Revision of the OIV Standard for International wine and spirituous beverages of vitivinicultural origin competitions

RESOLUTION OIV-OENO 671A-2025

REVISION OF THE “OIV STANDARD FOR INTERNATIONAL WINE AND SPIRITUOUS BEVERAGES OF VITIVINICULTURAL ORIGIN COMPETITIONS”

IMPORTANT: This Resolution replaces the following resolution:

- OIV/CONCOURS 332A/2009 OIV STANDARD FOR INTERNATIONAL WINE AND SPIRITUOUS BEVERAGES OF VITIVINICULTURAL ORIGIN COMPETITIONS

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

IN VIEW OF Article 2, paragraph 2 iv of the Agreement of 3 April 2001 establishing the International Organisation of Vine and Wine,

CONSIDERING that some changes have been introduced regarding draft resolutions already adopted in the past: OIV / ECO 287/2010, OIV-ECO 523-2016, OIV-ECO 647-2020,

CONSIDERING the work and proposals of the working group, composed of several delegations and 2 observers, on the revision of the OIV Standard for international wine and spirituous beverages of vitivinicultural origin competitions (Revision of Resolution OIV/CONCOURS 332A/2009 and revision of Resolution OIV/CONCOURS 332B/2009),

CONSIDERING the resolution OIV-OENO 671B-2023 which includes an article instructing competition organisers to integrate and comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and resolution OIV-OENO 671C-2024 which removed the bronze medal from the system for granting awards described in Article 14, given that it is considered less representative with respect to the silver and gold medals and, moreover, is granted infrequently within the current system,

CONSIDERING the proposal to review the score sheets in annexes 3.1; 3.2; 3.3,

RECOMMENDS proposing new score sheets (Annexes 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3), whose benefits could be summarised as follows:

Easier for international tasters to understand,
More suitable for digital instruments,
Simpler, for increased soundness of results, particularly for competitions with a high number of samples,

CONSIDERING the proposal to adapt the actual Annex 3.4 according to the new score sheet proposed and therefore to redefine the definitions of each descriptor listed in the score sheets,

DECIDES to replace the OIV Standard for International Wine and Spiritous Beverages of Vitinicultural Origin Competitions OIV/CONCOURS 332A/2009, with the following guidelines:

DECIDES that these guidelines shall apply at the latest one year after their adoption, allowing a transitory period for the adaptation of the competition rules.

OIV GUIDELINES FOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS OF WINE, SPIRITUOUS BEVERAGES OF VITIVINICULTURAL ORIGIN AND MISTELLES

Article 1: DEFINITION AND OBJECTIVES

The present guidelines provide that “competitions” refer to competitions with previously registered wine or spirituous beverages of vitivinicultural origin which are eligible to be granted an award based on quality. The quality is evaluated by a qualified jury and the competition is carried out in strict compliance to the provisions set out in the present guidelines.

The objective of the international competition shall be:

To promote knowledge of wines and spirituous beverages of vitivinicultural of outstanding quality,
To encourage their production and responsible consumption as an active part of civilisation,
To make known and present to the public characteristic types of wine and spirituous beverages of vitivinicultural origin, produced in various countries,
To improve the technical and scientific level of producers,
To contribute to the expansion of their production,

Article 2: FIELD OF APPLICATION / PRODUCTS ELIGIBLE TO COMPETE

The competition is open, without discrimination, to all wines and vitivinicultural spirituous beverages, in accordance with the definitions of the “International Code of Oenological Practices” of the OIV. All products must have an indication of the country of origin and of the place where grapes were harvested and where the spirituous beverages of vitivinicultural origin were made. All these products must be destined for sale and must be from a homogeneous batch of at least 1000 litres. On an exceptional basis, a reduced volume, of at least 100 litres, may be admitted upon justification of a particularly low production. All samples must be presented with labels and commercial presentation. If the product was packaged specifically for the competition, the sample shall be accompanied by explanatory documents justifying the status.

Article 3: REGISTRATION PROCEDURE

The registration form for each sample must include:

The complete and exact identification of the participant who has the right to market or distribute the batch corresponding to the samples
The exact designation of the product, in accordance with the regulations of the country of origin, the colour as concerns wines, and if possible, the vintage and indication of age and any possible contact with wood
The category of the product, in accordance with Annex 1, (CLASSIFICATION OF SAMPLES IN DIFFERENT CATEGORIES), sub-groups may be further divided or regrouped, at the discretion of the organiser,
The analysis certificates, in conformity with Annex II, carried out by an accredited laboratory of by a competent laboratory in conformity with the laws of the country or certified by an oenologist ^[1] in charge of the wine cellar,
Grape variety (ies) and their percentage in wine and, if necessary, in spirituous beverages of vitivinicultural origin,
The quantity of the sample available.

Article 4: TESTING AND STORAGE OF SAMPLES RECEIVED

4.1. The organiser shall verify the receipt of samples with the registration form and the official documents accompanying them. Attention shall be paid to the correct use of appellations of origin and geographic indications. Samples which do not respond with the provisions of the present guidelines shall be rejected.

4.2. Samples must be stored in a secure place under temperature and atmospheric conditions guaranteeing preservation.

Article 5: CLASSIFICATION AND ORGANISATION OF SAMPLES PRESENTED

After testing, based on the registration documents and analysis certificates, subject to the accuracy of the registration in each category, the samples shall generally be presented to the jury, in each category, in the order of vintages whilst taking into account the contents of sugars and, where relevant, according to the wooded or unwooded characteristics.

