They looked, they smelled, they tasted - and then they judged. But the winners will not be announced for a few more days.
The Air New Zealand Wine Awards were held at Mt Smart Stadium yesterday with judges sniffing, swilling and spitting their way through almost 1500 entries.
Gold medal winners will be announced on Tuesday and trophy winners will be revealed at a black-tie gala dinner on November 28.
The awards, run by New Zealand Winegrowers, are the premier wine competition in New Zealand recognising excellence in winemaking.
Last year, 1535 wines were judged by a team of local and international judges to identify medal and trophy winners for each of the varietal categories.
