About our tasting

Our wine tasting in action

Consumer tastings differ from industry wine tastings and competitions. We buy our wine from shops just like consumers do – most other tastings and awards use wine submitted by the winemaker or supplier.

The wines were grouped according to their variety and vintage. Then they were tasted “blind”.

Our judges are a mix of industry professionals and experienced amateurs. Each judge independently gives the wines a score out of 20, following the international scoring system for wines. The judges discuss the wine after tasting – still without knowing the wines – and then agree on a final score. Our star ratings are based on this agreed score.

Our panel

Larry McKenna
Director and winemaker for Escarpment Vineyard, Martinborough. Chairperson of the Bragato Wine Awards. Past chairperson of the International Cool Climate Wine Show and the International Chardonnay Challenge.

Sue Davies
Wine consultant with 20 years' experience in the wine industry and owner of Wine2Trade (distributor of premium, hand-crafted boutique wines). National wine-options champion and Royal Easter Show Wine Awards judge.

Diane Langman
Bachelor of Hospitality Management lecturer at Wellington Institute of Technology. Has more than 20 years’ hospitality-industry experience.

Gary Bowering
Wine enthusiast who enjoys winter because he can crack open a good red.

See We recommend for details of the top-rating wines.