五 3 11月 2023

Best Wine & Spirits for Asia Announced

Celebrating its 15^th edition in 2023, the Cathay Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition has announced its full results at the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Fair Awards Ceremony on 3 November, offering a snapshot of the trends in style and taste preferences in Asia.

Announced by the Competition’s Vice Chair of Judges, Sarah Wong, a total of 61 trophies were handed out to wine, spirit, sake and now beer producers from around the world. On top of that, 109 gold medals were awarded, along with a 341 silver and 468 bronze medals.

Topping the trophy and medal haul once again was Australia, receiving 9 trophies. In a surprise win, an Australian sparkling wine - Gilbert Family Wine Company 2016 Gilbert Blanc de Blancs - took the crown of Best Sparkling Wine from traditional sparkling homelands of Europe. Less surprising, Australia’s “national” variety, Shiraz, claimed the throne of Best Red Wine from Australia (Zilzie Limited Edition Shiraz 2021).

France ranked the second on the medal list, followed by Austria and China.

Chardonnay proved the star variety on the trophy list. Five Chardonnays from Chile, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand bagged a total of 7 trophies. But the star of the show was Petaluma Yellow Label Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay 2022, taking Best White Wine from Australia, Best Wine from Australia and Best Chardonnay. There were 3 Pinot Noirs who received trophies, including its long-heralded “perfect match” in duck with Cambria Estate Winery Julia's Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021 grabbing the title of Best Pairing with Chinese Crispy Smoked Duck.

China surprised the judging team with a number of high quality brandy and huangjiu. Brandies of Koya from Shandong won 1 silver, 2 golds and 1 trophy award. Together with a brandy by Dynasty, China obtained 3 gold medals in this category. Mansong Special Edition Huangjiu, a traditional rice wine from Shaoxing, showed its all-round food matching capabilities by obtaining the Best Pairing with Japanese Wagyu Beef and Best Pairing with Inaniwa Udon. Soup dishes are often challenging for wine matching, but Mansong Special Edition Huangjiu nailed it.

On the other hand, Scottish spirits enticed the palates of Asia’s top judges, not only with whiskies but also gin and vodka. The Biggar Gin Company Biggar Ginwas awarded trophies for both Best London Dry Gin and Best Gin.

To support the global effort on sustainability, this year HK IWSC introduced the Light Bottle Still Wine Trophy. To demonstrate to the public that bottle weight has no impact on quality, HK IWSC selected the two lightest bottles with 90+ points as the winners of this category. Those wines were Catena Appellation Vista Flores Malbec 2021, packed in a traditional glass bottle and screwcap, weighing a total of 1.133 kg. The second winner was Djuce Yeswecan Dominique Piron Beaujolais 2020 from France, packed in an aluminum can.

The 2023 HK IWSC judging event brought together a remarkable assembly of 66 industry judges, each possessing extensive expertise and qualifications. Coming from 9 cities / regions, the judges' collective knowledge and discerning palates ensured a rigorous evaluation process, guaranteeing that only the finest drinks would receive recognition in the competition.

Full results can be found here.

View photos of Award Ceremony

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“Winning a silver medal in the HKIWSC has truly helped my product to achieve international credibility regarding its taste. This has positively affected decision making of several new merchants who now carry my product.”Kaustav BagchiOwner, Lamai Thai Spirits
“Louis Royer Cognac has been entering the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition for many years. This competition is regarded as the most respected in Asian countries. Winning an award is a high honour for our brand and a further seal of quality for our multi-award winning Cognac.”Carol FrugierMarketing and Communications Manager, Louis Royer Cognac
“Adding to our success over the past few years at the HKIWSC, winning a trophy means so much to us as we have just recently entered the Chinese market with our brandies. The Chinese market is unique, which makes it even more exciting to know that Oude Molen VOV Brandy is well accepted.”Kobus GelderblomBrandy Master, Oude Molen Distillery
“It is a great honour for us to receive this award and we are very thankful about the reputation from wine enthusiasts in China. This award is a testament to the fact that our white wines not only match the traditional Austrian food but also matches perfectly with the Asian cuisine.”Katja PflogschWinemaker, Domäne Wachau
“To get recognition from such a prestigious panel is vey rewarding indeed, and proves that our wines are made in a style that is truly food friendly. The HKIWSC has become one of the year’s most well-respected wine competitions globally. For us, the food match component is a fantastic chance to demonstrate how well our wines compliment so many different flavours. Moreover, it is a competition known and valued by our customers so a trophy can be hugely influential.””Susanna MayerWinemaker, Yealings
“Awards and medals at the HKIWSC have been like a stamp of approval to the quality of our wines. Because it is an Asian-focused competition, I know that my wines are being judged and measured by the same yardstick as all the other wines, given our viticultural conditions are quite unique compared with the rest of the world. These medals give me and, more importantly, my consumers the confidence that my wines stand apart from the competition.”Kalash GurnaniWinemaker, York Winery
“We are very proud of our results. One of our key focuses is the Asian market, so we really want to make our wines special and desirable for this market. That’s why we want to enter this competition and be evaluated by the expert judging panel.”Sofia Cajewski Winemaker, Cremaschi Furlotti
“We at Yealands Estate Wines are proud to be recognized by the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition. The organization is held in the highest regard and our success in the competitions has become a strong voice for our quality around the globe.”Avram DeitchGlobal Marketing Manager, Yealands Wine Group
“Winning awards in reputable international wine shows such as the Cathay Pacific HKIWSC is one of the many ways of educating our consumers and giving them confidence in purchasing the Saint Clair brand. This enhances brand perception an in turn increases sales across our entire portfolio of wines.”Maria EastonWinemaker, Saint Clair Family Estate

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Best Wine & Spirits for Asia Announced

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