Critics Challenge IX

May 19 & 20, 2012

When we launched the Critics Challenge nearly a decade ago, there was one clear purpose: To take wine competitions to another level.

Our goal was to field an all-star team of judges with global wine expertise. The purpose of our mission was to level the playing field and give wines of varying character and style an equal opportunity to shine -- for what they were! The Critics Challenge has lived up to and even exceeded our own ambitious expectations.

We also wanted to add a layer of transparency and accountability to the results, something you won't find at many other wine competitions, save perhaps our very own Sommelier Challenge in September. Each medal that is awarded by Critics Challenge is published on this website beside the name of the critic or critics who evaluated the wine and bestowed the accolade.

And that leads to the unique marketing aspect of a Critics Challenge award: Excerpts from the judges' tasting notes are published alongside each medal-winning wine, notes that can be quoted in marketing materials such as shelf-talkers or press releases.

We believe this adds up to a compelling, powerful third-party endorsement, which should be the central point of striving to win a wine competition medal. In addition to the medals we award, there are also best of class, best of show and wine of the year awards that are determined in our championship round of tastings. And when all is said and done, the Director reviews the results and names a winery of the year.

Best of all, a winery gets its wine in front of more than a dozen influential wine journalists in one fell swoop.

If I were a wine, there is no place I would rather be on May 19 and 20 than in front of the dynamic group of wine judges assembled in San Diego for Critics Challenge IX.