NZIWS judging shifts to February 2022
Judging for the New Zealand International Wine Show has been postponed until early February 2022 due to the ongoing COVID restrictions in Auckland and neighbouring regions.
The NZIWS, now in its 17th year, has been the biggest wine competition in the country since its inception. Judging was due to take place in Auckland from 13-15 September, led by Chief Judge Bob Campbell MW and had been rescheduled twice due to the effects of the current Delta outbreak.
But, with restrictions looking unlikely to be eased sufficiently to allow the judging to take place in early December or even prior to Christmas this year, judging has now been shifted to 2-4 February 2022.
With many of the 24 senior judges being winemakers, organisers say they are hoping for a normal vintage (which usually commences later in February or in early March), allowing a full complement to attend the re-scheduled event.
Wine Show Convenor Kingsley Wood says that they are committed to completing the 2021 NZ International Wine Show and have received a record number of international entries. He says most of the overseas judging samples have been received and are safely stored for the February event.
All of the new dates will be online this week at nziws.co.nz and Wood says that there are now opportunities to enter wines that may not have been available on the original dates.
The Trophy Awards Event is yet to be confirmed.
W: nziws.co.nz
