Recently some classes have been revamped to better reflect stylistic differences or subtleties and to allow those wines to be judged more fairly. It’s why vintage has not been specified; instead, the weight of the wine, its texture, body, acid, tannin and fruit balance, its overall balance are deemed more important than vintage alone. So please consider the descriptions carefully when entering your wine. If you are unsure into which class your wine should be entered, please email info@aavws.com for more information. A minimum of 25 cases must have been produced to be eligible and all straight varietal classes must have minimum of 85% of that varietal.
White
1 Sparkling White made from white grapes made by traditional method, petillant naturel, col Fondo, charmat or carbonation. PLEASE NOTE *Moscato wines from alternative muscat varieties, for example moscato giallo, that is sweet and slightly sparkling should be entered into Class 39.
2 Arneis
3A Vermentino crisp, fresh, dry
3B Vermentino fuller-bodied, textural, luscious
4A Fiano young, fresh, aromatic
4B Fiano fuller-bodied, textural, luscious
5 Albarino
6A Viognier lighter bodied, fresh and aromatic
6B Viognier fuller bodied, textural, luscious
7 White Rhone Varieties for straight varietal wines other than viognier such as marsanne or roussanne (minimum 85%).
8 White Rhone Dominant Blends means that minimum 51% of the blend is a white Rhone variety, although usually more like 85% of the blend would be Rhone based.
9 Pinot Blanc / Bianco
10 Savagnin
11 Gewürztraminer
12 Grüner Veltliner
13 Other White Varietal Wines might include, but not limited to, assyrtiko, bianco d’Alessano, garganega, greco, müller-Thurgau, verdejo, verdicchio, schönburger or verduzzo. Must be labelled a varietal wine with Minimum 85% of a single variety. Blends including these varieties should go into the White Blends Class 14.
14 White Blends (minimum 85% alternative varieties)
Red
15 Sparkling Rose may include wines such as traditional method brut rosé style sparkling wines or pink pet-nat wines made from a combination of red and white grapes.
16 Rose
17 Sparkling Red deeper red sparkling made from red grapes. Wine can be made by traditional method, petillant naturel, col fondo, charmat or carbonation.
18A Sangiovese youthful, fresh, juicy: perhaps fruit driven or savoury, little or no new oak, medium-bodied, vibrant and generally made to be enjoyed as a young wine.
18B Sangiovese more structured: generally fuller bodied and fleshier, maybe distinctly savoury yet still fresh, perhaps some new oak and yet still fresh and might include wines with some bottle aged complexity.
19 Nebbiolo
20 Barbera
21 Lagrein
22 Sagrantino
23 Aglianico
24 Montepulciano
25A Nero d’Avola (youthful, fresh, juicy) – Perhaps fruit driven or savoury, little or no new oak, light to medium-bodied, vibrant and generally made to be enjoyed as a young wine. Minimum 85% Nero d’Avola.
25B Nero d’Avola (more weighty) – More dense, richer expressions of Nero d’Avola, perhaps oaked or maybe not, possibly with some age, but generally more dark and broody. Minimum 85% Nero d’Avola.
26 Other Red Italian Varietal Wines might include, but not limited to, dolcetto, teroldego, marzemino, negroamaro or refosco. This class is for wines labelled as straight varietal wines. Blends including these varieties should go into the Red Blends Class 38.
27A Tempranillo youthful, fresh, juicy: perhaps fruit driven or savoury, little or no new oak, medium-bodied, vibrant and generally made to be enjoyed as a young wine.
27B Tempranillo more structured: generally fuller bodied and fleshier, maybe distinctly savoury yet still fresh, perhaps with some new oak yet still fresh and might include wines with some bottle aged complexity.
27C Tempranillo dominant blends (minimum 51% Tempranillo)
28 Mataro / Mourvedre / Monastrell
29 Graciano
30 Other Red Iberian Varietal Wines might include, but not limited to, mencia, sousão, tinta cão or touriga nacional. This class is for wines labelled as straight varietal wines. Blends including these varieties should go into the Red Blends Class 38.
31 Petit Verdot
32 Durif
33 Malbec
34 Cabernet Franc
35 Zinfandel / Primitivo
36 Saperavi
37 Other Red Varietal Wines not Italian (enter class 26) or Iberian (enter class 30). Varieties might include, but not limited to, blaufrankisch, chambourcin, carmenere, cinsault, gamay, pinotage, St Laurent, tarrango, alicante bouschet, Saint Macaire or tannat. Must be labelled a varietal wine with Minimum 85% of a single variety. Blends including these varieties should be entered into Class 38.
38 Red Blends (minimum 85% alternative varieties)
Other
39 Sweet style wines might include late harvest, botrytis, ice-wine, partial drying or appassimento-style and cane-cut but NOT fortifieds, which have their own class (class 40). Varieties might include, but not limited to, hárslevelü, malvasia Istriana, orange muscat, picolit, trebbiano and viognier. PLEASE NOTE *Moscato wines are only eligible if made from an alternative muscat variety, for example moscato giallo or orange muscat.
40 Fortifieds styles and varieties might include, but not limited to, palomino, pedro ximenez, touriga, apera or vermouth-styles.
