Top judges have been confirmed and entries are coming in as the clock ticks closer to the 10th anniversary International Chardonnay Challenge.

New Zealand's own Jane Skilton heads an impressive line-up of international judges for the Gisborne-based event which celebrates all that is good about chardonnay.

Included in the panel are former chairman of judges Mike DeGaris (Australia) and Larry McKenna (New Zealand), with last year's ICC winning winemaker Andrew Fleming (Australia) joining compatriot Paul Atwood (Australia), international wine writer Jo Burzynska (New Zealand), Jane Boyle (New Zealand), Kate Radburnd (New Zealand), and Steve Voysey (New Zealand).

Skilton, New Zealand's only onshore based female Master of Wine, juggles teaching, writing and judging in her daily schedule. The Brit-turned-Kiwi, who moved here in 2000, has judged all over the world, and continues to inspire the next flight of competition judges through her teaching. She has been involved in nearly every ICC.

DeGaris is also a regular at the event, and while he is Australia based now, he has lived on both sides of the Tasman working in the wine industry. These days he is a consultant and rather busy judge.

McKenna also judges on and offshore. He's internationally renown for his pinot noir and chardonnay. His career spans decades, and includes time at Delegat's Wine Estate and the Martinborough Vineyard, but now he co-owns The Escarpment Vineyard in Martinborough.

Fleming is senior winemaker at Coldstream Hills in the Yarra Valley. It was his 2007 reserve chardonnay that took the top award at last year's ICC. Chardonnay is one of the loves of his life, and his efforts have produced many a trophy winner.

Atwood, senior winemaker at Margaret River's Leewin Estate, heads a team known for its quality wines.

Burzynska is a wine journalist, author and judge, whose work appears all over the globe. Another Brit-turned-Kiwi, Burzynska moved Down Under after discovering the country and wines were something she couldn't live without.

Boyle has worked on both sides of the Tasman, and these days is product strategy manager for New Zealand Wine Cellars, while also judging at some of the nation's top competitions.

Radburnd is winemaker, managing director and co-owner of CJ Pask in Hawke's Bay. She is also director of New Zealand Winegrowers, deputy chair of the council of the Eastern Institute of Technology in Hawke's Bay, chairman of judges for the Royal Easter Wine Show and a wine consultant for Air New Zealand.

Voysey, Gisborne regional winemaker for Pernod Ricard has been a regular at the competitions over the 10 years. He is passionate about chardonnay and his time in the region has allowed him to be part of an evolution of styles and brands. In Voysey's eyes the big breakthrough in winemaking came when he understood enough about the Gisborne district to allow the wines to be differentiated through appellation rather than process differences.

It is an action-packed schedule for the May 26-28 event with a chardonnay forum and an expected sell-out 200-strong gala awards dinner to cap it all off.

Competition director Prue Younger says it is going to be a tremendous celebration for a variety that continues to top the polls all over the world.

Entries are steadily flowing in from across New Zealand and Australia , as the closing date of March 26 beckons. There is also interest again from South Africa and Canada, with several new wineries are entering for the first time.

"Every year we've had more and more entries, with international entries now sitting at 35% of the total field," says Younger. "It's heartening to see that in a somewhat challenging climate, we continue to have interest from all sorts of new wineries."

Friday's chardonnay forum proffers tastings of grand cru and village international wines, with international speakers including representatives from world leaders in the production of top clonal vine stock.

"It's going to be another fantastic challenge and we're looking forward to it immensely."