British Columbia Amateur Winemakers Association
Class
A
.
Aperitif Sherry
This class is intended for dry and not
very
sweet sherry,
Madeira and
related wines
.
The very sweet wines of
these types belong in the After Dinner Class.
Class
B
.
Aperitif
Herbed or otherwise flavoured wine for use as an
aperitif. Wines that exhibit the strong aperitif
characteristic of the ingredient such as citrus, muscat,
or other strongly
–
flavoured fruits
belong in this class.
The class includes vermouth type wines as well as those
similar to the patent aperitifs. Most tend to the sweet
rather than the dry end of the sugar spectrum.
Class
C
1. Chardonnay
A white wine to be co
nsumed with food. Wines must
contain at least 85% Chardonnay.
Class
C2
. Aromatic White Vinifera
A dry to off
–
dry
white wine (0% to 3% Residual Sugar)
from Vitis vinifera grapes such as any of the muscats,,
Bacc
hus, Ehrenfelser, Gewűrztraminer, Malvasia,
Optima, Ortega, Pearl of Csaba, Scheurebe,
Schőnburger, Siegerrebe, Symphony, Viognier, or White
Riesling. Aromatic non
–
vinifera grape wines are
acceptable in this class. Unblended varietals that
demonstrate a st
riking perfumed quality tend to be
more successful than blends. Aromatic quality may
reflect
floral characters,
fruit characters, or both.
Preferred examples will usually have been cold
–
fermented. The final decisions about which entries best
represent
the
concept of ‘aromatic’ must be left to the
judges
.
Wines in this class
should be judged cool.
Class
C4
. Other Dry White
This class contains all other white wines, either varietals
or blends, which do not fit the descriptions of Classes
C
1
(Chardonnay),
C5
(White Pinot), or
C2
(Aromatic White
Vinifera
). A white wine to be consumed with
food.
Varietal vinifera wines in this class must contain 85% or
more of vinifera varieties such as Auxerrois, Chasselas,
Chenin blanc, Colombard, Grűner Veltliner, Madeleine
Angevine, Sauvignon blanc, Semillon, or Trebbiano .
The remaining 15% may be any
ingredient. Blends in
this class must not fit the definitions of
C
1,
C5
, or
C2
.
Wines that include interspecific hybrid grapes are
acceptable in this class and their ingredient percentages
must be specified so their eligibility in the appropriate
AWC cla
ss can be determined. Aromatic white grape
varieties are acceptable in blends provided their impact
is subdued. Non
–
grape dry white table wines belong in
either
this class or J1 (Country Table).
Class
C
5
. Dry White Pinot
A white wine to be consumed with food.
Varietal wines
in the Dry White Pinot Family Class must contain at
least 85% of any one of the following varieties: Pinot
Blanc, Pinot Gris, white juice from Pinot Noir, Pinot
Meunier or Gamay Noir.
Class
D
. Rosé
Light, refreshing pink wines. In grape rosé wines,
varietal characteristic is a definite plus. Strongly
aromatic wines
such as raspberry are generally
unsuitable for use as table wines.
Class
E
1. Dry Bordeaux Style Red
Varietal
(= single variety) wines in this class are those
that contain at least 85% of any one of the following
five varieties: Cabernet franc, Carmenere, Malbec,
Merlot,
or Petit Verdot.
Note that any
other
grape
variety or varieties may be used in the remaining 15%.
Note that varietal Cabernet Sauvignon wines belong
only in
Class
E7
.
Blended
wines in this class must contain at least 85% of
any two or more of the followin
g six varieties: Cabernet
franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Malbec, Merlot,
or Petit Verdot.
Note that any other grape variety or
varieties may be used in the remaining 15%.
Note that
Cabernet Sauvignon is permitted in this class as a
component of a bl
end.
Theoretically, a wine with 84% Cabernet Sauvignon and
16% other Bordeaux varieties would belong in this class,
but the best wines will usually be those in which no
single variety monopolizes the blend and in which the
several varieties have combined
to produce elegant
complexity.
Class
E
2
. Dry Red Pinot
W
ines in the Dry Red Pinot Class must contain at least
85% of one
or more
of the following varieties: Pinot
noir, Pinot Meunier, or Gamay noir
.
Ideally, these wines
exhibit fruity attributes and may be at their peak when
young. The bes
t mature examples demonstrate
complexity and finesse while retaining substantial fruit.
Class
E3
. Non
–
Vinifera Red Grape
A
red table wine made from grapes of which at least
95% are interspecif
ic hybrid varieties. They include, as
varietals or blends, Baco noir, Castel,
Chambourcin,
Chancellor, De Chaunac, Frontenac,
Landal, Landot, Lucie Kuhlmann, Léon Millot, Maréchal
Foch,
Michurinetz, Sabrevois, and St. Croix among many
others.
The remainin
g 5% may be any ingredient.
As with any
table wine, the sugar
–
acid balance must convey the
impact of dry table wine style. Judges should have
sufficient general familiarity with these wines that they
recognize their positive attributes
and realize that
ent
ries should not be penalized for characters
that are
typical of the varietal.
Class
E4
. Dry Red Zinfandel
Wines in this class must contain at least 85% Zinfandel.
Class
E5
. Rhone Style Dry Red
A dry red table wine made from at least 85% of one or
more of the following grape varieties:
Alicante
Bouschet, Carignane, Grenache, Mourvèdre, P
etite
Sirah (Durif), and/or Syrah (Shiraz). Blends may also
contain any other variety permitted in Chateauneuf
–
du
–
Pape. The remaining 15% may be any ingredient.
Class
E6
.
Other
Dry Red
This class contains all other red wines, either varietals
or bl
ends, that do not fit the definitions of Classes
E
1
(Dry Red Bordeaux),
E
2 (Dry Red Pinot),
E4
(Dry Red
Zinfandel),
E7
Cabernet Sauvignon),
E5
, (Rhone Style
Red) or
E3
(Non
–
Vinifera Red Grape). So, dry red wines
that contain less than 85% Bordeaux varietie
s, less than
85% Cabernet Sauvignon, less than 85% Pinot, less than
85% Zinfandel, less than 85% Rhone Style reds or less
than 95% dry red non
–
vinifera grape belong in this
Other Dry Red Class. Varietal vinifera wines in this class
must contain 85% or more
of vinifera varieties such as
Lemberger, Barbera, Dornfelder, Nebbiolo, Ruby
Cabernet, Sangiovese, Touriga Nacional, Tempranillo
(Valdepeñas), or Zweigelt. The remaining 15% may be
any other ingredient. Wines that include interspecific
hybrid grapes are e
ligible for this class provided they
are from less than 95% hybrid. Non
–
grape dry red table
wines belong in
either
this class or J1 (Country Table).
Class
E7
. Dry Red Cabernet Sauvignon
Wines in this class must contain at least 85% Cabernet
Sauvignon.
Class
F
.
Dessert
Wines to be drunk with the dessert co
urse of the meal.
Should be sweet and luscious, but with sufficient acid to
prevent them from being cloying. Alcohol must have
been developed by fermentation of the wine. These are
NOT fortified wines.
Wines such as ports, sweet sherries, Madeira types, a
nd
other wines that are fortified, baked or otherwise made
using port, sherry, Madeira etc. processes do NOT
belong in this class.
Class
G
.
After Dinner
Wines in this class are for use after dinner, perhaps with
nuts and cheese, or in place of a liqueur. Wines such as
ports, sweet sherries, Madeira
s
, or other wines that are
for
tified, baked or otherwise made using port, sherry
etc. type processes belong in this class. This does not
however prevent a competitor from entering
in this
class
an appropriate
wine
naturally fermented
to high
alcohol
.
Class
H
.
Sparkling
There are Sparkling wines made that are appropriate for
all occasions. They can be drunk alone, or with virtually
any food. Wines sparkled by the Champagne method
have an unmistakable yeasty flavour which adds to th
eir
complexity. Those
that
have been carbonated tend to
exhibit fruitier characteristics. Sediment is
unacceptable.
Class
I
.
Social Wine
A Social wine should be enjoyable without the
accompaniment of food. Colou
r can fall into a wide
range but it should be inviting. The wine should have an
inviting fruity aroma. The wine should be neither dry
nor excessively sweet. It should not be noticeably high
in alcohol. In many types of wine a peak or peaks
appear in the fl
avour spectrum
–
for example a White
Table wine might have an acid peak; in the Aperitif
class, a bitter peak is not out of place. There should be
no such peaks in a Social wine. Good balance between
sugar and acid is essential. A touch of “spritz” is
perm
issible. This is a patio wine not a table wine and
may be served alone or with light style foods (snacks).
