Conditions of entry
Terms and conditions of entering the 2025 New World Wine Awards
General
1. Wine from any supplier, producer, or agent is eligible for entry
2. Wine from any country is eligible for entry. The wine must be compliant for sale in New Zealand supermarkets by meeting the requirements of the Food Act 2014 (MPI Standard for Imported Wine and Beverage), the Wine Act 2003 (WSMP), Sale & Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 and the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code’s labelling requirements as appropriate. Wine entered by overseas (non New Zealand) wineries must have New Zealand representation and distribution
3. Overseas wines must have the minimum required volume (as detailed in the Class Schedule) landed, cleared from port, and available for dispatch from the NZ distributor's distribution centre by Friday, August 29, 2025.
4. To be eligible for the Top 50, wines must retail under $30 New Zealand dollars. Eligibility is determined by the wine's normal retail price in either New World North Island or South Island stores. If not stocked in New World, the normal recommended retail price (excluding promotional pricing) must be under $30.
5. Wines retailing OVER $30 must be noted on the online entry form. Wines over $30 are eligible for medals but are not eligible for the Top 50 and are not guaranteed to be stocked in New World stores.
6. Wines must be available in commercial quantities, meeting the minimum volume requirements specified in the Class Schedule.
7. A wine can only be entered once, using the entrant's choice of closure (e.g., screwcap, cork) and packaging format (e.g., glass, can, plastic). Duplicate entries with different closures or packaging are not allowed.
8. Each wine can only be entered once, even if bottled under different labels.
9. Entries must be lodged online at https://entries.newworld.co.nz/Home.
10. The entry fee is NZ$120 plus GST per wine.
11. Foodstuffs New Zealand will issue an invoice with payment instructions by Friday, June 6. Payment must be received by Friday, June 27. Failure to pay by the due date may result in entry withdrawal, withheld results, or ineligibility for future entries.
12. Existing Foodstuffs North Island suppliers may offset entry and marketing fees against the next payment from Foodstuffs North Island.
13. Withdrawals must be notified to the Competition Director at [email protected].
14. Entry fees for withdrawn wines are non-refundable.
15. By entering the New World Wine Awards entrants agree to receive emails updating them on the competition. Recipients can unsubscribe to these emails at any time.
16. Foodstuffs NZ will store entrant email addresses for marketing and promotional purposes related to the New World Wine Awards. This data may be securely shared with Foodstuffs agencies and third-party suppliers for this purpose.
17. By submitting an entry into the New World Wine Awards, you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of the competition.
Samples and Judging
18. Confirmation of entries and sample bottle instructions will be emailed on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.
19. The final date for receiving wine samples is Friday, June 27, 2025.
20. Entrants are responsible for ensuring wines are entered into the correct class and subclass. The organizers reserve the right to move wines to more suitable classes if necessary.
21. Entrants are responsible for ensuring the wine matches the entry form's details regarding wine type and vintage and that the wine is labelled accordingly for judging.
22. Entrants are responsible for ensuring wines are received by the due date.
23. Entrants are responsible for paying excise duty on imported samples.
24. Four 750ml or 375ml sample bottles are required for judging per entry. Twelve samples are required for wines in cans or bottles less than 375ml.
25. All sample bottles become the property of Foodstuffs NZ. Excess bottles may be auctioned, with proceeds donated to a charity chosen by New World.
26. Entries must be presented in their retail packaging; tank or barrel samples are not permitted.
27. The wine supplied for judging must be the same varietal, vintage, packaging, and closure as the product available for sale in New Zealand.
28. Each wine entered must be fully consistent with all wine produced under the same label in that vintage, originating from a homogeneous quantity of wine produced with identical methods and materials.
29. Medals awarded to non-vintage wines apply only to the submitted lot or batch number, and medal stickers can only be applied to wines from this specific lot or batch.
30. For imported wines with multiple lot numbers, the Chair of Judges will verify that the wine submitted matches the wine available for supply if it is selected for the Top 50.
31. If a second bottling is needed for a Top 50 wine to meet volume requirements:
a. No additional sampling is required if it's the same lot number from the same vintage and tank.
b. The Chair of Judges will taste both samples to ensure consistent quality if it's a new batch or blend.
