Thu 5 Nov 2015

Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition 2015 Results Announced

(5 November 2015) After 800 hours of judging, 18,000 glasses washed, and 400 spittoons emptied, the 29 judges from 13 countries have finished tasting the thousands of samples entered into this year’s competition. Today, Asia’s original and most well-respected wine and spirit competition, the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine and Spirit Competition (HKIWSC), released the results of the week long judging session at the HKTDC’s Hong Kong international Wine & Spirits Fair at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

This year’s star-studded judging panel saw the addition of two VIP judges, Australian winemaker and CEO of Australian Vintage, Neil McGuigan, and Whyte and Mackay’s Master Blender, Richard Paterson, aka ‘The Nose’. Evidently attracting top talent from their home territories, their arrival was coupled with huge success from Scotch Whisky and Australian Wine. The competition awarded 24 Gold Medals for Scotch, and 28 Gold’s for Australian wine, 10 of which were in the ever popular food matching category.

At the official competition stand, Booth 3CON-042 visitors will be able to sample award winners and discover the results of this years’ competition. The Awards Ceremony Cocktail Reception, where trophies are presented, will take place on Thursday, 5 November 7pm-8pm.

The competition saw a number of firsts in 2015, awarding the first Shochu Trophy to Sanwa Shurui Co for their iichiko Frasco, the first entries from Kazakhstan, and a completely revamped range of authentic Asian dishes for with the food and wine pairing competition, kindly sponsored by CP foods.

Thailand did exceptionally well in the 2015 competition, with a total of 40 medals and scooping three trophies in the food & wine matching competition with producers GranMonte and Siam Winery Co out performing competitors. A spirits highlight was Lamai Distilleries Lamoon Rum Agricole being awarded a coveted Silver medal.

New Zealand also put in a strong performance with many homegrown products winning gold and silver medals. Highlights included: Cobblestone Vineyards "Te Muna" Pinot Noir 2014 picking up the ‘Best Pinot Noir’ and Yealands Estate Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2015 scooping the ‘Best Sauvignon Blanc’, once again proving their strength at producing these classic Kiwi varieties.

The Best Wine at Key Price point trophies continued to provide interesting results, highlighting top quality wines at accessible prices. This year Matua Valley picked up the Best White Wine below HK$ 150 for their Squealing Pig Sauvignon Blanc 2015, and the Ferrari Perlé 2008 was awarded the Best Sparkling Wine below HK$ 400.

Allen Gibbons, IWSC group chief executive officer and Cathay Pacific HKIWSC director commented: ‘What is perhaps most pleasing about this years’ competition is seeing the growth of interest in Hong Kong as a route to Asia for more and more companies. Not only did we welcome new countries this year, we also increased the spread of entrants in terms of regions and size of producers. Congratulations to all our entrants and especially to our winners: you are Asia’s Choice as decided by Asia’s Voice’

<END>

_______________________________________________________________

About the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition

Now celebrating its seventh year, Cathay Pacific HKIWSC remains the original and most well-respected wine and spirit competition in Asia. Founded by the IWSC Group, Debra Meiburg MW and Simon Tam, the competition is regarded as the Asian guide to the world’s finest wine and spirits. With its panel of Asian judges, the Cathay Pacific HKIWSC ensures that, not only are the best wines selected from all across the globe, but that they are suited to Asian taste preferences too.

For all press enquiries please contact:

Harriet Chandler

Harriet.chandler@iwscgroup.com 0044 203 176 6461

www.hkiwsc.com

@hkiwsc

Category:

Enter Now

Search Winners

Buy Stickers & Artwork

“

“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

”

Subscribe to keep up with the HKIWSC latest

Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition 2015 Results Announced

We Thank Our Sponsors: