Is it possible to safely conduct a professional wine competition during the Covid era? Yes. Do changes in procedures need to be made? Absolutely.

WineAmerica, the National Association of American Wineries, has assembled this document in response to inquiries from winery trade association representatives in its State and Regional Associations Advisory Council (SRAAC). For some, this is a vital area because their statewide competition is a key source of income to support the association’s operations. Others have used in-state competitions as promotional vehicles for the industries they serve.

There are three sections of this document:

• Covid-Era Competitions Best Practices: Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, held in mid-July, provides the most detailed and experience-verified information based on a real-life competition.
• Suggested Changes for Covid-Era Competitions, from Jim Trezise, WineAmerica President, longtime professional wine judge, and competition organizer
• Pre-Covid Guidelines for Judges in Any Competition, from Jim Trezise (2017)

Please note that this information is not intended as legal advice, and has not been vetted by health officials or others, but is intended as helpful ideas for those interested in considering sponsoring a competition. We also encourage them to review general guidelines from the CDC and state healthy agencies before proceeding.

 Any questions should be addressed to jimtrezise@nullwineamerica.org