32. The New World Wine Awards standard is 750ml and 375ml glass bottles with screw cap or cork closures. Suppliers of wine in other packaging systems must provide reasonable evidence to enable the Chair of Judges, Chief Steward and Competition Director to comfortably assure consumers that the wine will undergo the same level of evolution over 12 months as in a 750ml or 375ml glass bottle, which are held as standard.
33. Top-scoring entries in each class will be photographed for marketing purposes post-judging.
34. In accordance with New Zealand Winegrowers' standards, varietal and regional claims must comprise at least 85% of the wine (e.g., a "2024 Marlborough Pinot Noir" must be 85% Pinot Noir grapes from Marlborough in the 2024 vintage).
35. All wine entered must be of merchantable quality, comply with food safety legislation, and meet labelling regulations as specified in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. All entries must be grocery compliant i.e. Legally allowed to be sold within New Zealand Supermarkets.
36. Wines must be bottled and labelled as for retail sale. New vintages may use temporary labels for judging, but must be fully labelled for photography by Friday, August 8, 2025, if selected for the Top 50.
37. Cleanskin samples will not be accepted.
38. New bottlings without a final label must have a temporary label including wine name, region, variety, vintage, producer name and address, additives, package size, alcohol %, and standard drinks. Alternatively, a copy of the proposed label may be attached.
39. Entries will be judged on the 100-point system.
40. Medals will be awarded as follows: Gold (95+ points), Silver (90-94 points), Bronze (85-89 points).
41. Wines will be judged in vintage order, youngest to oldest.
42. Wines over $30 will be judged in their varietal class alongside wines under $30.
43. Emerging varietals will be ordered by vintage, and judges will be advised of the country of origin.
44. The decision of the Chair of Judges and Foodstuffs NZ is final in any dispute.
45. All results will be confirmed via email on Monday, July 14, 2025.
46. All results are confidential until the public embargo is lifted. The Competition Director will confirm the embargo lift date via email.
47. Failure to keep results confidential can lead to gold medal being revoked.
48. Please note that if you are not in the TOP 50 but have got a gold medal there is no guaranteed ranging across both regions.
Supply and Distribution
49. Top-scoring wines under $30 from each class and/or subclass are re-tasted and ranked by senior judges. The top wine in each varietal is awarded Champion, and the top wines across all classes form the Top 50 selection. Senior Judges then select Champion Sparkling, White, and Red wines.
50. Suppliers of Top 50 wines will be emailed by the Competition Director on Monday, July 14, 2025, to confirm they meet the entry criteria, including minimum volume requirements, retail price under $30, New Zealand representation and distribution (if overseas), ability to supply in outers of 6 bottles, and that the wine is solely from grapes.
51. Top 50 suppliers must confirm their wine meets entry criteria by midday, Wednesday, July 16, 2025.
52. Top 50 wines meeting the criteria will be included in the five-week NWWA promotion, warehoused in Foodstuffs Distribution Centres (DC), stocked in New World stores nationwide, and promoted as part of the NWWA.
53. Wines selected for the Top 50 that do not meet entry criteria will still receive their medal but will be excluded from the five-week promotion and replaced by the next highest-ranked wine in that varietal.
54. Suppliers of Top 50 wines failing to meet minimum volume requirements will have their gold medal revoked as they failed to meet entry requirement.
55. New suppliers to Foodstuffs must complete the Foodstuffs Compliance Pack, providing their current food certification and GS1 ProductRecallnz registration certificate by 5 pm on Thursday, July 24, 2025. Failure to comply may lead to withdrawal from the five-week promotion.
56. New suppliers without acceptable food certification must meet Interim Approval requirements and obtain necessary certification, potentially including an audit against Foodstuffs Importer/Broker Standard.
57. Each Top 50 wine must be set up via GS1 ProductFlow or Data eXpress (DEX) by 5 pm on Thursday, August 14, 2025. Failure to submit this information by the deadline may lead to withdrawal from the five-week NWWA promotion.
