage year, by type of vinification and by type of maturation, if that does not create confusion with the awards specified in the first paragraph.

(2) When there is an odd number of jurors, the median is immediately evident. If the number happens to be even, the median is based on the average of the closest two ratings in the middle of the ratings.

Article 15 : DOCUMENTATION OF AWARDS

The awards received are required to be accompanied by documentary proof, or a "Diploma", established by the body which has been delegated responsible for the competition. This diploma must indicate the exact designation of the sample which received the award and the exact identification of the producer or merchant involved. The delegated body must withdraw all distinction conferred to a bottle of wine whose labeling does not conform with the legal provisions of the country of origin or makes undue use of an appellation of origin or a geographic indication.

INTERNATIONAL WINE COMPETITIONS

ANNEX 1

CATEGORIZATION OF SAMPLES

CATEGORY I : WHITE WINES OF NON AROMATIC VARIETIES Code Number

Group A - Still Wines : These wines may have a carbon dioxide pressure of less than 0.5 bar (20°C)

Sub-Group of wines containing not more than 4 g/L/l of reducing sugars	1
Sub-Group of wines containing from 4.1 g/L to 12 g/L of reducing sugars	2
Sub-Group of wines containing from 12 g/L to 45 g/L of reducing sugars	3
Sub-Group of wines containing more than 45 g/L of reducing sugars	4

Group B - Petillant Wines : These wines may have a carbon dioxide pressure from 0.5 to 2.5 bars at 20°C.

Sub-Group of wines containing not more than 4 g/L of reducing sugars	5
Sub-Group of wines containing more than 4 g/L of reducing sugars	6

Group C - Sparkling wines : These wines have a carbon dioxide pressure greater than 2.5 bars at 20°C.

Sub-Group of sparkling wines containing not more than 15 g/L of reducing sugars	7
Sub-Group of sparkling wines containing from 15.1 g/L to 40 g/L of reducing sugars	8
Sub-Group of sparkling wines containing from 40.1 g/L to 80 g/L of reducing sugars	9
Sub-Group of sparkling wines containing more than 80 g/L of reducing sugars	10

CATEGORY II : ROSE WINES OF NON AROMATIC VARIETIES

Group A - Still Wines : These wines may have a carbon dioxide pressure of less than 0.5 bar at 20°C.

Sub-Group of wines containing not more than 4 g/L of reducing sugars	11
Sub-Group of wines containing from 4.1 g/L to 12 g/L of reducing sugars	12
Sub-Group of wines containing from 12.1 g/L to 45 g/L of reducing sugars	13
Sub-Group of wines containing more than 45 g/L of reducing sugars	14

Group B - Petillant Wines : These wines may have a carbon dioxide pressure from 0.5 to 2.5 bars at 20°C.

Sub-Group of wines containing not more than 4 g/L of reducing sugars	15
Sub-Group of wines containing more than 4 g/L of reducing sugars	16

Group C - Sparkling wines : These wines have a carbon dioxide pressure greater than 2,5 bars at 20°C.

Sub-Group of sparkling wines containing not more than 15 g/L of reducing sugars	17
Sub-Group of sparkling wines containing from 15.1 g/L to 40 g/L of reducing sugars	18
Sub-Group of sparkling wines containing from 40.1 g/L to 80 g/L of reducing sugars	19
Sub-Group of sparkling wines containing more than 80 g/L of reducing sugars	20

CATEGORY III : RED WINES OF NON AROMATIC VARIETIES

Group A - Still wines : These wines may have a carbon dioxide pressure of less than 0.5 bar at 20°C.

Sub-Group of wines containing not more than 4 g/L of reducing sugars	21
Sub-Group of wines containing more than 4 g/L of reducing sugars	22

Group B - Petillant wines ; These wines may have a carbon dioxide pressure from 0.5 to 2.5 bars at 20°C.

Sub-Group of wines containing not more than 4 g/L of reducing sugars	23
Sub-Group of wines containing more than 4 g/L of reducing sugars	24

Group C - Sparkling Wines :

These wines have a carbon dioxide presure greater than 2.5 bars at 20°C..25

CATEGORY IV : WINES OF AROMATIC VARIETIES

Examples : Muscat varieties, Gewurztraminer, certain Sauvignons, Scheurebe....)

Group A - Still Wines : These wines may have a carbon dioxide pressure of less than 0.5 bar at 20°C.

Sub-Group of wines containing not more than 4 g/L of reducing sugars	26
Sub-Group of wines containing from 4.1 g/L to 12 g/L of reducing sugars	27
Sub-Group of wines containing from 12.1 g/L to 45 g/L of reducing sugars	28
Sub-Group of wines containing more than 45 g/L of reducing sugars	29

Group B - Petillant Wines : These wines may have a carbon dioxide pressure from 0.5 to 2.5 bars at 20°C.

Sub-Group of wines containing not more than 4 g/L of reducing sugars	30
Sub-Group of wines containing more than 4 g/L of reducing sugars	31

Group C - Sparkling Wines : These wines have a carbon dioxide pressure greater than 2.5 bars at 20°C.

Sub-Group of sparkling wines containing not more than 15 g/L of reducing sugars	32
Sub-Group of sparkling wines containing from 15.1 g/L to 40 g/L of reducing sugars	33
Sub-Group of sparkling wines containing from 40.1 g/L to 80 g/L of reducing sugars	34
Sub-Group of sparkling wines containing more than 80 g/L of reducing sugars	35

CATEGORY V : WINES "UNDER VEIL"

(Examples : Sherry, Fino, Tokay, Szamarodni, Château-Chalon, etc.)

