The 42nd biennial Vin de Champagne Award has officially launched.
Organised on behalf of the Comit Champagne, the Vin de Champagne Award aims to celebrate and encourage the enjoyment of Champagne in Australia, while developing a network of Champagne specialists to act as ambassadors for the Champagne Appellation by sharing their knowledge and appreciation of the wine in Australia.
“Australia continues to drive the growth of Champagne within its top export markets. Education is an important component in helping this growth. Our network of Vin de Champagne winners throughout Australia successfully provides a unique role in educating people that Champagne only comes from Champagne,” Elisabeth Drysdale, director of the Champagne Bureau Australia, said.
The Award invites candidates to apply in one of two categories: professional, for people who gain an income working in the food and wine industry; and amateur, for those experienced tasters who have a passion for Champagne.
Entrants in both categories are required to answer essay questions about Champagne’s history, viticulture and wine-making, and are expected to display knowledge of the organisation of the Champagne industry. State finalists will be flown to Sydney where a panel of experts will judge the entrants’ skills in a blind tasting.
The Award will be judged by a panel of industry experts and past winners, including wine writer Huon Hooke; “The Wine Man”, Peter Bourne; and author/Champagne educator, Bernadette O’Shea.
The winners will be announced at an invitation-only dinner attended by respected names from Australia’s wine and food industry.
The grand prize for the two winners is a two week educational tour through the Champagne district where they will be presented with their medal by the Comit Champagne.
Entry forms are available from Monday 11 April at the Champagne Bureau Australia website. Entries close Friday 8 July.