![\"OLYMPUS](\"http:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/P4121223-500x333.jpg\")
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Yesterday was the first day\u2019s judging at the International Wine Challenge (IWC). Taking place at the Oval Cricket Ground, which has been an excellent home to the challenge for the last few years, it\u2019s a major operation with 20 tables of five judges working hard all day. This first week involves four days of sifting through all entries (and there are lots \u2013 there were around 15 000 last year, although numbers aren\u2019t talked about openly because it just ends up in an arms race with another large UK-based competition). We are looking to see whether the wines are medal worthy or not, and those that pass through will come back next week to be looked at in more detail. A team of co-chairs checks all the rejected entries this week as a back-up mechanism to make sure that no good wines have been unfairly rejected, and also to harmonise standards.<\/p>\n
![\"OLYMPUS](\"http:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/P4121249-500x333.jpg\")
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![\"OLYMPUS](\"http:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/P4121225-500x333.jpg\")
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I had a lovely team yesterday. One of the strengths of the competition is that places to judge are sought-after, so the organizers can be picky about who they choose. Everyone is subject to peer feedback, including us panel chairs. If anyone shows a track record of poor performance, they don\u2019t get asked back. If anyone excels, they can be promoted from associate to judge, then to senior judge, and eventually panel chair. Promotion is based on performance, and at the end of the two weeks we panel chairs get a report on how well we and our teams performed, showing areas where we need to develop and congratulating us where we have done well.<\/p>\n
![\"OLYMPUS](\"http:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/P4121265-500x333.jpg\")
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![\"OLYMPUS](\"http:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/P4121224-500x333.jpg\")
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So, this was how our day looked:<\/p>\n
As you can see, it\u2019s a varied diet of wines, and this helps to keep the palate fresh. It\u2019s also a great way to get a snapshot of what is going on across the world of wine. With 103 wines in all, it\u2019s a comfortable number to taste because we aren\u2019t taking detailed notes. Repeat this for two weeks, and the experience you gain as a taster is immense.<\/p>\n
![\"OLYMPUS](\"http:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/P4121222-500x333.jpg\")
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![\"OLYMPUS](\"http:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/P4121242-500x337.jpg\")
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