A 13-strong judging team is gearing up to review over 500 wines entered in this year's Bragato Wine Awards.
The twist this year is that all wines entered must be single vineyard wines, a first in the competition's 23 year history.
"We've worked hard in past few years to enablethe Bragato Wine Awards to evolve into a single vineyard show," says Ben Glover, chair of judges and owner/winemaker of Glover Family Vineyards.
"The Bragato Awards are focused on recognising that exceptional grape growing is the foundation of making wines that express a true quality of place.
"By making the shift to a single vineyard show we're allowing our industry to express the turangawaewae of their distinctive sites. This change highlights the Bragato Awards as being truly unique among New Zealand wine shows."
Australian judge David Stevens-Castro will add an international perspective to the 2017 judging team. Mr Stevens-Castro is a stage-two student in the Institute of Masters of Wine programme, the wine and beverage manager at IHG's Crowne Plaza Surfers Paradise and owner of PAIRED Media.
Judging of the 2017 Bragato Wine Awards takes place tomorrow and Thursday at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland.
Trophy-winning wines will be revealed at the New Zealand Winegrowers National Romeo Bragato Conference in Marlborough, held August 30-31, and results can be viewed from September 1 on www.bragato.org.nz
