Wine School Founder Explains the Strange World of Wine Awards

Lauren Vinopal’s Feb. 3, 2022 article, “Inside the Cardboard Chaos of Boxed Wine Awards,” published by MEL Magazine.

Our Overview of the Article:

How does an inexpensive box of wine end up boasting dozens — even 90 — gold medals?

That question sent MEL Magazine writer Lauren Vinopal into the peculiar world of wine competitions. For an expert explanation, she turned to Keith Wallace, winemaker, sommelier and founder of the Wine School of Philadelphia.

Wallace’s assessment was characteristically direct: “wine awards are always a bit fishy.”

The problem, he explained, is not limited to boxed wine. Many competitions require wineries to submit their own bottles and pay substantial entry fees. That creates an economic incentive for competitions to attract large numbers of entries — and, Wallace argued, to hand out plenty of awards.

“There is a clear economic interest in giving out as many awards as possible,” he told Vinopal.

The mechanics can also surprise consumers. Unlike an Olympic race, a wine competition does not necessarily produce one gold, one silver and one bronze winner. Wines may be judged individually, meaning multiple wines in the same category can receive gold medals. Wallace confirmed that competitions can award numerous bronze, silver and gold medals within a single category.

The article traces this system back to the American state-fair tradition, where everything from livestock and produce to wine could earn ribbons and medals. Over time, private competitions proliferated, each with its own judging rules, categories and awards.

For consumers, Wallace’s contribution offers a useful lesson: a medal on a bottle may look impressive, but without knowing who awarded it and how the competition worked, it tells you surprisingly little.

Sometimes the most important wine skill isn’t tasting what’s in the glass. It’s understanding what’s on the label.