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Veritas Awards - The facts behind the figures

FROM SIPS TO STATS

In this third question-and-answer interview, SA National Wine Show chairman, Duimpie Bayly, explains the facts behind the figures.

Is there any correlation between entries and medals awarded?
“Veritas is a consumer-orientated competition and medals are meant as a guide to quality. There is no relationship between the number of entries and number of medals awarded. Each wine gets judged purely on merit.”

What percentage double gold and gold medals were awarded over the past seven years?

	2009	2008	2007	2006	2005	2004	2003
Double Gold	40/2%	36/2%	36/2.15%	36/2.15%	43/2.47%	47/3%	75/4.75%
Gold	109/6%	98/6%	94/5.62%	94/5.62%	105/6.04%	127/8.1%	80/5.07%
Total Entries	1 728	1753	1673	1673	1738	1567	1578

Are Veritas double gold and gold medal wines on a par with international competitors?
“I think so yes, but wines are judged at different times and in different places by different judges. There is always a chance that results may differ. It’s also evident that a wine tasted in September in South Africa and in December in England will be different – even if only bottle-maturation plays a part.”

How does a wine benefit from a Veritas medal?
“A Veritas medal lends prestige to a wine, the cellar and the wine-making team. Even more important is the press coverage and sales boost.”
How does Veritas management sustain the prestige of this competition?
“Apart from the factors above, we are always on the look-out for opportunities to enhance the image of Veritas. We constantly compare ourselves to similar international competitions, incorporate comments from our international judges and take heed of constructive criticism.
What elements of surprise or expectation does this competition hold?
“The fact that the results are only announced at the gala dinner and not published beforehand without doubt enhances the feeling of expectation. Winemakers are also keen to excel at this competition. The build-up to the judging and the publicity surrounding it generates a feeling of anticipation.”
What does Veritas do in terms of marketing to get as many entries as possible from as many cellars as possible?
“Veritas takes place under the auspices of the South African National Wine Show. The structure of this association is unique because it represents the whole of the wine industry. This plays a major part in encouraging cellars to enter.”

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