The quality of Portuguese wines will be appraised in the 2019 Wines Portugal Challenge by a panel of renowned national and international judges. Among the experts who make their debut in this ViniPortugal initiative are Thomas Vaterlaus, editor-in-chief of the Vinum Magazine from Switzerland, who will join Dirceu Vianna Júnior (MW), Evan Goldstein (MS), Bento Amaral and Luís Lopes the Grand Jury of the competition. In this year's edition, ViniPortugal invited international experts from strategic markets for the brand "Wines of Portugal", strengthening the promotional character that the competition has been working on the last years with specialists, sommeliers and external market influencers. In addition to the invitation to Thomas Vaterlaus for the Grand Jury, other international judges will also be making their debut at the Regular Jury of the competition, namely Anders Halskov-Jensen, writer and wine critic from Denmark; David Wong, Executive Director of Wynn Food & Beverage of Macao; Marshal Lyu, wine teacher, from China; Nancy Reynolds, founder of Canada's Worldwide Cellar wine agency; Eduardo M. Araújo, sommelier, elected in 2017 the "Best Sommelier of Brazil for Wines of Portugal"; and Tatiana Mann, a Russian wine professional based in the United Kingdom. It is recalled that during the first phase of the Wines Portugal Challenge, which will be held at the CNEMA in Santarém, the wines will be evaluated by juries, with five to seven qualified members, of which at least two will be international. Second phase of applications open until 12 April For the seventh consecutive year, ViniPortugal distinguishes the excellence of national wines. Entries for the Wines Portugal Challenge are open and can be made at http://concursovinhosdeportugal.pt/. The 2nd phase of registrations runs until April 12, with no penalties for producers. The first phase of the Wines Portugal Challenge will be held from 6 to 8 May at the CNEMA in Santarém, where the registered wines will be evaluated by a jury composed of specialists in Portuguese and international wines, including journalists, sommeliers, wine educators and other professions linked to the sector. After this stage, the Grand Jury will meet on May 9 and 10 in Porto for the selection of the Grand Golds and the Best in the Year. The big winners will be known during the Awards Ceremony on May 10 at the Cruise Terminal of Leixões, in Porto. In 2018, 1307 wines from 372 producers received 301 medals, of which 36 were in the Grande Gold category, 73 Golds and 192 Silver. The Wines Portugal Challenge is an initiative of ViniPortugal that aims to be a meeting point and exchange of experiences between producers and specialists from all over the world, reaffirming the commitment to the quality wine with production the intention of assert themselves as products of excellence in export markets.