At the Excel Centre in East London, judges are tasting thousands of wines for the Decanter World Wine Awards, a prestigious event that could elevate ordinary bottles sold in supermarkets to award-winning status. Over a week, 6,000 boxes of wine are evaluated, with judges assessing wines by region and price category, and discussions can become passionate as they defend their preferences. The tasting atmosphere resembles a business meeting rather than a casual wine tasting, with judges employing a systematic approach to evaluation while noting unique descriptors for each wine.
