Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is the connection between these awards and the International Value Wine Awards?

The International Value Wine Awards were founded in 2006 by Anthony Gismondi and Steve Thurlow and were held annually until June 2012. That competition was presented by Wine Access Magazine until it ceased publication.  The World Wine Awards of Canada, reunites the same organizers and keeps the spirit alive and will be held annually, with a judging panel drawn from across the country; all judges have a long history with IVWA.  The World Wine Awards of Canada will be presented by WineAlign, Canada’s most read source of wine information.

2.  Where can I get help in registering wines?

Download our User Guide. It will take you step-by-step through the process. If you need further assistance then please email [email protected].

3.  How are wines tasted by price category?

During the wine entry process we collect the prices of all wines (including tax) in every province where they are sold. The lowest selling price determines the price category in which the wine will be tasted alongside similar wines by price and category. i.e we taste all the merlots less than $20 from all over world together to select the best merlots and the best value merlots in that price category. Wines will be scored relative to their price peers.

4. What is a ‘Virtual’ Award?

With over 1.5 million unique visitors a year and growing WineAlign is in a unique position to present award winning wines every time someone looks it up on-line. We know that WWAC stickers will be effective on bottles inside retail wine stores, so we thought why not present the same information alongside our reviews by using virtual award stickers on WineAlign/ChacunSonVin.  All award winning wines will have their WWAC status displayed alongside their notes each time they appear in a WineAlign/ChacunSonVin search result. That is a lot of on-going coverage. Below are examples showing how virtual award winning wines would be displayed on WineAlign/ChacunSonVin.

5. What can you win at WWAC?

All wines entered according to the regulations will be tasted and assessed in a first or preliminary round. Judges will use the 100-point system used by our critics at WineAlign. Based on its score a wine will be eligible to move to a second and possibly third round to determine the best wines in the competition. This year, we have returned to the more traditional awards and will be giving out to Gold, Silver and Bronze.

New to 2015 is an award for the Outstanding Value Winery of the Year. To be eligible for this award, a winery must have a minimum of 5 wines entered into the awards. The five top value wines for the winery will be used to determine Outstanding Value Winery of the Year. Value is based on quality and price.

6.  What is a UPC code?

When you enter a wine into the awards, you will be asked for the UPC code.  The UPC code is found on the back label of the wine bottle under the bar code.

Please enter all numbers without spaces or dashes when adding your wines to the awards.  The UPC code above should look like the following on the registration form:

The Product Codes are the sku numbers used by the LCBO, SAQ, or BCLDB to identify the wines.

7. I’m not certain which category my wine should compete in?

We will automatically categorize every wine by country of origin and price category based on its lowest retail price in Canada. At WineAlign we are highly focused on the consumer when he or she is shopping. That means that what is on the front label on your bottle goes a long way in determining which category you should place your entry. If you are entering any of the major single varietals such as chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir, riesling, cabernet franc, etc., simply choose the corresponding varietal name from the drop down list and you are done. If you cannot find your single varietal listed place your entry under: White Single Varietals – All Others or Red Single Varietals – All Others and we will ensure it is placed in a proper category prior to being tasted. If you wine is blend, be it red or white, again look for that designation White Blends or Red Blends on the drop down. Just be sure to let us know the breakdown of the grapes in the wine its and their associated percentages. We also break down other specialty categories based on entries so simply enter your wines under Rosé or Sparkling or Icewine, and Late Harvest and we will do the rest for you.

WWAC Categories for 2015

(as seen in the drop down list):

•                 Barbera
•                 Cabernet Franc
•                 Cabernet Sauvignon
•                 Carmenere
•                 Chardonnay
•                 Fortified
•                 Fruit wine (not grape)
•                 Gamay
•                 Gewürztraminer
•                 Grenache/Garnacha
•                 Icewine
•                 Late Harvest > 19 gms/ litre RS
•                 Malbec
•                 Merlot
•                 Nebbiolo
•                 Nero d’Avola
•                 Pinot Blanc
•                 Pinot Gris/Grigio
•                 Pinot Noir
•                 Primitivo
•                 Red Blends
•                 Red Single Varietals – All Others
•                 Riesling
•                 Rosé – All Varieties
•                 Sangiovese
•                 Sauvignon Blanc
•                 Semillon
•                 Sparkling – All Types
•                 Syrah/Shiraz
•                 Tempranillo
•                 Viognier
•                 White Blends
•                 White Single Varietals – All Others
•                 Zinfandel

WWAC Price Categories for 2015

Value at all costs: Under $20 and Over $20

Questions or comments?  Contact us:  [email protected]