Despite the countless half- finished bottles of wine that lined the walls, the atmosphere in the plush function room of Tokyo's Sheraton Hotel was decidedly tense rather than tipsy. Japanese and Westerners were sitting around tables deep in concentration, thoughtfully holding a glass up to the light before swilling the liquid around their mouths. Half an hour later and the frowns give way to smiles as winners were finally agreed upon: Welcome to the 11th Japan Wine Challenge (JWC).
For three days in early July, tasters made their way through a whopping 100 to 110 wines a day to find the best of the 1,650 entries. Once the tension had eased, it was nice to see the camaraderie that had built up between the foreign and native judges over the course of the competition, as they wandered a little unsteadily over — even if you spit, the body still absorbs some alcohol — to have their group photo taken.
"The real benefit is for the consumer," said Terry Copeland, executive director of the JWC. "Using the results helps them to get an objective view of what are the better wines available in the market."