58. Actual order, delivery date, and delivery details will be confirmed by the relevant Replenishment Buyer during the week commencing September 15, 2025.
59. All Top 50 wines in 750ml bottles warehoused in Foodstuffs DCs must be supplied in outer cartons of 6 bottles with an outer shipper barcode.
60. Failure to supply stock in required quantities by the Wednesday before the promotion starts may result in withdrawal from the Top 50 promotion and possible exclusion from entering the competition in the future.
61. For Top 50 wines already stocked in Foodstuffs DCs, the supplier is responsible for clearing incorrect vintage stock as notified by the Replenishment Buyer within two weeks' notice.
62. For Top 50 wines already stocked in New World stores, suppliers are asked to assist stores in clearing incorrect vintage stock to prepare for stocking the correct vintage awarded a medal in the 2025 judging. This should be done upon email confirmation of the wine's selection for the NWWA 5-week promotion.
63. Top 50 wines featured in the NWWA five-week promotion will be core ranged in New World stores during this period and promoted during the Christmas trading period. Suppliers wishing to be evaluated for ongoing ranging will need to present their Top 50 wine(s) through the usual ranging process cycle. If the wine doesn't sell through, the category/promotion teams and supplier will collaborate on additional promotional activity within New World. Unsuccessful stock will be offered to other retail banners within Foodstuffs, and if still unsuccessful, returned to the supplier within a reasonable timeframe. Foodstuffs guarantees it will not return stock held in the DC for over 12 months.
Price Promotion, Medal Stickers & Marketing Promotion
64. For any suppliers of Top 50 wines featured in the five week NWWA promotion, Foodstuffs North Island Limited and Foodstuffs South Island Limited will enter into a fixed term supply agreement, for that five-week promotional period in respect of the Top 50 wines provided by the relevant supplier.
65. Suppliers of Top 50 wines are expected to provide up to 24 bottles free of charge for samples to promote the New World Wine Awards with influential media through targeted PR activity.
66. New World Wine Awards Gold, Silver & Bronze medal stickers can only be applied to the brand, wine, varietal, vintage, packaging, and closure submitted and judged.
67. For non-vintage wines, medal stickers can only be applied to wines of the same lot or batch number as those submitted for judging.
68. New World Wine Awards Gold, Silver and Bronze medal stickers can only be applied after the lifting of the public embargo (date to be confirmed by email by the Competition Director).
69. Suppliers are expected to sticker medal winning wines until the vintage or lot runs out.
70. Any advertising, promotion or publicity relating to or referring to medals, awards or accolades won in this competition must not be false, misleading or deceptive.
71. . A roll of 1,000 stickers will be sent to the supplier of each Gold and Silver medal winning wine with their medal certificate. The cost of these stickers is included in the entry fee.
72. Any producer or supplier that breaches the rules of the New World Wine Awards will be disqualified, have medals withdrawn and may be prevented from entering the competition in future.
Audit
73. All wines entered into the New World Wine Awards competition may be subject to verification of compliance with the regulations of the competition by auditors appointed by the organisers of the competition.
74. The entrant agrees that organisers of the New World Wine Awards and/or their auditors may inspect stocks and uplift samples of wines bearing the same name details as the entry held at the premises of the entrant and inspect records of wines bearing the same name details as the entry. They agree to facilitate such an inspection at a mutually convenient time within five days of the date of such request.
75. Wines available for retail sale may be purchased in the course of the audit.
76. In the event of a judged wine being found to be inconsistent with wine produced under the same label in that vintage, that wine will be disqualified, have medals withdrawn and may be prevented from entering the competition in future. Only in the instance that the entrant supplier, producer or agent can prove to the Chair of Judges’ satisfaction in every respect that the wine came from the same source and is made, blended and bottled consistently will the wine not be disqualified. Any costs incurred in this process will be paid by the entrant.
Think you’ve got a winner? Enter now and compete with the best!
Entries close at 5pm on Friday 30th May 2025
All enquiries are welcome and can be directed to the Competition Director:
Nadia Narot, Foodstuffs NZ
[email protected]
More information:
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Competition overview |
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Dates and deadlines |
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Frequently asked questions |
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Classes |