Sub-Group of wines containing not more than 4 g/L of reducing sugars
Section 1: containing not more than 15% alcohol by volume	36
Section 2: containing more than 15 % alcohol by volume	37
Sub-Group of wines containing from 4.1 g/L to 20 g/L of reducing sugars
Section 1: containing not more than 15 % alcohol by volume	38
Section 2: containing more than 15 % alcohol by volume	39
Sub-Group of wines containing more than 20 g/L of reducing sugars
Section 1: containing not more than 15 % alcohol by volume	40
Section 2 : containing more than 15 % alcohol by volume	41

CATEGORY VI : LIQUEUR WINES

(Examples : Port, Marsala, Madeira, Mistelles, Tokay aszu....)

Sub-Group of wines containing not more than 6.1 g/L of reducing sugars	42
Sub-Group of wines containing from 6.1 g/L to 40 g/L of reducing sugars
Section 1: containing not more than 18% alcohol by volume	43
Section 2: containing more than 18% alcohol by volume	44
Sub-Group of wines containing from 40.1 g/L to 80 g/L of reducing sugars
Section 1: containing not more than 18% alcohol by volume	45
Section 2: containing more than 18% alcohol by volume	46
Sub-Group of wines containing more than 80 g/L of reducing sugars
Section 1: containing not more than 18% alcohol by volume	47
Section 2 : containing more than 18% alcohol by volume	48

Group B - Aromatic Varieties

(example : Muscats) 49

COMMENT : If there are only a few samples in a Sub-Group, these samples may be placed in a Sub-Group which is close in character.

INTERNATIONAL WINE COMPETITIONS

ANNEX II

CERTIFICATE OF ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF WINES

The samples must be accompanied by an official statement of analysis including at least the following determinations :

Alcohol content at 20°C % by volume

Reducing sugars g/L
Total acidity meq./L
Volatile acidity meq./L
Total sulfur dioxide (S02) mg/L
Free sulfur dioxide (SO2) mg/L
As concerns sparkling and petillant wines : the pressure in the bottle (bars) hPa

The methods of analysis used are those included in ANNEX A of the International Convention of October 13, 1954 on the unification of methods of analysis and evaluation of wines. These may be found in the Compendium of International Methods of Analysis of Wines and Musts. (Modified and completed 1990 Edition)

INTERNATIONAL WINE COMPETITIONS

ANNEX III

CLASSIFICATION OF SAMPLES FOR THE WINE TASTING

The classification of samples is a fundamental operation intended to present only homogeneous series to international juries.

After separating the samples into the different Categories, Groups and Sub-Groups, in conformity with the "Categorization Plan" (Annex I), it is important to present the samples to the jury based on the samples' "persistence of aromatic intensity", measured in seconds, in increasing order, in three series : weak, average and high. This classification is done by a primary commission. This classification requirement does not apply to sparkling wines since the measurement of the persistence of aromatic intensity of these products is exceptionally difficult.

Since experience has demonstrated the satisfactory objectivity of the test of the persistence of aromatic intensity, the composition of these primary commissions need not be international and the organizers may freely to constitute them with the experts of their country and without previously established rules. It is simply indispensible for these primary commissions to have some training in wine tasting in order to apply the following notion:

Definitions (I.S.O. Congress, 1970, Group T.C., 34-G.T.2)

(a) Persistence: the general term, "persistence", designates the totality of lingering after-sensations similar or very much like those which had been perceived when the product was in the mouth and which remain localised there after the expulsion of the said product.

The totality of sensations which constitute "persistence" generally include:

The tastes (sweet, acid, bitter and salty) perceived by the taste buds of the tongue;
The physico-chemical sensations (pseudo-warmth due to alcohol, astringency due to polyphenols...) perceived by the totality of mucous membranes;
The mouthfeel sensations (smoothness, governed especially by the balance of the glycerol and polyphenols, that is to say by their respective proportions) perceived within the entire mouth;
The aromatic sensation, olfactory sensations perceived by the nose and by the retronasal tract, but confused by the nervous centers with the perceptions received in the mouth.

(b) Persistence of aromatic intensity. Careful study of the aromatic sensations shows that after a period of a certain

constancy of intensity, there is a fairly abrupt decrease.

Schematically, the phenomenon may be presented in accordance with the figure below:

The wine is expelled from the mouth

i ¦

n ¦ ¦ Total aromatic persistence ¦

t ¦ ¦_______________________________________________ ¦

e ¦ ¦ ¦

n ¦ ¦

s ¦ ¦

i ¦ ¦

t ¦ ¦

y ¦ wine is ¦

¦___________¦

o ¦ in the ¦

f ¦ mouth ¦

¦ ¦

t ¦ ¦

h ¦ ¦____________________

e ¦ persistence of ¦

¦ ___________________ ¦Disappearence of the ¦

¦ aromatic intensity ¦sensation intensity below ¦

a ¦ ¦the thresholdof perception ¦

r ¦ ¦

o ¦ ¦ ¦

m ¦ ¦

a_¦________________________________¦______________________________

A B Time

"Persistence of aromatic intensity" is the period extending from A to B in the figure

The wine tester measures its duration in seconds. This number of seconds expresses the number of "caudalies" characterising the wine.

It is essential to consider only the aromatic sensations. The following sensations, in particular, must not be remembered after the wine has left the mouth:

flavor (sweet, salty, bitter)
normal physico-chemical sensations (warmth of the alcohol, astringency and mouthfeel) which are sometimes very powerful and would completely falsify the results of the test.

Therefore, it is advisable to note only the aromatic components which, moreover, by a phenomenon of confused perception as indicated above, appear to be perceived in the mouth.

The number of seconds of persistence of aromatic intensity (i.e;, caudalies) is rather easy to determine with a small amount of training. Experience has proven that it varies very little from one wine taster to another if one observes the above precautions. It may therefore serve in a precise, constant and universal manner in the classification of the wines for the wine tasting.