Article 6: DESIGNATION OF JURORS

6.1. The organiser responsible for the competition shall designate the jurors. The organiser may ask the OIV to suggest names of experts with experience in sensory analysis from different countries.

6.2. The samples shall be evaluated by international juries, whose numbers shall be set according to the nature of wine and spirituous beverages of vitivinicultural origin presented at the competition.

6.3. In a jury, it is appropriate to respect a geographic dispersion in the origin of the jurors as great as possible. Within the same jury, the absolute majority of the jurors must not come from a single country. It is recommended that one of the jurors represents a consumer country of the samples presented.

6.4. Juries must be composed of at least 5 persons. The recommended number is 7. In all cases, national representatives should not constitute more than half of each jury.

For each jury, at least one oenologist ^[2] must be present.

Concerning the tasting of spirituous beverages, it is highly recommended to include in each jury a qualified person, such as distillers for example or tasters with a strong knowledge and experience in the spirituous beverages production or tasting.

All the jurors shall have tasting technique skills, and it is recommended that the majority of jurors are oenologists or persons with an equivalent education in the field of wine or spirituous beverages of vitivinicultural origin. Persons having demonstrated a high qualification for tasting in the field of wine and spirituous beverages of vitivinicultural origin may complete the jury. The organiser must ensure that they have relevant elements or information about jurors in order to prove that his choices comply with the obligations or recommendations listed there above (points 3 and 4).

6.5. The juries shall function under the authority of a President.

It is recommended that the oenologist or person with equivalent education is the president of the jury. One single resident may likewise be envisaged. The President shall ensure, in liaison with the organiser, the general functioning of the jury, in accordance with article 10.

6.6. The jurors shall be designated "intuitu personae". Therefore, they may only be replaced by the authority which designated them. The organiser must take care that a juror does not participate in a jury if he/she has a commercial relationship in relation to one of the samples presented.

Likewise, a juror must not be invited to participate according to his/her contribution in terms of samples but based on his/her skills.

Article 7: DUTIES AND RESPONSABILITIES OF THE ORGANISER

The organiser of the competition shall be solely responsible for the material running of the competition and its inherent risks. He/she may be assisted in his/her duties by a legal expert.

The organiser shall ensure correct preparations, examination of samples and communication of the results as well as to ensure that the jurors evaluate the samples. The organiser shall:

Control and enforce the absolute anonymity of samples submitted to the jurors as well as the secrecy of the results until the closure of the competition,
Test the organisation of the tasting for which it has responsibility before the constitution of the juries. Notably the organiser shall verify and is responsible for all elements listed thereafter from article 9 to article 13,
Test the running of the secretariat responsible for the examination of the results; distribution and collection of score sheets, verification of identification of samples, calculations, posting of the results,
Provide an information session beforehand to all jurors on the use of the digital or paper score sheet and its descriptors, correctly illustrated by one or two practical examples,
Ensure that any comments from the tasting which may be published or mentioned are the result of tasting during the competition,
Allow a second tasting of a sample, notably when:
The majority of jurors or the president of the jury request it,
And each time the President of jury deems it useful, to allow on an exceptional basis, a tasting by another jury.

Article 8: GENERAL FUNCTIONING OF THE JURIES

8.1. Discipline

Absolute anonymity shall be a fundamental principle of competitions, consequently:

8.1.1. The jurors shall remain silent and make no gestures or facial expressions indicative of their impressions during the tasting and rating.

8.1.2. Before each sample shall be served, a data sheet of samples presented and corresponding score sheets shall be placed at the disposal of the jurors. Technical indications related to samples shall be indicated on the score sheet. The name of the juror or his/her identification and his/her signature shall be included on the digital or paper score sheets. For computerised competitions, a data sheet of the samples with the jury’s average score must be provided to the President of the jury every day for control purposes and signature.

8.1.3. The president shall sign the sheets for authentication and verify the correct entry of data for electronic score sheets in case of computer entries. In case of evaluation on paper sheets, the personnel collecting the sheets shall ensure that score sheets are correctly completed.

8.1.4. Duplicates of score sheets shall not be left with the jurors.

8.1.5 The organiser shall provide jurors with a consolidated list with the geographic origin and, whenever possible, grape varieties of each sample, at the end of the daily tasting sessions.

8.2. Jury functioning

Once the jury is formed, the jurors shall meet for a preliminary explanatory meeting and for a group tasting of one or two samples. Comparisons of results shall be made between different jurors. Special attention shall be paid to score sheet instructions and to the significance of descriptors.

8.2.1. The jury or juries shall be seated in an isolated, quiet, well-lit, well-ventilated, odour-free room. Access shall be in principle prohibited to all persons who are not essential to the organisation of the tasting.

Smoking or vaping shall be forbidden. In addition, the juries must avoid using perfumes, which may disturb the sessions. Mobile phones must be turned off or in silent mode if used with a specific application for the competition. No phone calls shall be made or accepted during the tasting sessions.

Ambient temperature must be maintained, to the extent possible, between 20 and 24 °C.

8.2.2. A second adjacent room, outside the jurors' view, shall be reserved for opening bottles and for concealing all signs enabling the sample to be identified.

This room shall not be accessible to jurors.

Smoking or vaping is forbidden. Strict discipline and silence shall be observed.

8.2.3. In all cases, the bottles shall be 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. When necessary, the original stoppers shall be replaced by an anonymous closing system; in addition, the jurors must never know the identity of the samples presented.

