Classes

Only bottled, finished commercially available wines will be considered. A minimum of 25 cases must have been produced to be eligible and all straight varietal classes must have minimum of 85% of that varietal.

White

1  Sparkling made from alternative variety grapes by traditional method, petillant naturel, col Fondo, charmat or carbonation. May be dry or sweeter styles, lightly frizzante to fully bubbly. Please add residual sugar level and relevant winemaking notes on the final page of entry form. PLEASE NOTE: Any sweet style sparkling wines should be entered into the sparkling wine class NOT the sweet styles class. 

2  Arneis

3A  Vermentino – 2024

3B  Vermentino – 2023 and older

4A  Fiano – 2024 

4B  Fiano – 2023 and older

5  Pecorino

6  Other White Italian Varietal Wines (minimum 85% single variety)

7A  Viognier – 2024  

7B  Viognier – 2023 and older 

8  Marsanne

9  Pinot Blanc / Bianco

10  Picpoul

11  Chenin Blanc

12  Other White French Varietal Wines (minimum 85% single variety)

13  Albarino

14  Arinto

15 Gewürztraminer

16  Grüner Veltliner

17  Other White Varietal Wines must be labelled a varietal wine with Minimum 85% of a single variety. Varieties with origin other than Italian or French should be entered in this class. Varieties might include, but are not limited to assyrtiko, müller-Thurgau, sylvaner or verdejo.

18  White Blends (minimum 85% alternative varieties)

Red

19  Rose

20A  Sangiovese – 2023 and younger

20B  Sangiovese – 2022 and older 

21  Nebbiolo

22  Barbera

23  Sagrantino

24  Aglianico

25A  Montepulciano – 2023 and younger

25B Montepulciano – 2022 and older 

26A  Nero d’Avola – 2024

26B  Nero d’Avola – 2023 and older

27  Other Red Italian Varietal Wines This class is for wines labelled as single variety wines. Varieties might include, but not limited to, dolcetto, teroldego, marzemino, negroamaro or refosco. Blends including these varieties should be entered into one of the Red Blends classes. (Minimum 85% single variety)

28A  Tempranillo – 2023 and younger

28B  Tempranillo – 2022 and older  

29  Mataro / Mourvedre / Monastrell

30  Graciano

31  Mencia

32  Touriga

33  Malbec

34  Cabernet Franc

35  Gamay

36  Zinfandel / Primitivo

37  Saperavi

38  Other Red Varietal Wines (not Italian varieties). This class is for wines labelled as single variety wines. Varieties might include, but not limited to, bastardo, blaufrankisch, chambourcin, carmenere, cinsault, pinotage, sousao, St Laurent or tannat. Blends including these varieties should be entered into one of the Red Blends classes.

39A Red Blends – 2023 and younger (minimum 85% alternative varieties)

39B  Red Blends – 2022 and older (minimum 85% alternative varieties)

Other

40 Sweet style wines might include late harvest, botrytis, ice-wine, partial drying or appassimento-style and cane-cut but NOT fortifieds, which have their own class (class 39). Varieties might include, but not limited to, hárslevelü, malvasia Istriana, orange muscat, picolit, trebbiano and viognier. PLEASE NOTE: Any sweet style sparkling wines should be entered into the sparkling wine class NOT the sweet styles class. 

41  Fortifieds styles and varieties might include, but not limited to, palomino, pedro ximenez, touriga, apera or vermouth-styles.

42 Wines of Provenance Entries for this class will be three different vintages of the same wine, from same vineyard, under the same label. This class is open to all styles and colours of wine. The vintages entered must span at least 10 years with minimum of two years between entries. EG. Nebbiolo 2012, Nebbiolo 2015 and Nebbiolo 2021. The entry form is treated as one single entry. Please select NV for the vintage and do not use vintage in the wine name area. You will have a space to write which vintages you’ve chosen to enter and add any notes required. 

Changing the World

“The massive impact the AAVWS has had on wine production and consumption in Australia over the last 15 years is now flowing overseas as alternative varieties breathe new life into the UK market and add colour and excitement to the Australian offering.”