2012 Decanter World Wine Awards: regional chairs' awards

 The Bleeding lot!

Sign for restaurant

Although the regional and international results from the Decanter World Wine Awards are keenly awaited, it is the awards for the regional chairs that are most coveted generating ferocious competition. Traditionally they were announced during the regional chairs' lunch on the Friday of the competition. However, with the number of wines entered now over 14,000 the awards need all of Friday plus next Monday set aside for some panels to reassess their gold medals and decide on regional trophies, the lunch has now become a Thursday evening dinner.

2012 Regional Chair Awards

Christine MacDonald, new DWWA executive, with thank you bouquet 

 Sarah Kemp announcing regional awards, Steven Spurrier and Giles MacDonogh look on

Richard Mayson (regional chair for Port) won the Woman of the Year Award for 

his ability to multi-task 

Richard now ready for action!

New head chef@Bleeding Heart complex?

John "Golden Roan' Livingstone-Learmonth (regional chair for the Rhône) wins the 2012 easy virtue award for services to Gold Medals

The winners' celebrate...

The humble workers' awards

John 'Golden Roan' Livingstone then announced on behalf of the regional chairs the winners of the alternative awards: 

Anthony Rose (regional chair for Australia) – black teeth award from tasting powerful Ozzie reds

Lack of black teeth award: winner Tom Stevenson (below) who tastes Champagne and Alsace

One of Tony Aspler's (regional chair, Canada) fans for use of plane home

Other pics

Stephen Howse, Decanter's official DWWA photographer

 1940 Yalumba Vintage Special Reserve Tawny

Steven Spurrier very kindly shared on of two bottles of 1940 Vintage 'Port' from Yalumba. Robert Hill-Smith of Yalumba presented Steven with two bottles for his 70th birthday party. One was drunk at the birthday party and we were able to enjoy a small glass of the second which was complex, nutty and still wonderfully fresh. 

One of the tables set for dinner     

2012 Decanter World Wine Awards: pics from Wednesday (25th)

 

Sarah Kemp addressing the assembled DWWA judges

Danny Casely 

Steven Spurrier (above and below)

Reg Garbutt of the Sensible breakfast party (above and below)

 

Phone checking

Early morning emails 

Ch'ng Poh Tiong (above and below)

Christian Honorez (H2VIN)

 Christopher Cannan 

 James Lawther MW (Bordeaux)

 Juan Carlos Rincón (with and without a Lumix)

 

Decanter World Wine Awards 2012: First day on Loire panel

Sarah Kemp, Decanter's publishing director (centre by window), briefs judges@the start of the judging week

Today in footballing parlance was a game of two halves: in the morning we tackled a range of decidedly uninspired Sauvignon Blancs and then in the afternoon it was Melon de Bourgogne with lots of good wines.

Yves Desmaris MS

On the first day panel were Chris Kissack (The Wine Doctor and well established panel member) plus new members Yves Desmaris MS and Ken Mackay MW.   

The Sauvignon Blancs in our morning session were a mix of vin de pays, Touraine, Quincy, Reuilly, Coteaux du Giennois and Menetou-Salon. Sadly, with the exception of a very good 2010 Menetou-Salon that gained a silver medal, they were hard work with many of the 2011s disappointing.

Chris Kissack

Having tasted together a very poor range of 2011 Muscadets in London back in January Chris and I rather feared the worst. We were in for a very pleasant surprise, especially as this year for the first time since the DWWA was launched in 2004 we had a really sizeable entry from the Pays Nantais. The overall quality was far higher than the Sauvignons we tasted in the morning, although to be fair we still have Sancerre and Pouilly to come. A good number of the wines were 2011 – a far from easy vintage in Muscadet – plus some 2010s a 2009 and a fine 2007. We were able to give a good range of Bronze Medals, a number Commended and, best of all, a Silver Medal to a 2007, which I suspect was one of the new crus communaux. Decidedly good news and a reminder that if you haven't tried Muscadet for a while the quality has improved very significantly and good wines can be had for very reasonable prices. 

Ken Mackay MW

The one significant downside was the number of corked bottles, especially in the afternoon session. On two occasions we called for two replacement bottles and both were also corked. I didn't count the number of corked bottles today but it must have certainly been between 10%-15%. Why producers continue to insist on putting a delicate white like Muscadet under cork rather than screwcap is beyond me!

'This blogger' – the regional chair   

See Chris Kissack's take on his Wine Doctor blog.

        

DWWA 2009 – trophy judging and regional chairs' lunch

Sarah Kemp and a Decanter red coat
Sarah heads the team of dynamic women that runs DWWA

Steven Spurrier: chair of the judges

Today we finished the 2009 Decanter World Wine Awards judging with the regional chairs judging the regioanl trophy wines to discern the International Trophies. Once the judging was concluded we headed over the Thames to Putney for a very good and relaxed lunch at the Enoteca Turi in Putney High Street. As usual the lunch featured several, light-hearted awards presnted to the judges by Sarah Kemp.

The judging awards

John Avery, the distinguished wine merchant, won the youth prize

John Livingstone-Learmonth won the night watchman prize (horlicks and pyjamas) as his panel was always the last to finish

Marina Gayan MW, the new regional chair for Argentina, presented with her gift for keeping her panel in order

Marina Gayan MW and John Avery pose with their judges' gifts

Sophia Dempsey (one of the dynamic female DWWA team) with Andrew Jefford and Giles MacDonogh

Christelle Guibert (one of the dynamic female DWWA team), John Livingstone-Learmonth and Ch'ng Poh Tiong

Jane Hunt MW, Andrew Jefford, Stephen Brook and Richard Baudains

Enoteca Turi, 28 Putney High Street, London SW15 1SQ

Tel: 020-8785 4449
www.enotecaturi.com

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Chris Kissack has posted a reflective report on his site on judging on the Loire panel at the Decanter World Wine Awards. I was delighted to have Chris on the panel this year (although I'm not sure where he got the idea that only regional chairs can use cameras) and I thought that panel worked very well together.