Austria's organic winemakers achieve 6 times Grand Gold, 32 times Gold, 23 times Silver and one recommendation

Oct 8, 2021

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ORGANIC WINE AWARD INTERNATIONAL – the results of the autumn 2021 tasting edition

Lots of nature and quality craftmanship: the second part of the organic wine tasting impresses the PAR® Jury by the high average quality and more remarkable courage on terroir.

Frasdorf, October 2021 – With a new uniformly named international name and brand image, the fourteenth ORGANIC WINE AWARD INTERNATIONAL ran the tasting on October 1st – 04th, 2021. For the first time since the pandemic outbreak, the PAR® Jury could partly get together for an attended event. Accompanied by PAR® Certified Master colleagues based in the reliable virtual Tasting Room *), the Jury assessed 304 organic wines from 19 different countries. Twenty-six products were honoured with Top Gold, 155 wines received Gold, and 110 were decorated with Silver. Compliments went to the other 12 products. Summarising Spring and Autumn Tasting of this year's edition of the renowned contest, a new record of 1.116 organic wines from 21 countries was achieved, continuing previous years' success.

Germany took the most vital position in terms of the number of participants submitting 101 wines, followed by Austria, Italy and Spain. As measured by Top Gold awards, Germany could take nine out of 26 ones ensuring the leading position, followed by Austria with six medals, Italy and Spain with three each. Likewise, organic wines from Australia, Argentina, Denmark, France and Portugal were among the winners.

Austria's organic winemakers achieve 6 times Grand Gold, 32 times Gold, 23 times Silver and one recommendation

The highest Austrian score of the tasting, 97 points, goes to the organic winery Oppenauer in the Weinviertel, for the traditionally aged in wooden barrels. 2019 Chardonnay Oak Edition. This is closely followed by a Grüner Veltliner aged reductively in steel tanks: the 2020 Weinviertel DAC Ried Reipersberg from the Gruber Röschitz winery, also located in the Weinviertel and also awarded Grand Gold.

In the red wine category, three organic wines are tied with 96 points and Grand Gold: the traditionally in steel tank and wooden barrel spontaneously fermented 2018 Wild Bee from the Roelser grape variety from the Arkadenhof Hausdorf organic winery in Wagram and, both from Neusiedlersee, the stylistically modern barrique-aged 2019 Zweigelt DAC Reserve of the Weiss Christian and Thomas winery and the kosher 2020 Queen of Sheba Late Harvest Premium Kiddush Wine from the Hafner Family Estate, a modern blend of Blaufränkisch with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, reductively fermented in steel tanks.

With Grand Gold and 96 points, the Weiss Christian and Thomas winery also delivers the best Austrian dessert wine in the ranking: the 2020s Emanuella - a modern Pinot Blanc Spätlese fermented in steel tanks with a well-dosed oxygen input.

The best sparkling wine, with 94 points and gold, was the 2020 Organic Rosé Brut - Burgenland g.U. Klassik emerged from the autumn tasting. It comes from the Szigeti sparkling wine cellar on Lake Neusiedl and was aged reductively in steel tanks and fermented in traditional bottles.

High Overall Standard and „Lots of Quality Craftmanship“

The overall picture of this year Autumn edition of the ORGANIC WINE AWARD INTERNATIONAL (formerly known as the international organic wine award) was characterised by the high average level. Around 59 per cent of the submitted organic wines achieved ratings in the Gold, and even Top Gold, range. This figure is nine percentage points higher than the results of the Spring Tasting. At the same time, only one product was reported to be faulty.

Moreover, natural wine could convince not only by the quantitative increase but also by its quality. Among 26 submitted natural wines, four products received 4 Top Gold and fifteen Gold medals. Head of Tasting and Board Member of WINE SYSTEM Martin Darting: „The gamut of natural wines is getting more and more exciting. It is plainly evident how the producers are gaining experience. Yet, there are neither standards nor varietal typicity; the styles differ so much. Two technically striking examples are the 2017er Reciso coming from the Tuscan estate Beconcini, a Sangiovese made by the traditional maturation in a concrete barrel or the 2020 Silvaner – ORANGE produced in wooden and barrique barrel at the biodynamic vineyard Brothers Dr. Becker , on the Rhine.“

WINE SYSTEM director Brigitte Wüstinger continues: "There is also a lot of movement in the organic wine scene in terms of terroir. With finely tuned maceration times and high enzyme activity with high hygiene standards and sensible SO2 additions, great results have been achieved here. A prime example from this group is the spontaneously fermented wine, which was made reductively in steel tanks. 2020 Danube Veltliner Groovy from the arcaded farm Hausdorf in Wagramer."

Differentiated and Transparent Assessment, Even If It Gets Tricky

To cope with the stylistic diversity of the international organic wine scene, the PAR® Certified Master Jury has long been working with oenological parameters like oxidation and reduction, tradition and modernity, along with mainstream categories like red or white wine. Likewise, there are stylistic subcategories like natural wine, terroir wine, extract – emphasised wine comprised by filtering the ranking results online.

Supplementary Information

*) During the hybrid tasting in autumn 2021, a part of the jury operated virtually. The submitted wines were classified in the climatic, stylistic and analytic parameters. The wines were anonymised and numbered before being unpacked and presented to the jury in the determined order. In compliance with the PAR® method, the auditors operate in a crew of two. At the first step, each wine is tasted separately. A discussion follows this process. Once a consensus is reached, the results are thoroughly documented.

 

Background Information:

The WINE SYSTEM AG With its three fields of activity Consulting, Education and PAR® high-quality contests is a capable partner for winegrowers, retail and expert audience in the fields of wine and sensors since 1999. WINE SYSTEM AG operates under the leadership of both board members Brigitte Wüstinger and Martin Darting since 2019. Since many years, the company organisers well-known high-quality contests, for instance, ORGANIC WINE AWARD INTERNATIONAL, PAR® WINE AWARD INTERNATIONAL, PiGUNDY WINE AWARD INTERNATIONAL, International PIWI Wine Award, as well as other smaller events. The database that contains more than 40.000 listed wines became a global information tool highly appreciated among experts. www.winesystem.de

Assessment with PAR®: Thanks to the transparency of the internationally recognized sensory testing system PAR, each submitted organic wine receives replicable and objective documentation of its sensory and oenological characteristics, respectively its authenticity, origin, and style. The PAR® training enables the qualified jury consisting of „PAR® Certified Masters“, for the most part, oenologists, sommeliers verified by the CCI and appropriately qualified wine experts to assess each wine neutrally, excluding personal preferences or preconceived opinions regarding “good taste.” In contemporary oenology, new international styles, likewise the traditionally made wines, experience appreciation and acceptance. The reproducible and differentiated methodology underlying the tasting provides the added value brought by this contest to the participants, far exceeding the pure marketing benefits. The detailed PAR® evaluation sheet is a proof instrument for quality management of wine-growing production.

contactt

WINE SYSTEM AG
Brigitte Wüstinger and Martin Darting
Daxa 8
83112 Frasdorf
Phone +49 8032-91633-20
Fax +49 8032-91633-49
office@winesystem.de

Media contact

WINE SYSTEM AG
Sonja Hartung
Daxa 8
83112 Frasdorf
Phone +49 8032-91633-0
Fax +49 8032-91633-49
presse@winesystem.de

 

 

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