Mathew Jefferis, Liquor Manager from New World, Victoria Park was a first-time associate judge at this year's awards.
Associate judges provide opinions on each wine, but their scores do not count towards the final mark.
Jefferis said the initial vetting process was "terrifying".
"They threw us in at the deep end, we had 30 Marlborough sauvignons we had to assess, we had a small break and then it was chardonnay and then another short break and then it was merlot.
"I have to confess I was completely freaked out.
"I expected to go down and try a few wines and it would be cruisy, it was absolutely not," Jefferis said.
He said judging was a serious business and he was particularly impressed with the entries from the Auckland region.
"There are some fantastic Auckland wineries. We've got Kumeu out west and Waiheke Island. We've got this fantastic wine region on our doorstep."
He said his standout Auckland wineries in the competition were Coopers Creek and Soljans with the Soljans Estate Pinot Gris 2014 winning a gold medal at this year's awards.
"One of my favourite wines of this competition was the Soljans Pinot Gris, I love their chardonnays as well and they are only a short drive away.
"You can go for a drive out west and know you're going to be tasting some pretty smart wines."
Jefferis said his judging experience will help his customers as he has gleaned first-hand knowledge of the winning wines.
"It's very difficult to choose a wine on a wine shelf without help. I hope that what people will take away when they are looking at the brochure and wine notes is that they will try something new."
The top 50 selection of gold medal-winning wines will be showcased in the New World Wine Awards booklet available online and in stores.
