The difference between a medal and a near miss is often decided weeks before you even draw down your sample. A wine that has been carefully prepared, checked and given time to settle will almost always outperform the same wine that was rushed to the bottle at the last minute.
Entries close 20 August. Here's your preparation checklist, working backwards from that deadline.
Right now — taste your wine honestly
Pull a sample with your wine thief and taste it properly. Not a quick sip at the barrel. Sit down with a clean glass, good light, and give it the same attention you'd give a wine you were paying serious money for.
Ask yourself:
Is it fresh and alive, or does it feel flat and tired? Is the fruit character vibrant and present, or has it faded? Is there any sharpness, nail polish character, or mustiness that shouldn't be there? Is the sweetness, spirit warmth and fruit all working together, or is one element dominating?
Write down what you find. This is your starting point. Everything on this checklist flows from what you taste right now.
Related: Why barrel wine tastes flat or dull and how to fix it
Related: My barrel wine smells like nail polish — what's gone wrong?
Right now — check your barrel level
Your barrel should be at least three-quarter full before you start the pre-show preparation process. If it's lower than that, top up now. Significant ullage over the weeks leading into the show will continue to affect your wine's freshness and balance even after you've drawn down your sample.
Choose your topping wine carefully. For a show entry you want to add something that enhances the existing character of your blend rather than changing its direction. If you're topping up within a month of drawing down your sample, add conservatively and run a bench trial first.
Related: How to choose the right topping wine for your barrel
Related: How to do a bench trial at home
At least 3 weeks before drawing down — check and add SO2 if needed
This is the most important timing-sensitive step on the checklist.
If your wine is tasting flat, muted or slightly tired, low SO2 is almost certainly a factor. Adding sulphur now — at least three weeks before you draw down your sample — gives it enough time to bind with oxygen, stabilise the wine, and let the aromatics open back up fully.
If you add SO2 too close to drawing down, the wine may still show a temporary struck-match character from the sulphur addition. This fades with time but will not impress a judge who tastes it too soon after the addition.
If you're unsure whether your SO2 levels need attention, send a sample for analysis now. There's still time to get a result, make any adjustments, and let the wine settle before the entry deadline.
Related: What is SO2 and does your home barrel actually need it?
2 to 3 weeks before drawing down — do your bench trials
Once your barrel level is right and your SO2 is managed, this is the time to do your bench trials and finalise which category and class you're entering.
Pull 100ml samples and taste your wine in different contexts. Try it at fridge temperature and at room temperature. Try it alongside food. Try it the day after opening. All of these tell you something different about the wine's character.
Then use those bench trial notes to decide:
Which category does this wine belong in — Muscat, Topaque, Ruby and Tawny, or Rebel Blend? Which class does it honestly fit — Young Fresh and Fruity, Complex Rich and Luscious, or Dark Decadent and Aged?
If you're genuinely uncertain about the class, get a second or third opinion from someone who hasn't been tasting the same barrel for years. Fresh palates are often better judges of category placement than the barrel owner.
1 to 2 weeks before the deadline — draw down your sample
Once you're satisfied your wine is showing at its absolute best, draw down your 200ml entry sample. Use your wine thief to pull directly from the barrel into a clean, new bottle. Avoid bottles that have previously held anything else unless they have been exceptionally well cleaned and are completely odour-free.
If you want a full technical analysis run alongside your entry, draw down an additional 100ml in a separate clearly labelled container marked "sample for analysis."
Before you pack — complete the online entry form first
Do not draw down your sample and pack it before completing the online entry form. Your entry confirmation number needs to go on the label, and without it we cannot match your sample to your entry on show day.
Once you have your confirmation number, label your bottle clearly with:
- Your name
- Category entered
- Class entered
- Entry confirmation number
Packing and posting
Wrap your entry properly. Bubble wrap around the bottle, inside a zip-lock bag in case of leakage, packed firmly in a box with no movement. Express post is strongly recommended — we cannot accept entries that arrive after 20 August regardless of postage delays.
Post to: LiqLux Wine Show, PO Box 15, Rutherglen, Victoria, 3685
Your pre-entry checklist at a glance
Right now:
- Taste your wine honestly and note what you find
- Check barrel level and top up if needed
- Send a sample for SO2 analysis if anything tasted flat or off
Three or more weeks before drawing down:
- Add SO2 if levels are low
- Wait at least three weeks after any SO2 addition before drawing down your entry
Two to three weeks before the deadline:
- Run bench trials to confirm category and class
- Get a second opinion on category placement if uncertain
One to two weeks before the deadline:
- Draw down 200ml entry sample into a clean new bottle
- Draw down additional 100ml if you want a full analysis
Before packing:
- Complete the online entry form and get your confirmation number
- Label your bottle with name, category, class and confirmation number
Packing and posting:
- Wrap securely in bubble wrap inside a zip-lock bag
- Pack firmly in a box with no movement
- Send express post to arrive before 20 August
Post to: LiqLux Wine Show, PO Box 15, Rutherglen, Victoria, 3685
Related: The 2026 Liquid Luxury Wine Show is open — your complete guide to entering
Related: Entering the Wine Show for the first time — everything you need to know
Related: What our judges are actually looking for — the inside guide to the 2026 Wine Show