The number of the service on the packaging must be different from the registration number. The expert commissioner of the OIV shall control and validate the manner by which the anonymity of the sample is guaranteed.

After controlling the service number and with the agreement of the President of the Jury, the glasses shall be filled in the tasting room in front of each juror.

8.2.4. Each juror shall receive a permanent number. The juror shall be provided with a seat and a designated table with a white surface bearing his/her number and with:

A carafe of cold water
Pieces of bread
Paper towels or handkerchiefs
Discard receptacle.

8.2.5. Each sample must be presented in a quality and appropriate clean glass corresponding to the beverage category, or at least in the standardised international type (ISO 3591: 1977). The change of glass is to be left to the discretion of each jury throughout the series to be tasted.

Clean glasses must be made available if necessary.

8.2.6. The tasting sessions shall preferably take place in the morning. Each juror shall taste at the rate of no more than 45 samples per day, without counting the training wines or calibration samples and without prejudice to possible tastings asked again by the President of the Jury, when a defect is revealed in the first bottle.

Except for the categories of sweet wines with residual sugar derived from grapes non fortified, mistelles, liquor wine, and wines obtained under a veil of flor yeast (NS-Mi-L-Y in Annex I), these 45 samples shall be tasted in three sessions of approximately 15 samples.

If these levels are exceeded and within the limit of 50 samples per day, detailed information has to be explicitly mentioned in the rules of the competition.

In case of sessions with multiple wine categories, the rule is as follows:

In two sessions of approximately 15 samples of wines of several different categories (Annex I), apart from the categories NS-Mi-L-Y, to which may be added a session of approximately 10 samples of the categories NS-Mi-L-Y; all three sessions in the morning or two sessions in the morning and one in the afternoon.

The order of presentation of the samples according to article 10 herein must be respected.

If these levels are exceeded, and within the limit of 45 samples per day, detailed information should be explicitly mentioned in the specific competition rules.

For competitions focusing on wines in the categories NS-Mi-L-Y, samples shall be tested in 3 sessions of approximately 12 samples each, not exceeding 40 in one day, this information should be explicitly mentioned in the specific competition rules.

For spirituous beverages of vitivinicultural origin, the evaluation shall be done at the rate of no more than 30 samples per day, in five sessions of approximately 6 samples each. In the case of going over these levels and within the limit of 35 samples per day, detailed information must be explicitly mentioned in the competition rules.

An exception that allows to have sequential tasting of wines and spirituous beverages, detailed in article 10.3 is accepted.

8.3. Presentation of wine and spirituous beverages of vitivinicultural origin.

Each product shall be tasted individually and not in comparison.

8.4. Breaks

There shall be a 15-minute minimum break between each session, in a separate room, during which the organiser shall ensure that the jurors have beverages and food available which shall not interfere in pursuing the evaluation. Hands shall be washed before re-entering the tasting room.

Article 9: ORDER OF PRESENTATION OF SAMPLES AND TEMPERATURE

9.1. The objective of categorising wine and spirituous beverages of vitivinicultural origin is essentially to present homogenous, successive series of samples based on the following categories and criteria: geographic provenance, vine varieties, vintage, sugar contents, wooded or unwooded characteristics. These series must be reviewed in a rational order.

9.1.1. The samples shall be tasted by jurors during sessions in the following order:

Sparkling whites
Still whites
White wine with maceration ^[3]
Sparkling rosés
Still rosés
Sparkling reds
Still reds
Sweet wines with residual sugar derived from grapes - non-fortified (ice wines, botrytised wines, straw wines)
Mistelles
Liqueur wines (fortified)
Wines obtained under a veil of flor yeasts (unfortified and fortified)
Beverage obtained by partial dealcoholisation of wine for which the alcoholic strength by volume must be between 0.5% vol. and the applicable minimum alcoholic strength of the wine or special wine by volume.
Beverage obtained by dealcoholisation of wine for which the alcoholic strength by volume must be less than 0.5% vol.

9.1.2 Spirituous beverages of vitivinicultural origin shall be tasted in the following order:

Wine spirits,
Brandy/Weinbrand
Grape spirits,
Raisin spirits,
Grape marc spirits,
Wine lees spirits

9.2. The organiser shall ensure the dispatching of the samples between the juries.

9.3. Considering the different nature of the products and the differences in alcohol content, wines and spirituous beverages shall not be tasted in the same series as indicated in article 8.2.6.

As an exception, when only a small number of samples of spirituous beverages are present in a certain category, which does not allow to compose a complete series, these samples may be positioned after a small series of wines.

9.4. Before each first tasting session, a product must be presented to the jurors as a "warm-up" sample. This " warm-up " tasting will take place under the same conditions as per the tasting. The product will preferably be of the same type as the forecasted series. The tasting and the scoring of this " warm-up" sample must be discussed together within the jury.

9.5. Best efforts need to be done in order that the wine and spirituous beverages of vitiviniculture origin are tasted by the jurors at the following temperatures:

White and rosé wines: 10/12 °C
Red wines: 15/18 °C
Sparkling wines: 8/10 °C
Naturally sweet wine, ice wine, liqueur wine and mistelles: 10/14 °C
Spirituous beverages of vitivinicultural origin: 12/16 °C

It is essential that all products of the same type within the same session, shall all be tasted at the same temperature.

Article 10: DESCRIPTION OF THE SCORE SHEET (see Annexes 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3)

It is strongly recommended to use digital tools for the tasting evaluation. Paper score sheets should be used only in case of malfunctioning of the digital equipment or upon prior information to the OIV before the start of the competition.

