Standards for International viticulture spirits competition

Status: In Kraft

Standards for International viticulture spirits competition

RESOLUTION ECO 2/99

STANDARDS FOR INTERNATIONAL VITICULTURE SPIRITS COMPETITION

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

BASED ON THE PROPOSAL by Commission III "Vine and Wine Economy", having considered the work of the expert group "Study of Wine Spirits and Alcohol of Viticultural Origin,"

DECIDES to adopt the following standard:

STANDARD FOR INTERNATIONAL VITICULTURE SPIRITS COMPETITION

Article 1: FIELD OF APPLICATION

This standard applies to the following spirit beverages of viticultural origin in accordance with the definitions of the International Code of Oenological Practices:

  • Wine spirit
  • Grape marc spirit
  • Grape spirit
  • Raisin spirit (produced from wine made from dry grapes)
  • Brandy/Weinbrand
  • Wine lees spirit

Article 2: GOALS

  • to contribute to the expansion of the production of spirit beverages of viticultural origin
  • to present and make the public aware of characteristic spirit beverages of viticultural origin produced in various countries
  • to encourage production, favor promotion and stimulate the moderate consumption of excellent quality spirit beverages of viticultural origin
  • to improve the quality of spirits.

Article 3: OIV PATRONAGE OF THE COMPETITION

An INTERNATIONAL VITICULTURE SPIRITS COMPETITION is organized in accordance with this standard and the following conditions:

Patronage requests must be addressed to OIV headquarters at least one year in advance for new requests and at least 6 months in advance for renewals.  This patronage is granted for a period of three years.  The patronage request must indicate the date, place, names and addresses of organizers and other organizations whose sponsorship has been requested.  They must be completed by the Competition organizers and must respect this standard.

The patronage request will be sent by the OIV, with the rules for the organization of the competition, to the official governmental authority in the country in which the competition is to take place.

Decision on whether or not to grant patronage are made by the OIV Executive Committee, after input from the Scientific and Technical Committee during the session immediately following the patronage request.  The Director General of the OIV shall inform the requester of  the decision.

The fact of being granted OIV patronage in no way authorizes the use of its name, acronyms or logo in documents or communications pertaining to the competition.

In the event sponsorship is granted, the Organizer shall accept the OIV's delegated expert responsible for the competition in accordance with Article 8 §7 of this standard.

In the event the OIV grants its patronage, the Competition Organizer is authorized to make reference to this fact in documents relating to the competition, with the exception of notices, badges or other distinctive symbols which may be included in the labels or packaging of spirit beverages of viticultural origin which win the competition.

Article 4: PRODUCTS ALLOWED TO COMPETE

The competition will be open, without discrimination, to all spirit beverages of viticultural origin listed in Article 1.

All three of each sample must be provided, in bottles with a maximum volume of 2 liters, labels and indication of origin in accordance with existing labeling legislation in the country which produces the beverage.

Article 5: RECORDS

The record book must include an entry for each sample which includes:

  • complete and exact identification of the participant
  • exact designation of the product in accordance with the regulation of its country of origin and OIV standards
  • the product's category as explained in Article I. Subgroups can be placed into divisions if the Organizer so desires
  • The analytical bulletin, in accordance with Annex II, delivered by an official or approved laboratory in accordance with the laws of the country of origin
  • If the label mentions a particular variety (or varieties) of grape(s) indicate their percentage(s) in the final product, if possible
  • The quantity of the spirit beverage of viticultural origin corresponding to the sample which is available for sale by the producer at the time the sample is sent with the registration document.

Article 6: MONITORING SAMPLES RECEIVED

  1. The organizing committee shall verify the spirit beverages of viticultural origin sent and the official documents which accompany them, rectify any errors and refuse any samples which do not meet the requirements of this standard.

The correct use of names of origin or geographic indications must always be followed, in accordance with the general principles of the OIV and the specific rules of the Agreement on the Legal Aspects of Intellectual Property (ADPIC) of the World Trade Organization.

  1. Samples must be stored in a manner which guarantees their proper preservation.

Article 7: CLASSIFICATION OF SPIRIT BEVERAGES OF VITICULTURAL ORIGIN AND ARRANGEMENT OF SAMPLES PRESENTED

After checking the exactitude of the inscriptions in each category by relying on the registration documents and the certificates of analysis, the samples are classified in accordance with Annex I, with the youngest products being presented to the jury first.

Article 8: JURY DESIGNATION

  1. The organizer designates the jurors and office members.  The organizer may ask the OIV to suggest names of experts in various countries.
  2. Samples shall be evaluated by international juries composed typically of  seven (7) members.  In no case shall there be fewer than 5 jurors.
  3. A jury should be composed of jurors from the most geographically diverse origin possible.
  4. Each jury shall operate under the authority of a President.
  5. Jurors are designated intuitu personae. Therefore, they can only be replaced by the authority who appointed them.
  6. A juror may not take part in a tasting if he has any commercial or other affiliation with the sample presented.
  7. The OIV shall designate a delegated expert for the competition.  He or she will participate, as convenient, in the work of the various juries, but in no event shall he or she participate in any judgments.  He or she shall produce a report over the course of the competition.  Based on this report, the OIV may, at any time, withdraw its patronage

Article 9: MISSION OF THE OFFICERS (PRESIDIUM)

Each competition shall be subject to the authority of a Presidium composed of at least three people (one president and two vice presidents).

