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 2013 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 help then email [email protected].

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

Yes. The results and their analysis will be published in a special feature section of Financial Post magazine in the fall of 2013. FP Magazine has a readership of close to one million and represents an affluent wine loving demographic group. Combined with the reach of WineAlign, the potential audience size for the results will exceed two million.

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 1.4 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 at 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 is an example showing how two virtual award winning wines would be displayed at WineAlign.com. Click on the images to make them bigger.

Awards Display in WineAlign

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.

Value at all Costs	Best Value	Premium Value	Ultra Value
	<$15	$15 to $25	$25 to $50

The top scoring wines in each price category will be award winners. Within each price range, awards will be made by wine category e.g. merlot, chardonnay, white blends etc. Awards will also be made by country of origin e.g best red wine from Australia, best white wine from Germany.

Top 25 Killer Values

These are the absolute best value wines selected for exceptional quality and low price. Everyone appreciates a good deal. After judging, each wine is assigned a value based on its raw score in the competition and its lowest retail price in Canada. This ratio of high quality to low price delivers an impressive list of wines that have all scored at least 87 points.

Judges Personal Pick under $15

Each judge selects one wine in the under $15 category that is their favourite in the competition which they have personally tasted.

7. 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 2013

(as seen in the drop down list):

Barbera
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Sauvignon
Carmenere
Chardonnay Oaked
Chardonnay Un-Oaked
Fortified
Fruit (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
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 2013

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 2013

Value at all Costs	Best Value	Premium Value	Ultra Value
	<$15	$15 to $25	$25 to $50

Questions or comments? Contact us: [email protected]