Each expert shall have a digital application, which may be used via their smartphone or tablet, where they can access the digitalised score sheet corresponding to the sample to be tasted, and the definitions of descriptors used. The list of descriptor definitions must be provided in a separate document, possibly translated into the different languages of the OIV, if a digital application is not used or does not contain the descriptor definitions.

Digital or paper score sheets shall be drawn up in languages susceptible of being understood by the jurors.

A space shall be reserved for possible observations concerning each organoleptic characteristic.

Each digital or paper score sheet must likewise include the jury number.

The operating procedure of the score sheet describing the detailed organoleptic characteristics must be addressed to the jurors (Annex 3.1 to 3.3). The objective shall be to ensure an identical understanding of terms used by all the jurors.

10.1. Wine score sheet:

For tasting still wines, the OIV-UIOE sheet model used shall be in accordance with the sheet included in (Annex 3.1).

For tasting sparkling and semi-sparkling wines, the OIV-UIOE sheet model used shall be in accordance with the sheet included in (Annex 3.2).

10.2. Score sheet for spirituous beverages of vitivinicultural origin:

The OIV-UIOE sheet model used for tasting spirituous beverages of vitivinicultural origin is in accordance with the sheet included in (Annex 3.3).

Article 11: ROLE OF JURORS

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

The juror shall give their evaluation of each sample using the paper or digitalised OIV score sheet. The juror shall give a value for each descriptor. Exchanges or conversations between members of the jury are not permitted when tasting and evaluating the samples. Once the tasting is completed, the juror shall confirm the evaluation, always by using the digital application, insofar as the competition is computerised, or by signing a paper score sheet when the digital application is not available. After the confirmation of the sample evaluation, exchanges among jurors are allowed.

Article 12: TRANSCRIPTION AND CALCULATION OF RESULTS

The secretariat shall verify that the sheet is completely filled out and carry out or check the total score allotted by the juror.

When a wine or a spirituous beverage of vitivinicultural origin is marked « eliminated » due to a major defect by at least two jurors, the sample shall, under no circumstances receive an award by this jury.

Each sample shall be rated based on the average of the scores resulting from the calculation of appraisals from each of the jurors. It is recommended to eliminate figures which differ by more or less than seven points ranging from the average rating. The jurors must be informed beforehand of the choice of method to be used.

If the President of the jury deems useful, he/she may ask the director of the competition for a second tasting of the sample by another jury. In the case in which the director of the competition responds to this request, only the score of the second jury shall be taken into account.

Article 13: GRANTING AWARDS

The sum of all the medals awarded to the samples must not exceed 30 % of the total of samples presented at the competition. If this percentage is exceeded, the samples that obtained the lowest score are eliminated.

The samples having obtained a determined number of points for a tasting shall be classified according to the following award level categories:

Grand gold – at least 93 points
Gold – at least 89 points
Silver – at least 85 points

Subject to informing the producers beforehand in the regulations for each competition:

The awards may be divided into groups particularly for wine for example, in accordance with sugar content (for example more than 45 g/l), content of CO₂, colour and vintage. In this case, the sum of the awards in each group must not exceed 30 % of the total of samples presented in each group,
The award winner may be limited to a single winner and for each award level. In this case, the winners will be ranked solely in accordance with their level. In the event of overrunning 30 %, the samples having received the lowest scores are not taken into account.

The organiser shall have the possibility to limit the type of award and in so far as the sample received at least 80 points, within the same limit of 30 %, to grant other types of awards. Within the same limit of 30 % of awards, the organiser may likewise provide supplementary awards particularly by country, by grape variety, vintage, or vinification type or by wine maturing in barrels, provided that this does not cause confusion with regard to awards cited in the first paragraph.

Article 14: DOCUMENTATION OF AWARDS

Awards granted are necessarily accompanied by documentary proof, or a “diploma”, established by the body, which has been appointed as being responsible for the competition. This diploma must indicate the exact designation of the sample which received the award and the exact identification of the corresponding producer or merchant. In no case, should another certificate or diploma of participation be granted. The organiser must withdraw all awards granted if it is demonstrated that the labelling does not conform to the laws of the country of origin or unfair use or in the event of illegal handling.

Awards obtained may be represented in the form of a label, as a sign of an award or in the form of a back or neck label, duly authorised and quantified by the organiser to enable the organiser to identify all relevant data.

If the award is in the form of a medal, the medals must indicate the year of the competition. The number of medals granted shall be strictly limited to the declared available number at the time of registration for the wine or spirituous beverage of vitivinicultural origin competition.

