This time of year sees the focus shift to the movie buffs. Everyone with even a passing interest in movies is talking about who will be holding the golden statue and be an emotional wreck while thanking everyone they've ever known in the acceptance speech. 
 
Wine has its own versions of the Baftas and Oscars. The UK is host to a number of internationally acclaimed wine competitions, dishing out the medals on an annual basis. Decanter has its World Wine Awards, the International Wine Challenge (IWC) has long been sticking medals on the best bottles, as has the International Wine and Spirit Competition. The question is how much attention we should really pay to these awards and do they give us, the consumer, any guidance to what is good or bad on the shelves?
 
The truth is that any competition is ultimately as good as those that enter it. And all of these competitions rely on producers or importers entering their wines to be scrutinised. That means a producer can make a deliberate choice whether they want their wines to be judged or not. Producers who have little trouble selling their wines may not enter their wines, particularly if they have a small production and a loyal following. So don’t write off a wine just because it hasn’t got a medal stuck to the bottle. The standard of judging in the competitions is generally very high and is usually done by panels of experienced tasters, from wine buyers to writers, critics and sommeliers and in some cases even members of the wine drinking public. Medals will only be awarded if the quality of the wine merits it. This means medals can be something of a guide when buying your wines. What the judges look for in the wines is typicity so a medal is not necessarily a guarantee you're going to like the wine. Only you can decide that. In the same way the Academy Awards reflect the opinion of a panel of judges and critics, you may not always agree with them and you should always follow your own instinct.
 
Cave de Lugny Chardonnay 2010
Widely available – around £7
This month's wine is one of the Trophy winners in the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) and I've always liked this wine for its accessible and easy drinking style. It comes from the Macon region, which is part of Burgundy, spiritual home of Chardonnay, and is made by a very reliable co-operative, the Cave de Lugny. They have been producing mostly unoaked Chardonnay in the region since 1927 and they consistently provide the wine consumer with great value for money. So it is good to see this wine gaining the plaudits, particularly as the price is very keen around the £7 mark. It's also very readily available in most supermarkets as well as Majestic.