The panel of five certified wine experts will do a blind wine tasting of Russian-made wines grading them on a 100-point scale using the specialised VinAgora International Wine Competition Evaluation Software – Wine Compass. This is approved for use in competitions by OIV (the International Organization of Vine and Wine).

A score of 80 points is the threshold for quality at the Russian Wines Competition©. Wines scoring 80 points and above will be recommended to consumers.

The tasting will be carried out in four categories: “sparkling wines produced by the traditional method”, “sparkling wines produced by the tank method”, “still white wines” and “still red wines”.

The tasting involves an assessment of 200 preselected Russian wines. Experts will judge every sample objectively and impartially based on their experience and highly prestigious wine qualifications.

The best wines in each category will receive the title "Best Wine by a Russian Producer in 2020 according to the Russian Wines Competition©".

The competition results will be published and will be freely available on the website WWW.VINEANDWINE.VIN.

The competition is non-profit.

• To obtain impartial information about the quality of wines made by Russian producers evaluated by certified, professional tasters – Weinakademikers.
• To hold a wine competition with an independent panel.
• To promote quality wines made by Russian producers.
• To provide consumers with the most reliable information possible about the quality of wines made by Russian producers.
• To assess wines made by Russian producers that are currently commercially available.
• To cover wines from all price categories, from budget options to wines in the mid and premium price segments.
• To include the maximum possible number of wines produced from various grape varieties, with the mandatory inclusion of Russian autochthonous varieties.
• To include the maximum possible number of Russian wine producers.
• To tighten requirements regarding panel members involved in Russian-based international wine competitions.
• To prevent Russian wine producers from stagnating and encourage them to keep working on improving wine quality.
• To create healthy competition in the competitive space for evaluating wines made by Russian producers.
• To spread information about wines made by Russian producers throughout the global wine community.

Establishing the place of origin of the grapes from which the wines participating in the competition are made is not one of the goals or objectives of the competition.

The preselection of most of the wines took place before 26 June 2020.

• Panel members do not have any working and/or direct commercial relations with wine producers whose wines will be tasted at the competition.
• No panel member belongs to any producer association whose wines will be tasted at the competition.
• Wines to be tasted will be bought in retail chains just like consumers do; obtaining wines from producers is unacceptable.
• No help (including financial) offered by producers whose wines are being tasted will be accepted.

• All tasting panel members are professional tasters. This has been confirmed by them having studied at The Institute of Masters of Wine, Weinakademie Osterreich and Wine and Spirit Education Trust, thus obtaining qualifications in wine and earning the titles of Weinakademiker and DipWSET.
• At the time of the competition, each member of the tasting jury must have at least five years’ experience in the wine and/or viticulture industry.
• Wines will be graded on a 100-point scale using the VinAgora International Wine Competition Evaluation Software (Hungary) – “Wine Compass” under its developers’ remote supervision.
• Wines will be evaluated without regard for personal preferences.
• There will be an odd number of experts, in this case five.
• Wines will be tasted blind and submitted for tasting by impartial staff supervised remotely by VinAgora International Wine Competition Evaluation Software (Hungary) specialists under anonymous conditions until the scores are revealed.
• A maximum of 30% of sampled wines will receive medals.

• ANNA BARANOVA - Weinakademiker (Russia)
• DARIA VERESHCHAGINA - Weinakademiker (Russia)
• LEONID FADEEV - Weinakademiker (Russia)
• NIKOLAY CHASHCHINOV - Weinakademiker (Russia)
• SNEZHANA REVCHUK - Weinakademiker (Russia)

Cote Rocheuse JSC

Kempinski Grand Hotel Gelendzhik

Leonid Fadeev (Stage 2 MW Student, WSET/IWSC “The Future 50 Awards” winner, Weinakademiker, DipWSET, WorldSom Magister Sommelier, Executive Director of Cote Rocheuse JSC)