In order to ensure traceability of granting awards, the organisers shall keep all the relevant documents with regard to sample registration, score sheets, in addition to an exemplar of the samples which received awards, for at least one year after the competition was held:

Annex I

CLASSIFICATION OF SAMPLES IN DIFFERENT CATEGORIES

		Category and sub-category description	Category code
		STILL WINES
		STILL WHITE WINES OF NON-AROMATIC GRAPE VARIETIES (Wines with carbon dioxide overpressure under 0.5 bar at 20 °C.)	W
		White wines containing not more than 4 g/L of sugar (Dry)	W-1
		White wines containing between 4.1 g/L to 12 g/L of sugar (Medium-dry)	W-2
		White wines containing between 12.1 g/L to 45 g/L of sugar (Semi-sweet)	W-3
		White wines containing more than 45 g/L of sugar (Sweet)	W-4
		STILL WHITE WINES OF AROMATIC GRAPE VARIETIES (Wines with carbon dioxide overpressure under 0.5 bar at 20 °C.)	WAr
		White wines containing not more than 4 g/L of sugar (Dry)	WAr-1
		White wines containing between 4.1 g/L to 12 g/L of sugar (Medium-dry)	WAr-2
		White wines containing between 12.1 g/L to 45 g/L of sugar (Semi-sweet)	WAr-3
		White wines containing more than 45 g/L of sugar (Sweet)	WAr-4
		STILL WHITE WINES OBTAINED WITH MACERATION (ORANGE WINES) (Wines with carbon dioxide overpressure under 0.5 bar at 20 °C.)	O
		White wines with maceration containing not more than 4 g/L of sugar (Dry)	O-1
		White wines with maceration containing between 4.1 g/L to 12 g/L of sugar (Medium-dry)	O-2
		White wines with maceration containing between 12.1 g/L to 45 g/L of sugar (Semi-sweet)	O-3
		White wines with maceration containing more than 45 g/L of sugar (Sweet)	O-4
		STILL ROSÉ WINES (Wines with carbon dioxide overpressure under 0.5 bar at 20 °C.)	Ro
		Rosé wines containing not more than 4 g/L of sugar (Dry)	Ro-1
		Rosé wines containing between 4.1 g/L to 12 g/L of sugar (Medium-dry)	Ro-2
		Rosé wines containing between 12.1 g/L to 45 g/L of sugar (Semi-sweet)	Ro-3
		Rosé wines containing more than 45 g/L of sugar (Sweet)	Ro-4
		STILL RED WINES (Wines with carbon dioxide overpressure under 0.5 bar at 20 °C.)	R
		Red wines containing not more than 4 g/L of sugar (Dry)	R-1
		Red wines containing between 4.1 g/L to 12 g/L of sugar (Medium-dry)	R-2
		Red wines containing between 12.1 g/L to 45 g/L of sugar (Semi-sweet)	R-3
		Red wines containing more than 45 g/L of sugar (Sweet)	R-4

		EFFERVESCENT WINES
		SEMI-SPARKLING WINES (Wines with carbon dioxide overpressure from 0.5 to 2.5 bar at 20°C, exclusively from fermentation) (Ex. frizzante, petillant…)
		WHITE WINES AND BLANC DE NOIRS	sSW
		Semi-sparkling white wines containing not more than 4 g/L of sugar	sSW-1
		Semi-sparkling white wines containing more than 4 g/L of sugar	sSW-2
		ROSÉ WINES	sSRo
		Semi-sparkling rosé wines containing not more than 4 g/L of sugar	sSRo-1
		Semi-sparkling rosé wines containing more than 4 g/L of sugar	sSRo-2
		RED WINES	sSR
		Semi-sparkling red wines containing not more than 4 g/L of sugar	sSR-1
		Semi-sparkling red wines containing more than 4 g/L of sugar	sSR-2
		SPARKLING WINES (Wines with carbon dioxide overpressure above 2.5 bar^[4] at 20°C, exclusively from fermentation)
		SPARKLING WHITE WINES AND BLANC DE NOIRS	SW
		Sparkling white wines containing not more than 12 g/L of sugar with a tolerance of +3 g/L	SW-1
		Traditional method	SW-1tr
		Tank method	SW-1ta
		Sparkling white wines containing between 12.1 g/L to 32 g/L of sugar with a tolerance of +3 g/L	SW-2
		Traditional method	SW-2tr
		Tank method	SW-2ta
		Sparkling white wines containing between 32.1 g/L to 50 g/L of sugar	SW-3
		Traditional method	SW-3tr
		Tank method	SW-3ta
		Sparkling white wines containing more than 50 g/L of sugar	SW-4
		Traditional method	SW-4tr
		Tank method	SW-4ta
		SPARKLING ROSÉ WINES	SRo
		Sparkling rosé wines containing not more than 12 g/L of sugar with a tolerance of +3 g/L	SRo-1
		Traditional method	SRo-1tr
		Tank method	SRo-1ta
		Sparkling rosé wines containing between 12.1 g/L to 32 g/L of sugar with a tolerance of +3 g/L	SRo-2
		Traditional method	SRo-2tr
		Tank method	SRo-2ta
		Sparkling rosé wines containing between 32.1 g/L to 50 g/L of sugar	SRo-3
		Traditional method	SRo-3tr
		Tank method	SRo-3ta
		Sparkling rosé wines containing more than 50 g/L of sugar	SRo-4
		Traditional method	SRo-4tr
		Tank method	SRo-4ta
		SPARKLING RED WINES	SR
		Sparkling red wines containing not more than 12 g/L of sugar with a tolerance of +3 g/L	SR-1
		Traditional method	SR-1tr
		Tank method	SR-1ta
		Sparkling red wines containing between 12.1 g/L to 32 g/L of sugar with a tolerance of +3 g/L	SR-2
		Traditional method	SR-2tr
		Tank method	SR-2ta
		Sparkling red wines containing between 32.1 g/L to 50 g/L of sugar	SR-3
		Traditional method	SR-3tr
		Tank method	SR-3ta
		Sparkling red wines containing more than 50 g/L of sugar	SR-4
		Traditional method	SR-4tr
		Tank method	SR-4ta
		SEMI-SPARKLING WINES or CARBONATED SEMI-SPARKLING WINES (Wines with carbon dioxide overpressure from 0.5 to 2.5 bar at 20°C, partially or totally exogenous)
		SEMI-SPARKLING WHITE WINES	PW
		Semi-sparkling white wines containing not more than 4 g/L of sugar	PW-1
		Semi-sparkling white wines containing more than 4 g/L of sugar	PW-2
		SEMI-SPARKLING ROSÉ WINES	PRo
		Semi-sparkling rosé wines containing not more than 4 g/L of sugar	PRo-1
		Semi-sparkling rosé wines containing more than 4 g/L of sugar	PRo-2
		SEMI-SPARKLING RED WINES	PR
		Semi-sparkling red wines containing not more than 4 g/L of sugar	PR-1
		Semi-sparkling red wines containing more than 4 g/L of sugar	PR-2

