More than 500 wines have been put forward for judging at the 2024 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect.

Chief Judge Stu Marfell and 14 local judges will this year be joined by guest judges Elaine Chukan Brown and Sam Kim, who will also be the Deputy Chair of the Show.

Judging will take place from 2-4 October at the Marlborough Events Centre.

Based in the United States, Elaine is a writer, speaker and global wine educator, is the Napa Valley specialist for Wine Enthusiast and former Executive Editor US for jancisrobinson.com , with an extensive background in wine writing and editing.

Elaine serves as a judge for the Texsom Awards, chair of judges for the 67 Pall Mall Communicator Awards, and is a board member of the Wine Writer Symposium.

“Elaine is such a gifted communicator who brings a wealth of knowledge to the Marlborough Wine Show, and we’re very excited to have them here, and to show them what Marlborough has to offer,” Stu says.

“Elaine will be joined by Sam Kim, who has been involved in the New Zealand wine industry in various ways for 35 years and has been a wine judge for the majority of that time. To be able to bring these two guest judges together is wonderful for the Show.”

Sam’s career has taken him from hospitality, retail, distribution and importing, running courses and masterclasses to judging for numerous competitions and renowned magazines. He is the writer and publisher of wine review website, Wine Orbit.

“I am very excited about the show this year as it's hot on the heels of an outstanding 2024 vintage. I am expecting the Sauvignon Blanc to be a particular standout. A great year to have Elaine and Sam here and I know the Marlborough judges can’t wait to get into it” Stu Says.

The Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect, is a major industry event which aims to celebrate and showcase the diversity and quality of Marlborough wines, shining a spotlight on the subregions they come from.

“Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are judged in their sub-regions so we can really drill down on the nuances of each region. A trophy will be awarded for the wine that best shows the terroir of each region," Stu says. We have such diversity of soil and climate here in Marlborough from the coast to the mountains and every soil type in between.”

Other categories include The Coterie Wine of Provenance Award, which recognises the best single vineyard, current release wine, Vit Management Champion Organic Wine, Vintech Pacific Best Low Alcohol Wine, Central Express Ltd Champion Wairau Valley, Fruitfed Supplies Champion Southern Valleys and Circuit Logistics Champion Awatere & South Marlborough Wine.

“All of our categories have seen consistently good entries this year, with many categories up on last year. The Wine of Provenance Category has seen a significant jump in entries, which is exciting to see.”

The NZ Wine Centre Legacy Award, sponsored by Marlborough Research Centre recognises the wine producer with the highest scores from three vintages within a 10-year period with a minimum gap of two years between wines.

Twenty entries into this category will be judged prior to the main judging event, with only the top producer receiving an award. It will be judged by a special panel of judges, including Sam Kim, Murray Cook, Elaine Chukan Brown and Stu Marfell.

QuayConnect general manager Jaron McLeod says the company, which provides transport and logistics services to much of the Marlborough wine industry, was pleased to be able to continue its support of the Marlborough Wine Show.

"We have been sponsoring the Marlborough Wine Show for several years now. It's a great way for us to demonstrate our commitment to the industry. We are excited about the awards event and the opportunity to taste the excellent wines that have been submitted, as well as to connect with the industry and our partners,” he says.

“Good luck to everyone who has submitted an entry. We are looking forward to seeing this year's results and presenting the QuayConnect Champion Wine Trophy."

Other facts:

• The 2024 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect, is a regional wine competition run by Wine Marlborough Ltd. Wine Marlborough Ltd is the trading name of the Marlborough Winegrowers Association, representing wine companies and grape growers from Marlborough, which produce approximately 80% of New Zealand’s wine. The wine industry accounts for 20% of Marlborough’s GDP and one in five jobs in the Marlborough region. The purpose of Wine Marlborough is to proudly stand up for, and build, the reputation of Marlborough’s wine region.
• The Marlborough Wine Show is a wonderful opportunity for Marlborough wine producers to benchmark their wines against others in the region, which has become widely known as the region that put New Zealand on the world wine stage. The aim of the Show is to:
  • Champion Marlborough wine excellence and wine provenance
  • Promote sub-regionality and diversity of wines grown in New Zealand’s largest wine region
  • Promote and foster wine show judging talent within the region
• Led by Chief Judge, Stu Marfell, the show reviews and assesses entries using panels of experienced judges and rewards top-performing wines with trophies, gold, silver, and bronze medals scored using the 100-point system.
• Medal winners are to be notified to entrants, Wednesday 9 October, with trophy winners announced at the Marlborough Wine Show Celebration Long Lunch, taking place on Friday 18, October 2024.

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