Under the President's responsibility, the Presidium shall have the mission of ensuring the operations pertaining to the preparation and examination of the samples are perfectly executed, along with the announcement of the results.  Notably it should:

  • ensure all samples of the spirit beverages of viticultural origin which are submitted to the tasters remain anonymous and the results are kept secret until the end of the competition
  • monitor the organization of the tasting prior to the installation of the jury for which it is responsible and verify the order in which the spirit beverages of viticultural origin will be presented
  • ensure proper presentation of the samples, notably to rectify any error in arrangement which may have occurred, exclude any sample which does not conform to the rules and return samples
  • monitor the opening of the samples in an adjoining room, monitor their temperature, identity and their state of anonymity before the jurors and ensure the diligence of the personnel
  • monitor the operations of the secretariat in charge of counting the votes, distributing and collecting sheets, verifying proper sample identification, tabulations and posting of the results
  • order a second tasting of a sample if:
  • the majority of jurors so request in writing on their sheets large deviations exist in the remarks of different jurors
  • each time its discretion deems it useful

Article 10: GENERAL JURY FUNCTION

  1. Discipline

Absolute anonymity is a fundamental principle of the competition and requires the following:

1.1. Jurors are to remain silent and refrain from making any gestures or faces which indicate their impressions during the tasting

1.2. Prior to serving each sample, the corresponding record sheets will be distributed.  They may already show the technical information pertaining to the samples, as well as the name of the juror

1.3. Personnel who collect the sheets ensure they are properly completed.  The president shall authenticate them by signing.

1.4. No copies will remain with the juries.

1.5. Jurors should not know how to identify a sample of a spirit beverage of viticultural origin by the notes and records obtained

  1. Operations

A meeting or meetings of all jurors may be called so as to inform them of their mission and procedures to follow prior to their common tasting.

2.1. The jury or juries shall meet in an isolated room which is properly light and well ventilated, access to which is strictly forbidden to any person not explicitly indispensable to the proceedings of the tasting.  To the extent possible, the ambient temperature should be kept between 18 and 22°C.  Smoking is prohibited.  Furthermore, jurors must avoid the use of any perfume susceptible of modifying the olfactory impressions related to the tasted samples.

2.2. Tasters should not, at any time, know the identity of the samples presented.  A second adjoining room which is out of the jury's sight will be reserved for opening the bottles and removing any signs likely to identify the samples.  Prior to being served, the bottles shall be placed in a package which hides their shape and guarantees their anonymity for the duration of the tasting.

It is also forbidden to smoke in this room.

Strict discipline shall be maintained at all times and silence is imperative.

2.3. Glasses should be filled in the tasting room in the presence of the jurors.

2.4. Each juror shall be assigned a permanent order number.  He or she will have a seat and individual table bearing this number with a clean surface containing the following:

  • a uniform source of light which does not distort colors
  • a carafe of water
  • bread
  • a cuspidor

2.5. The glasses in which the samples are served shall be of a standardized international type approved by the OIV.  They shall be carefully cleaned, rinsed and dried after each use.

2.6. The tasting sessions will preferably be held in the morning.  There shall be a maximum of 30 samples tasted per day , in five sessions of approximately 6 samples each.

  1. Presentation of the Spirit Beverages of Viticultural Origin

Each spirit beverage of viticultural origin is individually tasted and not comparatively.

  1. Breaks

A break shall be planned between each series, during which the jurors shall have only bread and water.  During one such break, they may be served other food or beverages as long as at least 10 minute rest period is provided for them.

Article 11: ORDER AND TEMPERATURE OF SAMPLE PRESENTATION

  1. The goal is to present the spirit beverages of viticultural origin to the juries in a homogeneous set of successive samples.  These series should be deemed to be in a rational order as described in Article 10.
  2. Prior to the first series for each type of spirit beverage of viticultural origin tasted, it is recommended that the jurors be presented with a spirit beverage of viticultural origin of the same type as that to be tasted in order to "get the taste in their mouth."  This beverage should not be selected from among those presented in the competition.  Tasting and procedures should be discussed in common.
  3. It is imperative that all spirit beverages of viticultural origin of the same type are tasted in the same session at the same temperature.

Article 12: DESCRIPTION OF THE TASTING SHEET FOR SPIRIT BEVERAGES

Each expert will receive a sample and at the same time, a corresponding sheet.

This sheet is described in Annex 1.

