Coronavirus - information for entrants and judges

Last updated on 11 June 2020. A statement is also available in Italian,French and Spanish.

In response to the current global situation regarding the coronavirus (Covid-19), we at IWSC have been actively adjusting and working to develop the best way to put our customers, experts and team first.

We are committed to delivering the service you need and expect from IWSC. To do so, here are the measures we are taking:

  • We are still open for entries and most deadlines will remain as planned, but we are going to be as flexible as possible.
  • Delivery deadlines for each country will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, while working in close dialogue with Hellmann – our logistics company - and you, our clients. We will update our deadlines page accordingly. The deadlines for spirits and wines from the Northern Hemisphere have been delayed.
  • We are delaying the Northern Hemisphere judging session which was due to take place in May so that producers in the worst affected regions have time to concentrate on their businesses and health. Our tasting sessions for Northern Hemisphere wines will take place in August. We run smaller and more frequent judging panels which allows us a degree of flexibility in our timetabling.
  • Spirits judging will take place in July.
  • Due to the current situation with COVID-19, we have decided to hold our South African judging in London rather than Cape Town. To help producers, we are offering free shipping of wine samples from South Africa.
  • Rest assured, only when all the samples from a category, region or country have been received, will we taste them. We will not allow our tasting practices to be compromised. We will work closely with you to achieve this.
  • The nature of IWSC tasting sessions, run on a small scale and with high frequency, gives us the flexibility to ensure your wines and spirits are tasted in a timely fashion.
  • All judging panels will be run according to IWSC standards. Our response to the situation simply means this will now take place over an extended period, with fewer panels judging at the same time, to avoid large gatherings.
  • To ensure winning wines and spirits have the greatest possible exposure, we are planning a major trade event later on in the year which will be attended by leading industry figures.
  • We have updated our results release dates.

The well-being of our experts and staff are paramount and we are keeping a close eye on the situation and we will continue to provide regular updates.

Frequently asked questions

1. I have already submitted my bottles online and sent the samples directly to you. What do I do?

Your samples will be kept in our cellar in the UK until a new judging date has been announced. We will inform you of the new judging and results announcement dates as soon as we can.

2. I have already sent my samples to my Hellmann depot for consolidated shipping. What do I do?

These will still be collated at the Hellmann depot and forwarded onto us as soon as they are able to. We will keep you informed and let you know when we have received the samples, and when the samples will be tasted, and the result announced.

3. I have entered online, but not shipped my bottles yet. What do I do?

If you can, please arrange shipment of your wines or spirits directly to us in the UK. We will announce a new delivery deadline, allowing you plenty of time to get your bottles to UK for IWSC 2020 judging.

4. I have started my entry online, but not completed it. What do I do?

We would recommend you complete your entry and make a payment. When we return to a degree of normality, we will announce a new delivery deadline, allowing you plenty of time to get your wines or spirits to UK for the IWSC 2020 judging. 

To find out more about IWSC, visit our entry zone.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with your Brand Manager, or contact us here. Please sign up to our newsletter to get the latest updates via email.