		OTHER WINES (Special technologies)
		Sweet wines with residual sugar derived from grapes non fortified (e.g. ice wine, botrytized wine, straw wine, and similar styles)	NS
		Naturally sweet wines from non-aromatic grape varieties	NS-1
		Naturally sweet wines from aromatic grape varieties	NS-2
		MISTELLES (issued from grape must fortified before fermentation)	Mi
		LIQUEUR WINE (Wines with or without an added alcoholic part)	L
		Liqueur wines with an alcoholic content between 15% to 18%
		Liqueur wines under 18% alcoholic strength containing not more than 6 g/L of sugar	LL-1
		Liqueur wines under 18% alcoholic strength containing between 6.1 to 40 g/L of sugar	LL-2
		Liqueur wines under 18% alcoholic strength containing between 40.1 to 80 g/L of sugar	LL-3
		Liqueur wines under 18% alcoholic strength containing more than 80 g/L of sugar	LL-4
		Liqueur wines with an alcoholic content between 18%-22%
		Liqueur wines over 18% alcoholic strength containing not more than 6 g/L of sugar	LH-1
		Liqueur wines over 18% alcoholic strength containing between 6.1 to 40 g/L of sugar	LH-2
		Liqueur wines over 18% alcoholic strength containing between 40.1 to 80 g/L of sugar	LH-3
		Liqueur wines over 18% alcoholic strength containing more than 80 g/L of sugar	LH-4
		WINES OBTAINED UNDER A VEIL OF FLOR YEAST	Y
		Wines under a film of yeast with alcoholic content not more than 15%
		Wines under a veil of yeast under 15% alcoholic strength containing not more than 4 g/L of sugar	YL-1
		Wines under a veil of yeast under 15% alcoholic strength containing from 4.1 to 20 g/L of sugar	YL-2
		Wines under a veil of yeast under 15% alcoholic strength containing more than 20 g/L of sugar	YL-3
		Wines under a film of yeast with alcoholic content over 15%
		Wines under a veil of yeast over 15% alcoholic strength containing not more than 4 g/L of sugar	YH-1
		Wines under a veil of yeast over 15% alcoholic strength containing from 4.1 to 20 g/L of sugar	YH-2
		Wines under a veil of yeast over 15% alcoholic strength containing more than 20 g/L of sugar	YH-3
		WINES WITH AN ALCOHOL CONTENT MODIFIED BY DEALCOHOLISATION	D
		Wines with lower alcohol content modified by dealcoholisation of at least 8.5% alcohol	D-1

		SPIRITUOUS BEVERAGES OF VITIVINICULTURAL ORIGIN	SB
		Wine spirits	SB-1
		Brandy/Weinbrand	SB-2
		Grape spirits	SB-3
		Raisin spirits	SB-4
		Grape marc spirits	SB-5
		Wine lees spirits	SB-6

		BEVERAGE OBTAINED BY PARTIAL DEALCOHOLISATION OF WINE Alcohol > 0,5 % vol	BEV1
		Beverages with lower alcohol content modified by dealcoholisation with less than 8.5% alcohol	BEV1-8.5
		Beverages with lower alcohol content modified by dealcoholisation with less than 4.0% alcohol	BEV1-4.0
		BEVERAGE OBTAINED BY DEALCOHOLISATION OF WINE Alcohol < 0,5 % vol	BEV2

Categories could be combined in a larger category in accordance with the decision of the wine competition organiser, justified by the low number of samples in some categories or to the policy of the wine competition organiser to favour and support some types of wines to obtain more medals. The categories for which 30% of medals will be awarded should be communicated in advance to the observers of the wine competition, any time before the evaluation starts but not after. In case specific categories are not communicated in advance it is implied that the categories in Annex I will be respected as they are.

Depending on the categories, corresponding score sheets shall be used.

For the sub-categories listed under the category of still wines (W, WAr, O, Ro, R), the score sheet for still wines (Annex 3.1) shall be used.
For the sub-categories listed below the categories of semi-sparkling wines, sparkling wines, semi-sparkling wines or carbonated semi-sparkling wines (sSW, sSRo, sSR, SW, SRo, SR, PW, PRo, PR), the score sheet for sparkling wines (Annex 3.2) shall be used.
For the sub-categories listed under the category of other wines (NS, Mi, L, Y, D), the score sheet for still wines (Annex 3.1) shall be used.
For the samples listed below spiritous beverages of vitivinicultural origine (SB), the score sheet for spiritous beverages (Annex 3.3) shall be used.
For the partial de-alcoholised wine (BEV1), and the de-alcoholised wine (BEV2), in case of carbon dioxide overpressure under 0.5 bar at 20 °C the score sheet for still wines (Annex 3.1) shall be used, while in case of carbon dioxide overpressure equal or above 0.5 bar at 20 °C the score sheet for sparkling wines (Annex 3.2) shall be used.