This sheet must include the following indications pertaining to organoleptic qualities:

  1. Color, limpidity
  2. Typicality*
  3. Odor
  4. Taste/flavor

* Concerning typicality, the concerned product must correspond to the typical characteristics of the category of the spirit beverage of vitivinicultural origin.

A scale of  0 through 5 points exists for each organoleptic quality:

5 points

Excellent/very good

4 points

Good

3 points

Average

2 points

Passable/mediocre

1 point

Insufficient

0 point

Eliminate/unable to evaluate

These evaluations shall be in French and translated into the languages likely to be understood by the tasters.

A space will also be reserved for observations on each organoleptic quality (for example, taste of alcohol).

This sheet shall bear the number of the juror as well as the signature of the president.

Article 13: Role of Jurors

The jurors shall verify or complete, if necessary, the indications on the sheet pertaining to the sample.

After sensorial analysis of the sample, the juror shall assign points (0-5) for each organoleptic quality.

The juror shall note any comments in the appropriate space and return the sheet.

Article 14: TRANSCRIPTION AND CALCULATION OF THE FINAL RESULTS

Using the grid below, the secretariat shall translate the qualitative evaluations recorded on the jurors' sheets into numbers.

When a spirit beverage of viticultural origin is noted to score 0 points in an organoleptic area it is eliminated automatically and therefore cannot compete for a prize. A sample should score at least 3 points in each category without a multiplicative coefficient in order to lay claim for an award.

Calculations made by the secretariat:

Organoleptic quality

examined

Points awarded

Multiplicative coefficient

Weighted score

Observations

Color, limpidity

X3

=

Typicality

X3

=

Odor

X5

=

Taste/flavor

X9

=

Total score (divided by 20)

=

Quality score

To obtain the final results, a calculation of the average or median of the quality figures will be made. This option for the calculation will be defined a priori in the competition’s rules.

Article 15: ATTRIBUTION OF PRIZES

  1. Samples which receive a specific number of points in each category will receive the following prizes:
  • gold medal
  • silver medal
  • bronze medal

Prizes are awarded on the basis of the following limits:

Prize

Points

Gold medal

4.50-5.00

Silver medal

4.00-4.49

Bronze medal

3.50-3.99

1. Quality score after weighting using the coefficients and calculations

  1. The total number of medals awarded cannot exceed 30% of the total number of samples submitted to the competition.  In the event this limit is exceeded, those samples with the lowest scores are eliminated.
  2. With prior approval from the OIV, the organizer can award additional prizes by country or by category on the condition that this does not create confusion with the prizes awarded under paragraph 1.
  3. The names and identifying information for the samples entered in the competition which did not receive prizes will in no way be published or distributed.

Article 16: PROOF OF PRIZE

Prizes awarded must be accompanied by documentary proof, or a "diploma" established by the organizer.  This diploma must bear the volume of declared spirits at the time of the registration to the competition, the exact designation of the sample which received the prize and exactly identify the producer or merchant responsible.

The organizer must remove any distinction attributed to a bottle of spirit beverage of viticultural origin whose label does not conform to the legal provisions of its country of origin or an unauthorized use of a designation of origin or geographic indication. He informs the concerned country of origin.

ANNEX 1

O.I.V. TASTING SHEET SPIRIT BEVERAGES OF VITIVINICULTURAL ORIGIN

Date, Time:

Sample order n°

 Jury n°

President’s signature:

Classification code in category

Spirit Beverage Category

Evaluation

Wine spirit

Grape marc spirit

5 point scale

 Grape spirit

points

Quality description

General characteristics

 Raisin spirit

5

Excellent/very good

Which describe global quality

Brandy/Weinbrand

Wine lees spirit

4

Good

Insignificant anomalies

3

Average

Significant anomalies

2

Passable/mediocre

Distinctive defect

1

Insufficient

Major defect

0

Eliminate

Organoleptic qualities

Examination

Points

(Pts)

1.   Color (limpidity)

Pts.

5. brilliant and normal color         

3. limpid and color slightly  too

 pale or intense 

1. insufficient

4. limpid and normal color          

2. light clouding/color too pale or intense or abnormal                      

0. cloudy/effervescent/drab     

2. Typicity (aspect, odor, taste)

Pts.

5.   typical 

3. nor distinctive, no defect               

1. insufficient

4. recognizable, no defect            

2. no anticipated property or has defect 

0.  atypical 

3. Odor

Pts.

5. exceptional quality and intensity  

3. typical aroma/weak intensity/slightdefect  

1. insufficient

4.   intensity and finesse/elegance  

2. slight aroma or defect                   

0.  atypical odor or clear defect    

4.   Taste/Flavor

Pts.

5. perfect harmony and lasting

flavor 

3. no defect but character is not

 distinct, too distinct, length          

1. insufficient 

4. harmony and length                

2. unbalanced/no character/short  

0.  excessive defect/atypical         

________________________________________________________

Juror (name)

(Juror’s signature)