More than 500 wines have been entered into the 2024 Marlborough Wine Show, with judging taking place from 2-4 October at the Marlborough Events Centre.
Chief Judge Stu Marfell and 14 local judges will be joined by guest judges Elaine Chukan Brown and Sam Kim, who will also be the Deputy Chair of the Show.
Based in the United States, Chukan Brown is a writer, speaker and global wine educator, is the Napa Valley specialist for Wine Enthusiast and former Executive Editor US for jancisrobinson.com, with an extensive background in wine writing and editing.
She serves as a judge for the Texsom Awards, chair of judges for the 67 Pall Mall Communicator Awards, and is a board member of the Wine Writer Symposium.
“Elaine is such a gifted communicator who brings a wealth of knowledge to the Marlborough Wine Show, and we’re very excited to have them here, and to show them what Marlborough has to offer,” says Stu Marfell.
“Elaine will be joined by Sam Kim, who has been involved in the New Zealand wine industry in various ways for 35 years and has been a wine judge for the majority of that time. To be able to bring these two guest judges together is wonderful for the Show.”
Kim’s career has taken him from hospitality, retail, distribution and importing, running courses and masterclasses to judging for numerous competitions and renowned magazines. He is the writer and publisher of wine review website, Wine Orbit.
“I am very excited about the show this year as it’s hot on the heels of an outstanding 2024 vintage. I am expecting the Sauvignon Blanc to be a particular standout. A great year to have Elaine and Sam here and I know the Marlborough judges can’t wait to get into it” Stu Says.
The Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect, is a major industry event which aims to celebrate and showcase the diversity and quality of Marlborough wines, shining a spotlight on the subregions they come from.
“Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are judged in their sub-regions so we can really drill down on the nuances of each region,” says Stu.
“A trophy will be awarded for the wine that best shows the terroir of each region.
We have such diversity of soil and climate here in Marlborough from the coast to the mountains and every soil type in between.”
Other categories include The Coterie Wine of Provenance Award, which recognises the best single vineyard, current release wine, Vit Management Champion Organic Wine, Vintech Pacific Best Low Alcohol Wine, Central Express Ltd Champion Wairau Valley, Fruitfed Supplies Champion Southern Valleys and Circuit Logistics Champion Awatere & South Marlborough Wine.
“All of our categories have seen consistently good entries this year, with many categories up on last year. The Wine of Provenance Category has seen a significant jump in entries, which is exciting to see,” says Marfell.
The NZ Wine Centre Legacy Award, sponsored by Marlborough Research Centre recognises the wine producer with the highest scores from three vintages within a 10-year period with a minimum gap of two years between wines.
Twenty entries into this category will be judged prior to the main judging event, with only the top producer receiving an award. It will be judged by a special panel of judges, including Sam Kim, Murray Cook, Elaine Chukan Brown and Stu Marfell.
How to catch up with The Shout NZ…
Online, updated daily with its own unique content and breaking news.
Our weekly newsletter – free to your inbox! Subscribe here.
We are also on Facebook and Instagram!