Annex II

ANALYSIS CERTIFICATE OF WINE

Samples must be accompanied by an analysis certificate drawn up by an accredited laboratory of by a competent laboratory in conformity with the laws of the country or certified by an oenologist ^[5] in charge of the wine cellar with, at least, the hereinafter specifications:

Alcoholic strength by volume at 20 degrees Centigrade vol. %
Sugar (glucose + fructose) g/L
Total acidity meq/L
Volatile acidity meq/L
Sulphur dioxide (SO2) total mg/L
Sulphur dioxide () free mg/L
Concerning sparkling and semi-sparkling wine:

Pressure in the bottle(bars) hPa

The methods of analysis used are provided in the Compendium of International Methods of Analysis and Appraisal of Wine and Musts.

ANALYSIS CERTIFICATES OF SPIRITUOUS BEVERAGES OF VITIVINICULTURAL ORIGIN

Samples must be accompanied by an analysis certificate drawn up by an accredited laboratory of a competent laboratory in conformity with the laws of the country or certified by an oenologist in charge of the wine cellar and with, at least, the hereinafter specifications:

Alcohol strength by volume at 20 degrees C. % vol.
Sugars g/L
Content of volatile substances g/hL of alcohol for 100 % vol.
Content of methanol g/hL of alcohol for 100 % vol.

The methods of analysis used are posted in the Compendium of Methods of Analysis of Spirituous Beverages of Vitivinicultural Origin.

Annex 3.1

	SCORE SHEET			STILL WINES
Jury		N°	Sample	N°	Category	N°

		EXCELLENT POOR
VISUAL ASPECT	Limpidity	5		3			1
	Colour & nuances	5	4		3	2		1
SMELL	Purity	10	9		8	7		6
	Olfactory intensity	10	9		8	7		6
	Olfactory Complexity	10	9		8	7		6
TASTE	Purity	10	9		8	7		6
	Intensity of flavours	10	9		8	7		6
	Structure & Complexity	10	9		8	7		6
	Persistence	10	9		8	7		6
OVERALL IMPRESSION	Balance & harmony	10	9		8	7		6
	General appreciation	10	9		8	7		6
TOTAL :
DEFECT :

Signature of juror Signature of President of the jury

DEFINITION OF DESCRIPTORS FOR STILL WINES

Visual aspect

Sensory impressions perceived when the wine is exposed to visible light rays

Limpidity

This descriptor allows the taster to evaluate the cloudiness of a wine. For this descriptor, complete absence of haze is equivalent to a full rating for this descriptor.

Colour & Nuances

This descriptor allows the taster to evaluate the main colour of the product and its nuances (secondary colours).

Smell

Sensations perceived by the olfactory organ when stimulated by certain volatile substances

Purity

This descriptor allows the taster to evaluate the cleanliness of a wine. By penalizing this descriptor, the taster is able to identify viticultural - or oenological – storage or manipulation-based defects, perceived by the nose. Complete absence of defects is equivalent to a full rating for this descriptor.

Olfactory Intensity

This descriptor allows the taster to evaluate the positive spectrum of properties and characteristics of a wine, taking into account the aromas perceived and their intensity.

Olfactory Complexity -

This descriptor allows the taster to evaluate the diversity and richness of the aromatic palette by perceiving the combination of several different and changing aromas, associated with the development, concentration, finesse and elegance of odours.

Taste

Full spectrum of sensations perceived in the mouth by the gustatory and olfactory systems when stimulated by the wine

Purity

This descriptor allows the taster to evaluate the cleanliness of a wine. By penalizing this descriptor, the taster is able to identify viticultural, oenological, storage or manipulation-based defects, perceived by the taste. For this descriptor, complete absence of defects is equal with a full rating.

Intensity of flavours

This descriptor allows the taster to evaluate the positive spectrum of wine’s properties and characteristics, taking into account the flavours perceived and their intensity, especially their first impact on the palate when the taster has just tasted the wine.

Structure & complexity

This descriptor “structure” allows the taster to assess the structure elements of a wine (sugars, acidity, alcohol, tannins, fruit concentration, oak influence…) associated with its balance and quality potential.

This descriptor “complexity" allows the taster to evaluate the diversity and richness of the aromatic palette by perceiving the combination of several different and changing aromas, associated with the concentration, finesse or elegance of flavours. In this case, the taster evaluates the evolution of the wine on the palate.

Persistence

This descriptor allows the taster to evaluate the length of a positive residual gustatory sensation perceived once the wine has left the mouth.

Overall impression

Balance and harmony of the wine sample presented and general appreciation

Balance & Harmony

This descriptor allows the taster to evaluate the overall sensation perceived on the nose and in the mouth integrating smells, flavours and the balance of the overall elements. In terms of harmony, the taster evaluates the synergy between the smells perceived on the nose and the flavours perceived at the moment of tasting.

General appreciation

This descriptor allows the taster to assess the overall quality of a wine, taking into consideration the pleasantness perceived, the positive quality and the product’s authenticity or distinctiveness.

Annex 3.2

SCORE SHEET

SPARKLING WINES

Jury

N°

Sample

N°

DEFINITION OF DESCRIPTORS FOR SPARKLING WINES

Visual aspect

Sensory impressions perceived when the wine is exposed to visible light rays

Limpidity

This descriptor allows the taster to evaluate the brightness and clarity of the wine. For this descriptor, complete absence of haze is equivalent to a full rating for this descriptor.

