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Ukrainian winemakers celebrate eight medals and Best of Show
Neustadt-an-der-Weinstrasse once again welcomed wine experts, buyers, sommeliers, media representatives and winemakers from around the world at the end of August – this time with almost subtropical heat and thunderstorms. In the heart of the Pfalz wine region, the international MUNDUS VINI tasting competition, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, brought together 2,830 still and sparkling wines from countries across Europe, including Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine, as well as New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, the USA and many others. A separate category was dedicated to No/Lo wines, with 144 entries. Over three busy and rewarding days, the international jury, divided into 18 panels, tasted a total of 2,974 products.
As usual, the wines competed in different categories and were assessed blind. Samples are grouped in advance by type, origin and stylistic characteristics. During the tasting, jury members are given several details for each sample: vintage, grape varieties, sugar level and, for still wines, oak ageing. The wines are scored according to the OIV system.
The key point is that MUNDUS VINI judges do not assess wines according to personal preferences. Instead, they apply defined quality criteria for each category, helping to create as objective a picture as possible of today’s wine market.
The results of MUNDUS VINI Summer Tasting 2026 once again confirmed the high quality of the wines entered: 15 received the competition’s top distinction, Grand Gold; 1,040 wines were awarded Gold and another 643 Silver. The overall tally was 1,698 medals, including 71 (!) awards for the alcohol-free segment – but more on that later.
The most successful participants were, first and foremost, the traditional European wine-producing countries. Italy led the field with 466 awarded wines: five received Grand Gold, 287 Gold and 174 Silver. Spain came second with 282 awards, followed by Germany with 204. Portugal took home 163 awards, while France received 100.
Looking at the regional breakdown among the leading countries, Veneto brought Italy its biggest haul with 97 awards, followed by Tuscany with 69 and Puglia with 60. In Spain, Castilla y León led with 61 awards, closely followed by Rioja with 60. In Germany, the Pfalz came out on top with 65 awards, followed by Württemberg with 44, Rheinhessen with 23 and Baden with 21 awarded wines.
There were also strong results from countries making an increasingly visible mark on the international wine scene. Georgia and Romania each received 60 awards, South Africa 58 and Austria 51. Moldova collected 29 awards, Greece 23, while North Macedonia and Hungary each took 21. Armenian wines won 15 awards, the vast majority of them Gold.
Ukrainian winemakers also made their mark, collecting eight awards: five Gold and three Silver medals. Among the more unexpected results were two Gold medals for wines from Denmark’s Jutland region.
According to the organisers, the results clearly demonstrate how much the wine world is opening up, with more countries and regions stepping into the spotlight beyond the traditionally recognised ones.
Let’s take a closer look at the Best of Show awards. They go to the highest-scoring wine in each category – wines that stand out as strong examples of the quality and character of their region of origin. This year’s winners include familiar names and classic wine regions, alongside new discoveries from regions currently making a name for themselves.
Interestingly, in the German categories, Best of Show awards were determined not only by region and wine style – red, rosé, sparkling and noble sweet – but also by the key grape varieties: Riesling, Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), Silvaner, Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc) and Sauvignon Blanc.
The top German Riesling at MUNDUS VINI Summer Tasting 2026 was the dry Riesling Auf der Mauer 2024 VDP.Gutswein from Geheimer Rat Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan, the renowned estate from Deidesheim.
The Best Buy category is also worth a mention, recognising wines that offer the best balance of quality and price. This year, it included the dry Riesling Deidesheimer Hofstück 2025 from Deidesheimer Weinmanufaktur in the Pfalz and Pinot Blanc 2025 from Weinhaus Köhler from Rheinhessen.
Emerging wine countries delivered impressively assured results as well. One need only recall Casa Madero Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, awarded Mexico’s Best of Show. And with particular pride, we note three distinctions earned by the long‑standing laureates of the Wine Travel Awards: Best of Show Georgia for Salome 2020 from the celebrated Shumi winery; Best of Show Moldova for Castel Mimi Grand Reserve Negru de Bulboaca 2018; and Best of Show Ukraine – a title once again claimed by SHABO of Odesa for Saperavi SHABO Reserve 2025, which also received a Gold medal.
Despite ongoing missile and drone attacks, difficult logistics and a challenging economic situation, several Ukrainian wineries took part in the MUNDUS VINI Summer Tasting, winning eight medals – five of them Gold. Congratulations to all the winners!
One further point concerning Ukraine, in our view, merits comment. In light of the troubling experience at the recent Concours Mondial de Bruxelles – whose organisers admitted not only wineries from russia, some owned by individuals under international sanctions, but also wines from the unrecognised region of Crimea, currently occupied by russia (as we reported in detail here) – the editorial team of Drinks+ and representatives of Wines of Ukraine approached the organisers of MUNDUS VINI in advance, requesting clarification regarding the participation of producers from russia and wines originating from occupied territories. We received an unequivocal response: MUNDUS VINI does not cooperate with the aggressor state, sanctioned individuals, or wineries from territories occupied by russia.
We are deeply grateful to the MUNDUS VINI team and to Meininger Verlag, the founders of the competition, for their principled and civilised stance, for their consistent support of Ukrainian wine producers – including the substantial discounts offered to our wineries – and for the warm, heartfelt welcome extended each year to Ukrainian judges invited to serve on the panel.
