IWSC 2019 now open

IWSC news

Thu 22 Nov 2018

By Laurel Bibby

The IWSC 2019 is now open for entries. 

The competition has opened earlier than ever before to give entrants more time to be part of the IWSC’s 50th year – and that’s not the only thing that’s new this year.

As we reflect on the last five decades, the IWSC is introducing a series of changes to further develop the competition, and to secure our continued success over the next 50 years.

New Wine and Spirit Judging Committees

The first change is the expansion of the IWSC’s current Technical & Judging Committee – into a Wine Judging Committee and Spirit Judging Committee. 

The committees consist of industry experts who ensure the integrity of the competition; by entering the IWSC, we guarantee your product will be reviewed by experts in your field.

Wine judging moving to London

A competition is only as good as its judges and, to ensure we continue to work with the best in the industry, the IWSC’s wine judging will be moving to a new venue in London. 

Each IWSC panel is made up of international experts from a diverse range of trade backgrounds – from on-trade and off-trade to specialist writers and critics – to ensure the greatest objectivity of results.

50th anniversary initiatives

In what will be the IWSC’s biggest year yet, we’re also introducing a number of new initiatives around our theme for the year, The Next Fifty. 

These initiatives include: 

  • The Future 50: a celebration of 50 of the global industry’s rising stars, in association with the Wine and Spirit Education Trust
  • The 50thAnniversary Blend: an iconic blend created by the most renowned names in Scotch whisky, including elements from 50 distilleries across Scotland
  • The IWSC Foundation: an organisation focusing the IWSC’s charitable giving on supporting education in the industry

Chair of the Judging Committee Philip Goodband MW said “these exciting developments represent a significant move for the IWSC.

“They give more focus to both the wine and spirit categories, and further strengthen our unique, tried and tested judging procedures, which are already recognised as world class.”

Enter the IWSC 2019 now
> Wine Entry Pack
> Spirits Entry Pack