Results available online at www.internationalwinechallenge.com from 10.30 am on Tuesday 22 May 2007.

Press Release

The 2007 International Wine Challenge (IWC), the world’s largest blind wine tasting, announces its medal results today, highlighting notable improvements from Spain, South Africa, Argentina, Chile, Greece and the UK. The awarding of fewer Gold medals this year underlines the rigorous judging process of a competition that has established itself as the pre-eminent arbiter of wine quality since it was created 24 years ago.

This year 9,358 wines were judged from 35 different countries, by 400 judges. The judges came from 19 different countries and included 33 Masters of Wine.

260 Gold medals were awarded (representing 2.8% of the entry). 1,129 wines won Silver medals (12.1% of the total). The biggest change is in the percentage of Bronze medals awarded (19.7% of total entries) with 1,839 medals, 7% up on last year. All the usual wine-producing countries were amongst the medal winners plus emerging contenders China, Morocco and lovakia.

The top 3 medal winning nations remain the same as last year – France, Australia and Italy. France scooped the most medals with a total tally of 635. South Africa sees an increase in medals from 147 in 2006 to 195 in 2007. France also takes home the most Golds (44), followed by Australia (39). Portugal comes in third with 36 Golds, a great achievement for a smaller wine-producing nation. Although the overall trend was for fewer gold medals (7% less than in 2006), Chile more than doubled its haul from 5 in 2006 to 13 this year. English wines continue to show improved form with 10 medals in 2005, 16 medals in 2006 and 21 in 2007. This year’s single UK Gold goes to Denbies Wine Estate Greenfields 2003, the Surrey vineyard’s top sparkling wine.

Of the UK Supermarkets Tesco stocks most medal winning wines (126) whilst Sainsbury’s can claim the most Golds (13). Own brand Golds from Tesco, Sainsbury’s and M&S include Tesco Finest Marlborough Pinot Noir 2005 (£9.99), Marks & Spencer Leitz Rüdesheimer Berg Roseneck Riesling 2005 and Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Pouilly Fumé 2006 (£8.99). Showing impressive continuity, Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Pouilly Fumé 2005 won a gold medal in 2006 and is one of 22 “follow-on” Golds.

Other examples are Peter Lehmann’s Reserve Riesling with a Gold this year for 2002 vintage after last year’s 2001, and Villa Maria’s Single Vineyard Graham Sauvignon Blanc, Gold this year for 2006 and last year for 2005. Medals for Organic wines, and a trophy to follow 810 organic wines were entered into the competition this year, winning 16 Golds, 86 Silvers and 153 Bronzes. Spain had the most medal-winning organic wines with 4 Golds, 21 Silvers and 35 Bronzes. For the first time in its 24 year history the IWC will be awarding an Organic Wine Trophy.

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mel

Thanks for the link Mel.

I have some reservations about the IWC. E.g. the entry cost per wine is a big barrier to small independents entering bottles; despite the size of the competition it misses far more wines than it tests; at least one winery last year was accused of bottling and entering wine from selected cuvees.

One decision I do agree with is the Gold for Tesco's Finest Pinot Noir. My son has recently returned from a few months in NZ singing the praises of that country's Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. I bought a bottle of the (then reduced) TFPN and we were both very favourably impressed.

I haven't tried the TF NZ PN. Will do my next shopping there and pick up a bottle. I'm very interested in PN from the New World. NZ, obviously, but Chile is really impressing me now. They seem to be more fragrant than NZ, Orgegon, Aus or Cal.

In fact, the Cono Sur £4.99 Pinot takes some beating.

If you want to stay in NZ, and can get to an Oddbins, Matahiwi is fabulous at £8.99. If you type the name into a search on QO (see above, or the TN search from the front page) you'll see I was fairly impressed.

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mel

I don't trust IWC results much. I've had too many indifferent winners, or wines I just don't like. In fact I'd go so far as to say that I'm more likely to avoid than buy when I se an IWC sticker.

This competition has got so big and there are now so many judges that things seem to come down to the LCD on most occasions. It doesn't prize individuality in wines.

And then there's the Zonte's Footstep syndrome - wines that stand out at a tasting by shouting "look at me!", but that at home you'd have trouble finishing the glass.

Agree about Chilean PN, tho I much prefer the M&S Secano Estate (aka Viña Leyda) to the Cono Sur. Might try the Tesco "finest" (ha ha!), tho I'm usually underwhelmed by NZ Pinot.

I used to be a fan of competition winning wines and would actively seek them out, I still do on occasion although I now approach them with an open mind and maybe a touch of cynicism. More often I prefer to base my buys on experience, knowledge of the producer / region, information / recommendations gathered from various wine sites, web searches and general forum gossip.

Having said that, I think it is perfectly fine to take the odd gamble too, you never know

It seems a shame that the IWC has dropped to those levels. It used to be a good indicator but as you say, there are a lot of indifferent wines winning awards and some really great wines which just get a "commended".

I think the problem is that the tasting panel has become conditioned to tasting nice commercial wines from the big producers and the more interesting, independently produced wines don't fit their palate-profile anymore.

In New Zealand, most of the top wineries don't enter the competitions because they are dominated by wineries like Villa Maria, who also have their winemakers on the judging panels! A gold medal nowadays means "tastes like Villa Maria".

Ah well...i just bought a bottle of Zontes Footstep Shiraz/viognier 2004...hope I CAN finish the glass without being too distraught...aaargh.

Noooo!!! Well, don't say you weren't warned... we did our best!

Still, it does work pretty well for unblocking the sink, I found.

What blocked it? Musar?

I love Musar and won't hear a word said against it.

New Zealand Sauvignon, I'd have thought.

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mel

Wouldn't have thought that had enough to it to block sinks

sorry, misread the post. Musar fair enough to block, and NZ SB to unblock.

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mel

ah, ok