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CHÂTEAU MERCIAN SCOOPS FOUR TROPHIES AT THE 2012 CATHAY PACIFIC HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL WINE & SPIRIT COMPETITION

HONG KONG, 17 OCTOBER 2012 - JAPANESE WINE PRODUCER CHÂTEAU MERCIAN HAS HAD AN OUTSTANDING SUCCESS AT THE 2012 CATHAY PACIFIC HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL WINE & SPIRIT COMPETITION WINNING FOUR TROPHIES.

The producer’s Château Mercian Sparkling Katsunuma no Awa 2011 was awarded three food and wine matching trophies including Best Wine with Sashimi, Best Wine with Tempura shrimp and Best Wine with Yakitori grilled chicken. The Yamanashi based winery also was awarded the prestigious Best Wine from Japan trophy.
 Judging of the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition took place on 4-8 October and judges from across Asia blind tasted over 1,800 wines and spirits from across the globe. This year’s competition saw guest VIP judges Karen MacNeil and Dr Bill Lumsden attending tasting sessions, giving the competition global stature.
 
Expanding the competition’s Asian appeal, new Asian food and wine tasting categories were added to this year’s judging making the competition truly “Asia’s voice, Asia’s choice”. Dishes included popular Chinese dishes Peking Duck, Cantonese Dim Sum, Kung Pao Chicken and Braised Abalone.  Within the Japanese category were Tempura Shrimp, Sashimi, Yakitori Grilled Chicken and Beef Teppan-Yaki. The judges also matched wine with Chicken Tikka and Pad Thai.
 
Australia scooped the board winning nine trophies. Notable producers included Wolf Blass winning both Best Australian Shiraz and Best Shiraz/Syrah for their Wolf Blass Platinum Label Shiraz 2007 as well as Accolade Wines receiving the Best NW Chardonnay and Best Chardonnay trophies for their Hardy’s Heritage Reserve Bin Chardonnay 2010.
 
On the heels of Australia was New Zealand winning eight trophies. Three New Zealand wineries scooped two awards – Sileni Estates won the Best New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Best Sauvignon Blanc trophies for their Greyrock Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2012; Cobblestone Vineyards received Best NW Pinot Noir and Best Pinot Noir for their Cobblestone Pinot Noir 2009; Seifried Estate was awarded Best NW Riesling and Best Riesling for their Seifried Nelson Winemakers Collection "Sweet Agnes" Riesling 2012.
 
Best Red Wine in Hong Kong below HK$200 was awarded to Georgian producer Kindzmaraulis Marani for their Kindzmaraulis Marani Mukuzani 2009.
 
Due to the high quality Semillon wines entered into the competition this year, a new trophy was introduced – Best Semillon and this was won by Australian Vintage Ltd for their McGuigan Vineyard Select Semillon 2005.
 
In the spirits category, Best Grape Brandy was won by South African Oude Molen Distillery PTY Ltd for their Oude Molen VOV and Best Liqueur was awarded to German producer Radeberger Destillation & Liqueurfabrik GmbH for their Original Radeberger Bitter.
 
Debra Meiburg MW, HKIWSC director commented:  “A medal win in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition helps wineries and distilleries set themselves apart in this exciting, competitive market.”
 
“Because the judging is based on Asian taste preferences, winners are recognised for their appeal to the Asian market,” Ms Meiburg concluded.
 
 
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ABOUT THE CATHAY PACIFIC HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL WINE & SPIRIT COMPETITION

The Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition is a unique event and now in its fourth year. Run in partnership with the London-based International Wine & Spirit Competition, which has been running for 40 years and is the world’s premier platform for recognising quality in the industry, the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition is created specifically for the Asian market by those who know and are intimately involved in the region.
 
It is the first truly Asian wine and spirit competition in the world, supported by key factors such as: Chinese food and wine pairing awards; an award for Best Wine produced in China; and judging will be conducted by Asia’s most esteemed wine and spirit judges from China, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Korea, Macau, Taiwan and India – including the competition’s Director and Master of Wine, Hong Kong-based Debra Meiburg MW.
 

ABOUT IWSC GROUP

The IWSC Group is the world leader in organising wine and spirit competitions around the globe. Along with the International Wine and Spirit Competition, which is considered to be the world’s premier competition of its kind, the IWSC Group launched the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine and Spirit Competition in 2008. The Group also owns the brands “The Spirits of Mexico” and “Whiskies of the World”, two signature US consumer tasting events.
 

ABOUT DEBRA MEIBURG MW

Hong Kong resident for nearly 25 years, Debra Meiburg MW is an award-winning author, TV personality and corporate speaker. A widely respected wine judge and champion of the wine trade in Greater China, she is author of the Guide to the Hong Kong Wine Trade and Tasting Wine with Debra.  She is host of the television series Taste the Wine and her one-minute wine tip videos called Grape Moments reach 60 million viewers per month via China’s metro-city taxis.  A long-time columnist with the South China Morning Post, Debra has worked at wineries on four continents and is a voice of the Asian wine industry.
 
 
For further information please contact:
 
Shuk Han Pong                                                     Anna Grant
Marketing Manager, Hong Kong                              IWSC Group
IWSC Group                                                          Head of Marketing
Shukhan.pong@iwscgroup.com                              annag@iwscgroup.com
CHÂTEAU MERCIAN SCOOPS FOUR TROPHIES AT THE 2012 CATHAY PACIFIC HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL WINE & SPIRIT COMPETITION

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