The 19^th annual National Cool Climate Wine Show (NCCWS) is underway at Bathurst Showground, and this year judges will have to decide the best of the best from 802 entries.

The wines have come from across the country, with every Bathurst vigneron entering their top drops.

NCCWS chairman of the judges, Tim Knappstein, is overseeing the three days of judging and he said it is not as easy as it looks to determine which wines are best.

He said the wines up for judging are not compared to each other, but rather, they must meet pre-set standards set by the judges.

“Most judging is done on the nose. You taste wine to confirm the opinion you’ve already formed of it,” he said.

“Nose counts for about 50 per cent of the score.”

The rest of the 20-point score comes from the wine’s appearance and palate.

As a variety, chardonnay was “having a renaissance”, Mr Knappstein said, and it was among the largest of the classes with 106 entries received.

“There are 78 [entries] in the 2016 vintage in chardonnay,” he said.

Among the reds, shiraz was the largest class with 143 entries.This was followed by pinot with 99 and cabernet with 79 wines entered.

NCCWS committee member Michelle Kerr said the community do not miss out on the fun of the wine show, with a dedicated public tasting event this Friday.

On the night, all 802 wines entered in the show will be available to sample.

“A lot of people think that they can’t get to try the medal winners, but they are on the table and we actually have them marked so you know,” she said.

“Come down and be your own judge and get among it.”

On the night, people can also take a free tasting tour conducted by local wine makers and enjoy complimentary nibbles and entertainment.

The public tasting is on from 6-9pm this Friday in the Bathurst Showground pavilions.

Tickets to the public tasting are $40 and can be purchased online from the NCCWS website.

Limited tickets will be available on the door on the night.