wwac14logohome_btnregister_btnrules_btnshipping_btnjudges_btnpromoteYourWines_btnsponsors_btnfaq_btnwwac14logo

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is the connection between these awards and the International Value Wine Awards?

The International Value Wine Awards were founded in 2006 by Anthony Gismondi and Steve Thurlow and were held annually until June 2012. That competition was presented by Wine Access Magazine until it ceased publication.  The World Wine Awards of Canada, reunites the same organizers and keeps the spirit alive and will be held annually, with a judging panel drawn from across the country; all judges have a long history with IVWA.  The World Wine Awards of Canada will be presented by WineAlign, Canada’s most read source of wine information.

2.  Where can I get help in registering wines?

Download our User Guide. It will take you step-by-step through the process. If you need further assistance then please email [email protected].

3.  Are the results going to be published in a magazine?

Yes.  Like last year, the plan in 2014 is post all award winning wines on WineAlign and to share the winning results in a major print publication.

4.  How are wines tasted by price category?

During the wine entry process we collect the prices of all wines (including tax) in every province where they are sold. The lowest selling price determines the price category in which the wine will be tasted alongside similar wines by price and category. i.e we taste all the merlots less than $15 from all over world together to select the best merlots and the best value merlots in that price category.

5. What is a ‘Virtual’ Award?

With over 1.5 million unique visitors a year and growing WineAlign is in a unique position to present and re-present award winning wines every time someone looks it up on-line. We know that WWAC stickers will be effective on bottles inside retail wine stores, so we thought why not present the same information alongside our reviews by using virtual award stickers on WineAlign.  All award winning wines will have their WWAC status displayed alongside their notes each time they appear in a WineAlign search result. That is a lot of on-going coverage. Below are examples showing how virtual award winning wines would be displayed on WineAlign. 2014-04-22_10-15-04 2014-04-22_10-17-30

6. What can you win at WWAC?

All wines entered according to the regulations will be tasted and assessed in a first or preliminary round. Judges will use the 100-point system used by our critics at WineAlign. Based on its score a wine will be eligible to move to a second and possibly third round to determine the best wines in the competition.

WWAC_CatChamp small

 

Category Champion:  Top scoring wines in each category regardless of price.

 

2014-02-25_20-27-20

WWAC_under15 small

 

Best of Variety (Under $15, $15 – $25, $25 – $50): Top scoring wines in each price category. 2014-02-25_20-27-20

2014-02-25_20-27-20

WWAC_BestCountry small

 

Best of Country:  Top scoring wine in each country (depending on number of entries for that particular country).

 

2014-02-25_20-27-20

WWAC_top25Value small

 

Top 25 Value Wine:  The best value wines based on exceptional quality and low price.

 

2014-02-25_20-27-20

WWAC_JudgesChoice small

 

Judges’ Choice:  High scoring wines in each category regardless of price. 2014-02-25_20-27-20

2014-02-25_20-27-20

 

2014-02-25_20-27-20

7.  What is a UPC code?

When you enter a wine into the awards, you will be asked for the UPC code.  The UPC code is found on the back label of the wine bottle under the bar code.

2014-07-08_13-29-00

Please enter all numbers without spaces or dashes when adding your wines to the awards.  The UPC code above should look like the following on the registration form:

2014-07-08_13-34-05

 

The Product Codes are the sku numbers used by the LCBO, SAQ, or BCLDB to identify the wines.

 

8. I’m not certain which category my wine should compete in?

We will automatically categorize every wine by country of origin and price category based on its lowest retail price in Canada. At WineAlign we are highly focused on the consumer when he or she is shopping. That means that what is on the front label on your bottle goes a long way in determining which category you should place your entry. If you are entering any of the major single varietals such as chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir, riesling, cabernet franc, etc., simply choose the corresponding varietal name from the drop down list and you are done. If you cannot find your single varietal listed place your entry under: White Single Varietals – All Others or Red Single Varietals – All Others and we will ensure it is placed in a proper category prior to being tasted. If you wine is blend, be it red or white, again look for that designation White Blends or Red Blends on the drop down. Just be sure to let us know the breakdown of the grapes in the wine its and their associated percentages. We also break down other specialty categories based on entries so simply enter your wines under Rosé or Sparkling or Icewine, and Late Harvest and we will do the rest for you.

WWAC Categories for 2014

(as seen in the drop down list):
      •                 Barbera
      •                 Cabernet Franc
      •                 Cabernet Sauvignon
      •                 Carmenere
      •                 Chardonnay
      •                 Fortified
      •                 Fruit wine (not grape)
      •                 Gamay
      •                 Gewürztraminer
      •                 Grenache/Garnacha
      •                 Icewine
      •                 Late Harvest > 19 gms/ litre RS
      •                 Malbec
      •                 Merlot
      •                 Nebbiolo
      •                 Nero d’Avola
      •                 Pinot Blanc
      •                 Pinot Gris/Grigio
      •                 Pinot Noir
      •                 Primitivo
      •                 Red Blends
      •                 Red Single Varietals – All Others
      •                 Riesling
      •                 Rosé – All Varieties
      •                 Sangiovese
      •                 Sauvignon Blanc
      •                 Semillon
      •                 Sparkling – All Types
      •                 Syrah/Shiraz
      •                 Tempranillo
      •                 Viognier
      •                 White Blends
      •                 White Single Varietals – All Others
      •                 Zinfandel

WWAC Country Categories for 2014

Wines will also be awarded by country of origin.  We anticipate being able to award wines from the following countries:

  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • France
  • Greece
  • Italy
  • New Zealand
  • South Africa
  • Spain
  • USA
  • Rest of the World

WWAC Price Categories for 2014

Value at all costs Under $15 $15 to $15 $25 to $50 Questions or comments?  Contact us:  [email protected]

wwac14logohome_btnregister_btnrules_btnshipping_btnjudges_btnpromoteYourWines_btnsponsors_btnfaq_btnwwac14logo