Our 2024 wine writing competition – a guide

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2024 wine writing competition

wine writing competitions

wine writing

WWC typewriter midnight blue. Image by Constantine Johnny via Getty Images.

A guide to this year's wine writing competition on unforgettable wine moments.

The judges and I are all very excited about the entries that have been selected for publication in the coming weeks. We have been astounded by how varied, innovative, clever and powerful so many of these 214 submissions have been and are so grateful to all the entrants for sharing their stories this year.

There is no single criterion that determines what makes a particular wine moment unforgettable. It can be lighthearted or gritty, happy or sad, exciting or disappointing, a combination of those feelings or something else entirely. What makes the moment unforgettable is not determined by the putative quality or price of the wine itself as much as it is shaped by our personal experience of the given moment. A cherished moment of sharing a bottle of generic Merlot with family can be just as memorable as tasting a famous wine or visiting a legendary winery.

Several entrants explore the moment that made them a wine lover, while others describe the instant that led them to pursue a career in the wine industry. Some recount jarring incidents that led the author to reevaluate their relationship with the wine industry, or with wine itself. These essays document the range of significant moments that wine enthusiasts and those working in the wine industry can have. They show that for some of us, our most unforgettable experiences are wine moments, for many of the episodes that will be published were truly life-changing ones. At its heart, this competition is about the profound meanings that wine can have for people and the varied ways in which it can indelibly impact our lives.

Entries will be published daily, unedited, free for all readers and in no particular order in the coming weeks. We will publish a shortlist of the top entries on 3 September, then readers can vote for their favourite entry from the list until 16 September. Entries will be added to the list below as they are published, with the most recently published ones listed at the top.