We have studied carefully wine list competition governance. Both in SA and abroad we conclude that typically governance is not taken seriously. Best practice is not often showcased. The order of the day currently appears to be based on opaque practices with a total lack of transparency of outcomes. Ultimate levels of award do not clearly tie back to any particular protocol, or to any transparent scoring system. Furthermore, distant locations are given unfair advantage for this fact and thereby potentially compromise negatively the dining experience as a result of geographic position and ‘uneven’ scoring boards.
The 2012 Top 100 SA Wines Wine List Challenge is compelling in that the judging process and the judges themselves are distinct and separate from the business. Judges have a professional responsibility to discharge. They are paid a professional fee for fulfilling their judging responsibilities.
Furthermore the published protocol and scoring template allows for an effective and transparent approach as to just how the rating and ranking of establishments will take place.
Finally, it is important to note that a process of due diligence will take place on establishments who enter the 2012 Challenge. Consumers can be confident that a variety of arms-length tactics will be adopted to ensure that there is full consistency between wine list, services and practices, recorded as being offered on entries, and those that actually take place.
