New competition to be sparkling wine's "Oscars”

26 March, 2014

By Hamish Smith

Sparkling wine specialist Tom Stevenson has said his new tasting event will become “the Oscars” of the Champagne and sparkling wine category when medals are awarded in September 2014.

The Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships is the first wine tasting event judged by sparkling wine specialists.

Entries close on April 12, while the panel – Stevenson, Essi Avellan MW and wine consultant Tony Jordan – will judge wines on May 12 ,2014.

Stevenson said: “Essi Avellan MW and Tony Jordan are the two greatest and most consistent specialist Champagne and sparkling wine tasters I have encountered, and I have tasted thousands of Champagnes with both of them. Avellan is the most naturally gifted Champagne taster I have seen, while Jordan’s experience and technical understanding of sparkling wines is unsurpassed.”

Only gold medals will be announced for Champagnes and gold and silver medals for sparkling wines, Stevenson said.