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. Also, there are no experimental classes. If you are unsure which class your wine should be entered, please email info@aavws.com for more information.
White
Minimum 25 dozen
1A Viognier lighter bodied, fresh and aromatic
1B Viognier fuller bodied, textural, luscious
2 White Rhone varieties such as marsanne or roussanne but NOT viognier
3 White Rhone dominant blends varieties such as marsanne, roussanne, clairette or viognier
4 Arneis
5 Savagnin
6A Vermentino crisp, fresh, dry
6B Vermentino fuller-bodied, textural, luscious
7A Fiano young, fresh, aromatic
7B Fiano fuller-bodied, textural, luscious
8 Gewürztraminer
9 Grüner Veltliner
10 Petit Manseng
11 Albarino
12A Other white aromatic light to medium-bodied varieties and blends varieties might include, but not limited to, albarino, bianco d’Alessano, friulano, garganega, greco, müller-Thurgau, orange muscat, pinot blanc, sylvaner, verdejo or verdicchio, and blends might include varieties listed in other classes.
12B Other white fuller bodied varieties and blends varieties might include, but not limited to, schönburger or verduzzo and blends might include varieties listed in other classes.
13 Prosecco
14 Sparkling white
*Please note most wine made into a frizzante, sweet and low alcohol drink, commonly known as moscato or a moscato-style, are INELIGIBLE. Moscato must be made from a muscat variety and most are NOT alternative varieties in Australia due to extensive plantings and subsequent volumes. Those varieties include muscat gordo blanco also known as muscat of Alexandria, or muscat à petits grains with the words red, white or brown attached, or frontignac. However a wine that is made from an alternative muscat variety, for example moscato giallo, that is sweet and slightly sparkling would be permitted but should be entered into Class 34.
Red
Minimum 25 dozen
15A 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.
15B 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.
15C Sangiovese dominant blends
16 Nebbiolo
17 Barbera
18A 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.
18B 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.
18C Tempranillo dominant blends
19 Petit Verdot
20 Durif
21 Primitivo/zinfandel
22 Lagrein
23 Mataro/mourvedre/monastrell
24 Malbec
25 Sagrantino
26 Saperavi
27 Aglianico
28 Montepulciano
29 Graciano
30 Nero d’Avola
31A Other red Iberian varieties and blends varieties might include, but not limited to, mencia, sousão, tinta cão or touriga nacional.
31B Other red Italian varieties and blends varieties might include, but not limited to, dolcetto, teroldego, marzemino, negroamaro or refosco.
31C Other red medium-bodied varieties and blends varieties might include, but not limited to, blaufrankisch, cabernet franc, chambourcin carmenere, cinsault, gamay, pinotage, St Laurent or tarrango and blends might include varieties listed in other classes.
31D Other red full-bodied varieties and blends varieties might include, but not limited to, alicante bouschet, Saint Macaire or tannat, and blends might include varieties listed in other classes.
32 Rosé
33 Sparkling red
34 Sweet style wines
Styles might include late harvest, botrytis, ice-wine, partial drying or appassimento-style and cane-cut but NOT fortifieds, which have their own class (see Class 34 and Class 35). Varieties might include, but not limited to, hárslevelü, malvasia Istriana, orange muscat, picolit, trebbiano and viognier.
*Please note most wine made into a frizzante, sweet and low alcohol drink, commonly known as moscato or a moscato-style, are INELIGIBLE. Moscato must be made from a muscat variety and most are NOT alternative varieties in Australia due to extensive plantings and subsequent volumes. Those ineligible varieties include muscat gordo blanco also known as muscat of Alexandria, or muscat à petits grains with the words red, white or brown attached, or frontignac. However a wine that is made from an alternative muscat variety, for example moscato giallo, that is sweet and slightly sparkling would be permitted in this class.
35 Fortifieds styles and varieties might include, but not limited to, pedro ximenez, touriga or vintage and vermouth-styles. Please enter apera in Class 36
36 Apera traditionally made from palomino grapes styles include dry, medium-dry and medium-sweet.