The progress in the No/Lo segment demonstrated by the MUNDUS VINI Summer Tasting 2026 is genuinely striking. The numbers tell part of the story: of the 144 entries of dealcoholized still and sparkling wines – specifically these two categories, rather than flavoured alcohol-free drinks – 71 received medals. Twenty-eight wines won Gold and another 43 Silver.
The judging process for the category is evolving too, taking into account the technological and sensory characteristics of dealcoholized wine. At the start of the tasting session, Dr Ulrich Fischer, Professor of Oenology and Sensory Science at Weincampus Neustadt and a specialist in the production technology and sensory development of alcohol-free wines, led an introductory workshop for all jury members assessing No/Lo wines. Using medal-winning wines from the previous competition, the experts calibrated their approach to judging this particularly challenging category.
The overall impression was clear: the quality of No/Lo wines has improved significantly, particularly among still white and sparkling wines. The aromatics have improved significantly, while work on the overall sensory profile continues. German researchers and winemakers are investing heavily in this field, so it comes as little surprise that German No/Lo wines took the most medals: 11 Gold and 26 Silver.
Rolf Willy Neverfull Muskateller was named Germany’s best alcohol-free wine, while the alcohol-free NIGRA Cabernet Blanc by Moselland, a large cooperative which has members and affiliated wine operations in Mosel, Nahe, Rheinhessen and Pfalz, took Best of Show Sparkling Germany. Moselland Riesling Alkoholfrei 2025 also received a Best Buy award (it currently retails for no more than €6).
In the alcohol‑free segment, the title of “Best Producers” was awarded to Henkell & Co. Sektkellerei.
Spain also performed strongly, with six Gold and three Silver medals, while Italy took seven Gold and four Silver. Together with Germany, the three countries are currently leading the No/Lo wine sector.
Long‑standing MUNDUS VINI judge, Iryna Diachenkova, co-founder of Drinks Plus Media Group, looks back on more than 20 years of close cooperation with MUNDUS VINI: “Our team is sincerely grateful to the organisers of the competition, Meininger Verlag, for our long-term partnership. It would not have been possible without the shared professional values of our teams. We consider every invitation for a member of our group to join the international jury a great honour. It is always a pleasure to be part of a flawlessly organised tasting, to see the genuine respect shown to winemakers, exchange ideas with fellow judges from around the world, take part in a unique educational programme and, of course, discover the wines entered in the competition.”
In Iryna’s view, the overall standard of wines at MUNDUS VINI has always been exceptionally high, and this summer’s tasting was no exception.
“Every time, among hundreds of wines, you come across individual bottles, or even entire flights, that can surprise you. This time, I was particularly impressed by the selection of Traminer and Gewürztraminer wines, entered in three categories according to residual sugar: up to 4 g/l, 4.1–12 g/l and 12.1–45 g/l. Five of the 12 wines received Gold. The most elegant was a dry Traminer 2023 from Valul lui Traian in Moldova. Two excellent Gewürztraminers from Moselle Luxembourg also won Gold, while Trentino in Italy and Valencia in Spain produced some very strong examples as well. Among this year’s pleasant discoveries were North Macedonia, with a 2020 Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon-based blends, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the vibrant Blatina 2021 and Trnjak 2022.”
Peter Douglas, DipWSET (Germany), founder of the Sustaina Wines consulting agency, has been part of the MUNDUS VINI jury for many years, including as a panel chair. In his view, the competition’s medals have become a genuine mark of quality.
“A MUNDUS VINI medal gives buyers an indication of the level of quality they can expect from a wine before they even receive the samples. I work in B2B distribution, and this competition is one of the benchmarks I look to. I know the judging here is taken seriously, so when a wine receives an award, it gives me a good reason to take a closer look at it.”
For Douglas, the value goes far beyond the German market. “If you want to build awareness of your brand and grow it, you need external validation. MUNDUS VINI is an excellent platform for that – both in Germany and internationally.”
Dr Matthew Horkey (USA), a certified wine expert, author and creator of a popular YouTube wine channel, has been judging at MUNDUS VINI twice a year since 2021 and has also chaired tasting panels. He says has noticed some changes in the way the jury is put together – and sees them as a positive development: “There is definitely a sense of renewal. You see more young faces among the judges. Given MUNDUS VINI’s high standards, I have no doubt about their competence: every judge here has a solid CV and relevant experience. I have never come across an inexperienced taster at MUNDUS VINI – unlike at some other competitions.”
Horkey also sees a practical benefit in the competition’s awards for smaller and medium-sized wineries, apart from major producers: “I used to think that a MUNDUS VINI medal could make a real difference for what you might call ‘supermarket wines’ – there are quite a lot of them in every competition, and they can demonstrate very decent quality within their category. But now I’m starting to think that small producers could benefit too. My last flight in this tasting was Nebbiolo, and a lot of the wines were Barbarescos from Alto Piemonte. The quality was exceptionally high. And judging by the areas they came from, there were clearly producers who don’t have a great deal of visibility yet. The medals they receive can help them gain wider recognition.”
Photo: Ad Lumina, Victoria Makarova, Iryna Diachenkova
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