Three Years, One Standard: The IWSC returns to Western Australia for our next Global Judging event
The IWSC is taking its international awards back to Western Australia in partnership with Margaret River Wine.
Following successful sessions in 2023 and 2024, the IWSC is returning to Margaret River, to assess the State’s wines and provide an immersive, educational experience for our panel of judges, creating a ready group of ambassadors on their return home. We will shine a light on the Western Australia’s different winegrowing regions providing opportunities for its winemakers to reach a wider global audience.
This year judging will be overseen by wine judging committee member Sarah Abbot MW. When asked about the forthcoming event Sarah answered:
The Western Australian wine scene is an exciting one, and we are looking forward to tasting wines from a diverse range of origins, grape varieties and winemaking styles. In the 2024 and 2023 competitions, alternative varieties showed great promise and we hope to see mmore of these this year. Alex Hunt MW, who led the 2024 event, observed:
We are accepting entries from across Western Australia from the GIs of Blackwood Valley, Geographe, Great Southern, Manjimup, Margaret River, Peel, Pemberton, Perth Hills and Swan District.
Sarah will be joined by our experienced panel of the judges who include Andrew Caillard MW, Vincenzo Arnese (Raffles at the OWO), Rebecca Palmer (Corney & Barrow), Joseph Arthur (Marks & Spencer), Tom Kline (Writer, Presenter and Educator), Gabrielle Poy (Prince Wine Store), Annette Lacey MW (Solotel) with more to be announced.
The majority of our judges are buyers drawn from the worlds of retail, hospitality and distribution. We believe that this offers entrants a unique and valuable opportunity as our judging panels offer real commercial benefit to entrants, who receive real world assessments from judges who are professionally involved in shaping the industry landscapes, help to create lasting partnerships [link to case studies]. The IWSC is a community, and our medals are only the beginning. Winners have access to a variety of opportunities through the IWSC marketing and PR campaigns, our consumer magazine Club Oenologique and other many other partnership opportunities.
Liz Wray co-founder of House of Cards, winner of the 2024 Western Australian Wine Producer Trophy said:
Judging will take place from 25th to 29th August and results will be announced on 1st September 2025.
Award entrants will benefit from:
Following successful sessions in 2023 and 2024, the IWSC is returning to Margaret River, to assess the State’s wines and provide an immersive, educational experience for our panel of judges, creating a ready group of ambassadors on their return home. We will shine a light on the Western Australia’s different winegrowing regions providing opportunities for its winemakers to reach a wider global audience.
This year judging will be overseen by wine judging committee member Sarah Abbot MW. When asked about the forthcoming event Sarah answered:
“It’s an exciting and important time to be judging wines in Margaret River, and to be visiting the Great Southern. The wines have been brilliant for years, with some iconic and world-famous producers. But we are now seeing growing appreciation and valuing of the unique personality and elite quality of the region.”
The Western Australian wine scene is an exciting one, and we are looking forward to tasting wines from a diverse range of origins, grape varieties and winemaking styles. In the 2024 and 2023 competitions, alternative varieties showed great promise and we hope to see mmore of these this year. Alex Hunt MW, who led the 2024 event, observed:
“I was not expecting to try a Touriga Nacional this week. Had I been expecting it, I might not have expected it to be delicious. It was, it was both here and it was lovely. That suggests that there are pockets where Mediterranean varieties could also thrive. Chenin Blanc has a much longer history in Western Australia. We've seen some good examples, some in an oakier style, some fresher and leaner and that kind of experimentation, I think, is going to be very necessary so that the diversity of wines from Western Australia can be fully explored and the cream can rise at the top.”
We are accepting entries from across Western Australia from the GIs of Blackwood Valley, Geographe, Great Southern, Manjimup, Margaret River, Peel, Pemberton, Perth Hills and Swan District.
Sarah will be joined by our experienced panel of the judges who include Andrew Caillard MW, Vincenzo Arnese (Raffles at the OWO), Rebecca Palmer (Corney & Barrow), Joseph Arthur (Marks & Spencer), Tom Kline (Writer, Presenter and Educator), Gabrielle Poy (Prince Wine Store), Annette Lacey MW (Solotel) with more to be announced.
The majority of our judges are buyers drawn from the worlds of retail, hospitality and distribution. We believe that this offers entrants a unique and valuable opportunity as our judging panels offer real commercial benefit to entrants, who receive real world assessments from judges who are professionally involved in shaping the industry landscapes, help to create lasting partnerships [link to case studies]. The IWSC is a community, and our medals are only the beginning. Winners have access to a variety of opportunities through the IWSC marketing and PR campaigns, our consumer magazine Club Oenologique and other many other partnership opportunities.
Liz Wray co-founder of House of Cards, winner of the 2024 Western Australian Wine Producer Trophy said:
“We are incredibly honoured to have received the prestigious Western Australian Producer Award at the IWSC last November. We’re absolutely over the moon that both of our Chardonnays were awarded Gold Medals, and the opportunity to enjoy our Ace High Chardonnay with peers at the award night in London was unforgettable. The evening was a fantastic chance to connect with sommeliers and fellow producers from across the globe — a true celebration of wine and community. This award not only validates our commitment to quality and sustainability but also helps cement our place among Australia’s leading Chardonnay producers. Thank you, IWSC, for this amazing honour!”
The IWSC judging standards are famously rigorous, where each medal holds value, and a gold really means that a wine is at the top of its class. Our judges work in panels, where people with different backgrounds each contribute equally to the discussion. Samples are poured double-blind for complete anonymity and each panel tastes no more than 65 samples per day to avoid palate fatigue. A [wine judging committee member], overseas each day to ensure that the wines are assessed on an equal footing, answering queries from the judges, spot checking samples and re-tasting gold medals to make sure that nothing slips through the net.Judging will take place from 25th to 29th August and results will be announced on 1st September 2025.
Award entrants will benefit from:
- Discounted entry fee £149 into one of the world’s most respected wine awards (usually £170) – by selecting “Wine Judging in Margaret River” as the ‘judging location’ in the entry process
- Local delivery to a Margaret River location
- Award-winning wines put in front of the IWSC’s global audience
- Inclusion in the IWSC’s 2025 communication campaigns
- Access to a panel of the IWSC’s internationally renowned wine judges
- Entry to the IWSC’s awards is open now. Delivery information will be shared soon. Entry for the
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