Colour & Nuances

This descriptor allows the taster to evaluate the main colour of the product and its nuances (secondary colours).

Effervescence

This descriptor allows the taster to evaluate the finesse (size) of bubbles and their abundance (quantity of the bubble crown).

To visual appreciation, the foam collar is evaluated, that being the foam which forms on the surface of the wine. A positive evaluation is a foam collar made up of 3-4 levels of bubbles. The bubbles must be fine, small and the foam collar must be formed for a long time.

Smell

Sensations perceived by the olfactory organ when stimulated by certain volatile substances

Purity

This descriptor allows the taster to evaluate the cleanness of a wine. By penalizing this descriptor, the taster is able to identify viticultural - or oenological - based defects, perceived by the nose. Complete absence of defects is equivalent to a full rating for this descriptor.

Olfactory Intensity

This descriptor allows the taster to evaluate the positive spectrum of properties and characteristics of a wine, taking into account the aromas perceived and their intensity.

Olfactory Complexity -

Taste

Full spectrum of sensations perceived in the mouth by the gustatory and olfactory systems when stimulated by the sparkling wine

Effervescence

This descriptor allows the taster to evaluate the persistence of bubbles (length of time bubbles are perceived and total integration of carbon dioxide into wine).

Fine bubbles, regular and persistent are evaluated positively.

On the contrary, large bubbles, aggressive, irregular and not very persistent are evaluated negatively.

Purity

This descriptor allows the taster to evaluate the cleanness of a wine. By penalizing this descriptor, the taster is able to identify viticultural- or oenological - based defects, perceived by the taste. For this descriptor, complete absence of defects is equal with a full rating.

Intensity of flavours

Complexity & persistence

This descriptor “complexity” allows the taster to evaluate the diversity and richness of the aromatic palette by perceiving the combination of several different and changing aromas, associated with the concentration, finesse or elegance of flavours. In this case, the taster evaluates the evolution of the wine on the palate.

This descriptor “persistence” allows the taster to evaluate the length of a positive residual gustatory sensation perceived once the wine has left the mouth.

Overall impression

Balance and harmony of the sparkling wine sample presented and general appreciation.

Balance & Harmony

General appreciation

This descriptor allows the taster to assess the overall quality of a wine, taking into consideration the pleasantness perceived, the positive individuality and the product’s authenticity or distinctiveness

Annex 3.3

SCORE SHEET

SPIRITUOUS BEVERAGES OF VITIVINICULTURAL ORIGIN

Jury

N°

Sample

N°

DEFINITION OF DESCRIPTORS FOR SPIRITUOUS BEVERAGES

Visual aspect

Sensory impressions perceived when the spirituous beverage is exposed to visible light rays

Limpidity

This descriptor allows the taster to evaluate the cloudiness of a spirituous beverage. For this descriptor, complete absence of haze is equivalent to a full rating for this descriptor.

Colour & Viscosity

This descriptor allows the taster to evaluate the main colour of the product and its capacity to adhere to the glass. In case of a white spirit only the viscosity will be evaluated.

Smell

Sensations perceived by the olfactory organ when stimulated by certain volatile substances

Purity

This descriptor allows the taster to evaluate the cleanness of a spirituous beverage. By penalizing this descriptor, the taster is able to identify technical based defects, perceived by the nose. Complete absence of defects is equivalent to a full rating for this descriptor.

Olfactory Intensity

This descriptor allows the taster to evaluate the positive spectrum of properties and characteristics of a spirituous beverage, taking into account the aromas perceived and their intensity but also the category of the product.

Olfactory Complexity –

Taste

Full spectrum of sensations perceived in the mouth by the gustatory and olfactory systems when stimulated by the spirituous beverage

Purity

This descriptor allows the taster to evaluate the cleanness of a spiritous beverage. By penalizing this descriptor, the taster is able to identify –technical based defects, perceived by the taste. For this descriptor, complete absence of defects is equal with a full rating.

Intensity of flavours

This descriptor allows the taster to evaluate the positive spectrum of spirit’s properties and characteristics, taking into account the flavours perceived and their intensity, especially their first impact on the palate when the taster has just tasted the spirituous beverage.

Structure & complexity

This descriptor “structure” allows the taster to assess the alcohol quality which participate to the structure of the spirituous beverage and should not be too aggressive or biting. In the case of spirit aged in wood the taster will also assess the quality of the structure due to the wood.

This descriptor “complexity allows the taster to evaluate the diversity and richness of the aromatic palette by perceiving the combination of several different and changing aromas, associated with the concentration, finesse or elegance of flavours. In this case, the taster evaluates the evolution of the spirituous beverage on the palate.

Persistence

This descriptor allows the taster to evaluate the length of a positive residual gustatory sensation perceived once the spirituous beverage has left the mouth.

Overall impression

Balance and harmony of the sample presented and general appreciation

Balance & Harmony

General appreciation

This descriptor allows the taster to assess the overall quality of a spirituous beverage, taking into consideration the pleasantness perceived, the positive individuality and the product’s authenticity or distinctive.

^[1] As defined in Resolution OIV-ECO 492-2013.

^[2] As defined in the resolution OIV-ECO 492-2013

^[3] OIV-ECO 647-2020

^[4] For bottles of a capacity less than 0.25 l, the minimum excess pressure is 3 bars at 20°C.