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1,750 medals for wines from all over the world at the MUNDUSvini Great International Wine Awards 2009
- German wines top the medals table
- Sparkling results for overseas wines and small wine-producing nations
- Pfalz gains the most medals
- Winzerverein Hagnau, MGM Mondo del Vino and Casella Wines recognised as producers of the year
Neustadt/Weinstraße, 14th September 2009.
In its ninth year the MUNDUSvini Great International Wine
Awards has once again confirmed its standing at the head of the field with 5,726 entries from 44 countries - a record number. The international expert jury was able to award 1,750 medals in total:
24 double gold, 480 gold and 1,246 silver.
"We are proud that the competition has been able to achieve a growth in entries of 7 percent even in a year of crisis while other wine awards have seen a significant drop," says Prof. Dr. Ulrich
Fischer, MUNDUSvini board member, "We see this as clear proof that MUNDUSvini occupies an important position at both a national and international level." Federico Castellucci, General Secretary of
the Organisation Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin (OIV), was also impressed. He described MUNDUSvini as one of the most important international wine competitions and praised its strict
application of the OIV rules.
443 medals for wines from Germany
The majority of the medals went to German producers, who also submitted the most wines; almost every fourth tasting came from German cellars. In total 443 medals, including 6 double golds, were
awarded to wines from Germany. They are followed in the medals table by other major wineproducing countries such as Italy with 286 (6 double gold), Spain with 262 (1 double gold) and France with
183 medals (5 double gold).
Wines from the USA also came away successful - out of 42 entries 24 wines received a medal (57.1%) followed by Australia (166 samples) with a medals haul of 51.8%.
The result for Tunisia was especially remarkable. Six out of eight samples from this small wine-producing nation were awarded a medal; one wine was even considered worthy of a double gold by the
jury. Montenegro was similarly successful; of the four wines submitted three were awarded medals.
Pfalz is ahead of the competition
Of the German wines the Pfalz outshone all other growing regions. With 352 wines its entries represented around a quarter of the German wines and achieved 113 medals. Placed second in the medals
table were the wine producers from Baden (89). They were rewarded with a veritable shower of gold; three of their samples entered won double gold. Third and fourth places went to producers from
Württemberg (65) and the Mosel (52).
The medals haul for Franconian wines was also considerable. 53.4% of the products entered from Franconia (Franken) were awarded a medal by the expert jury.
Numerous special prizes presented for outstanding
achievement
Winzerverein Hagnau eG became the German producer of the year. The wine producers' cooperative from Lake Constance managed two gold and three silver medals out of nine samples entered.
MGM Mondo del Vino from Italy (2 gold, 7 silver out of 18 entries) carried away the title "European Producer of the Year" whilst Casella Wines from Australia achieved the best result amongst the
overseas producers with 1 double gold, 4 gold and 4 silver medals (11 entries) and was awarded Overseas Producer of the Year.
Apell Weine from Kassel now bears the title "Importer of the Year".
The 2007 Assmannshäuser Höllenberg Spätburgunder Auslese trocken from the Hessische Staatsweingüter GmbH Kloster Eberbach was awarded best dry red wine of the year from Germany,
whilst the 2007 Sehnsucht Silvaner trocken from the Franconian vineyard Horst Sauer was recognised as the best dry white wine.
Best sparkling wine of the year went to the champagne Bollinger 2000 La Grande Année from the Bollinger champagne house.
Public tasting of the winning wines
On Saturday 14th November 2009 passionate wine lovers and connoisseurs will have the opportunity to try the winning wines from the 9th MUNDUSvini Great International Wine Awards for themselves.
From 11 am to 9 pm the doors of the Neustadter Saalbau will be open to any visitors who would like to slip into the role of taster.
Entrance will cost 15 euros per person for the day and includes the official Sensus tasting glass. Tickets are available in advance from MUNDUSvini - Das Weinhaus, Marktplatz 4 in
Neustadt/Weinstrasse or at the door. An advance sale of tickets begins on 5th October 2009. As last year, proceeds from the event will go to the Kinderschutzverbund e.V, a charity supporting
vulnerable children.
About MUNDUSvini:
The MUNDUSvini Great International Wine Awards is the largest
officially recognised international wine competition for wines from all the growing regions of the world under the patronage of the Organisation Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin (OIV). It was
started in 2001 by the MUNDUSvini wine academy, a subsidiary of the Meininger publishing house in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse and has been held every year since then.
Samples entered undergo tasting by an international jury consisting of respected and experienced tasting specialists from all over the world. Judging takes place according to a 100 point system and
is based on the bouquet and tasting tests as well as the awarding of individual points according to the O.I.V. and U.I.OE. tasting tables. Medals are awarded based on the joint decision of the
jury. As per the regulations of the O.I.V. the number of medals awarded is limited to 30 % of the samples submitted.
The best wines receive the awards "double gold", "gold" and "silver". There are also special awards for particular achievements such as "Importer of the Year" and "Producer of the Year". In
addition the awards are officially recognised by the European Union as a quality mark.
Please request further information and photographic material on the 9th MUNDUSvini Great International Wine Awards from:
Berit Schönrock
Meininger Verlag
Maximilianstr. 7-17
67433 Neustadt/Weinstrasse
Germany
Phone: +49 (6321) 89 08-1910
Email: schoenrock@meininger.de
Please request comprehensive information on the performance of individual wine-producing countries and their producers from:
Susanne Denzer
MUNDUSvini GmbH
Maximilianstr. 11
67433 Neustadt/Weinstrasse
Germany
Email: denzer@meininger.de