Country Classes
A country wine is any wine made from at least 95% non
–
grape ingredients.
Some country wines are
intentionally made in a style closely matching the
description of one of the “functional” grape classes: A
(Aperitif Sherry), B (Aperitif), F (Dessert), G (After
Dinner), or H (Sparkling) and
must
be entered in those
classes.
Others
may fit the definitions of classes
E6
(Other Dry Red),
D
(
Rosé
),
C4
(Other Dry White), or I
(Social) and
may
be entered there
or
in Class J1
(Country Table) or J2 (Country Social), whichever seems
most appropriate. The Country Wine Classes J1 and J2
are i
ntended for those country wines which depend
heavily on their non
–
grape origins for their interest and
character and have been made in a functionally table or
functionally social style. Still meads and melomels are
appropriate for this class and should be
entered in
either J1 or J2 depending on sweetness.
Class J1: Country Table Wine
Any dry to medium dry (0
–
3% Residual Sugar) country
wine intended as table wine. Balance is of great
importance in determining a successful wine. Flavour
may range from
very delicate to very intense. A touch of
“spritz” is acceptable, especially in lower alcohol or
lighter flavoured wines.
Class J2. Country So
cial Wine
Any country wine intended to be appreciated on its
own, rather than to accompany food. Country Social
Wines are medium dry to medium sweet (3
–
8% Residual
Sugar) and are not sweet enough to be dessert wines.
Class J2 is intended primarily for wi
nes which are
outside the parameters of Class I (Social) because of
their fruit characteristics and often, sweetness. Country
Social Wines typically have one or more dramatic
“peaks” in their profile
–
an immediately recognizable
intensity of fruit aroma
and/or flavour, or noticeable
acidity and freshness, or a hint of bitterness, or a higher
alcohol level through fermentation than is suitable for
Class I (Social). Astringency and/or bitterness and/or
high acidity are not faults in themselves but must have
been balanced by appropriate sweetness and/or flavour
intensity and/or mouthfeel. A touch of spritz is
acceptable, especially in lower
alcohol or less intensely
flavoured wines
.
Class
P
.
Sparkling Cider
A sparkling bever
age of 6 to10% alcohol content, dry to
medium sweetness, low to medium acidity, made from
either or both apple juice (Cider), or pear juice (Perry)
or from
some combination of one or both of those
juices with other fruit (non
–
grape) juice. The other juice
must be less than 50%
of the blend and the flavour of
the other fruit should not dominate.
The difficult
–
to
–
define, zesty character of traditional cider must be
present and will be a direct reflection of the
cidermaker’s skill in selecting ingredients.
Any
form of
carbonation acceptable in the Sparkling Class is also
acceptable in the Sparkling Cider Class.
Sparkle should
be controlled and prolonged. Fine champagne
–
like
bubbles trailing from the bottom of the glass are
preferred. Cider may be disgorged or p
resented on the
priming yeast. In the latter case the cider must pour
clear to within 3 cm of the bottom of the bottle.
Class
S1
.
Dry
Red Grap
e Kit
A dry red table wine whose grape ingredients (juice,
concentrate, skins) are only those contained in the kit or
kits as purchased. Grapes, skins, must, concentrate,
juice, wine or fresh or dried plant materials from any
other source are not allowed.
Winemaking techniques
(e.g., barrel fermentation, barrel aging, blends of the
same product made with different yeasts, and blends of
different products) and the addition of adjuncts (e.g.,
oak chips, oenological tannins, enzymes, and yeast
derivatives) ar
e encouraged. Entries must have been
made entirely at home. Specific Gravity should not
exceed 0.998.
Class
S2
.
Dry White Grape Kit
A dry
white table wine whose grape ing
redients (juice,
concentrate, skins) are only those contained in the kit or
kits as purchased. Grapes, skins, must, concentrate,
juice, wine or fresh or dried plant materials from any
other source are not
a
llowed.
Winemaking techniques
(e.g., barrel fermen
tation, blends of the same product
made with different yeasts, and blends of different
products) and the addition of adjuncts (e.g., oak chips,
oenological tannins, enzymes, and yeast derivatives) are
encouraged.
Entries must have been made entirely at
hom
e. Specific Gravity should not exceed 0.998
.