Press release: Results of the PIWI WINE AWARD INTERNATIONAL

Press release: WINE SYSTEM – Trust Your Senses

Northern PIWIs on the rise: results and winners of the PIWI WINE AWARD INTERNATIONAL autumn 2024

Hot topics: PIWI specific success factors and the multiple value of consistent quality control 

Frasdorf, October 2024 – At the sweet spot, where nature meets masterful enological craft, that’s where the jury of the PIWI WINE AWARD INTERNATIONAL found excellent qualities. And in this autumn edition, there was plenty. Of the 145 wines submitted by producers from 12 countries, 20 PIWIs were accoladed with the highest medal — and the main criteria setting them ahead of the also very strong qualities in the Gold section, was that extra bit of control: in terms of oxidation, malolactic fermentation, sulfur addition, and the like. The scene’s overall quality tendency, however, is more than exciting. Especially the northern European top scorers demonstrate, that a thorough quality management and stylistic flexibility to match the individual PIWI’s characteristics do pay off. Outstanding examples were submitted by the German winery Jürgen Kachel; from Switzerland by Weinbau Triengen, Cave de la Côte or Genossenschaft Weinrüti-Rank; by Skærsøgaard Vin in Denmark, WIJNDOMEIN WAES in Belgium or, one of the overall winners, by Lusca Vineyard in Ireland. The detailed rankings with all sensory profiles are available at winesystem.de/piwi-wine-award.

PIWIs, PAR® and quality control

While PIWI vintners, in addition to climate stress, have to deal with vines whose individual requirements the scene is still learning a lot about, they seem to benefit particularly from the long-term evaluation of their wine qualities. Alexander Morandell, head of WINE SYSTEM’s internal quality control: „We see significant quality leaps in the wines submitted by producers, who really work with their PAR® evaluation sheets, which result from our tastings. Many of them also make good use of the personal de-briefings — and were able to increase their scores this autumn.“

Sensory expertise: the double value of WINE SYSTEM’s rankings

Word has gotten around in the industry that PAR® Awards are more than just a marketing tool. The insights gained from the jury’s detailed sensory data sheets are also being used for quality management, as indicated by the growing demand for the free de-briefings. In addition to adjustments in the vineyard – for example in terms of leaf management, humus input and biodiversity – vinification measures that have a positive effect on quality can also be seen in the current tasting. These include masterfully planned maceration times, precise sulphur additions, clever combinations of wood and steel ageing, and well-orchestrated cuvées. All of this has influence on the style, and can be of great help with the effects of climate change — with new, sometimes sensational results.

The highest scores per category

PIWI WINE AWARD INTERNATIONAL

– AUTUMN 2024

White wine:

• 2023 Sauvignac Qualitätswein by Weingut Jürgen Kachel, Württemberg, GER – 99 points, Grand Gold

Sparkling wine:

• 2023 Gransecco Cabernet blanc by Weingut Hammel in the Pfalz region, GER – 98 points, Grand Gold

Dessert wine:

• 2023 Sweet Ice by Skærsøgaard Vin, Jütland region, DK – 98 points, Grand Gold

Red wine:

• 2022 Trienger Sträggelebluet from Weinbau Triengen, Barmet & Zihler, CH – 97 points, Grand Gold
• 2022 Divico Cuvée XC from Cave de La Côte from the Waadt region, CH – 97 points, Grand Gold
• 2022 Arcum AOC Barrique by Genossenschaft Weinrüti-Rank, Aargau, CH — 97 points, Grand Gold
• 2022 WAES CABERNET CORTIS by WIJNDOMEIN WAES, Flanders, BE — 97 points, Grand Gold

Rosé wine:

• 2023 Fjordgaard Rosé 2023 by Fjordgaard Vin & Vadehav in the Jütland region, DK –

            92 points, Gold

WINE SYSTEM – Trust your Senses stands for professionally sound quality assessments and Wine Awards since 1999, as well as for training in the field of wine and sensorics and consulting for wineries. In striving for quality, appreciation for people and craftsmanship is the company’s guiding star in all three business areas. The PAR® sensory testing system, with its analytical and strictly documentary approach, is both the working basis and the expression of this philosophy. It enables the PAR® Certified Master Jury in the WINE SYSTEM tastings to make valid, detailed and comprehensible assessments and provides the necessary expertise in training to understand, trace and predict sensory processes in their entirety. Thus, more and more winemakers use the informative tasting data from the awards for the qualitative development of their wines. WINE SYSTEM – Trust your Senses has been under the management of board members Brigitte Wüstinger and Martin Darting since 2019. The current awards are the ORGANIC WINE AWARD INTERNATIONAL, the WINE AWARD INTERNATIONAL and the PIWI WINE AWARD INTERNATIONAL. www.winesystem.de/en