Gastronomy and Wine Portal

August 16, the legend of cinema and winemaking – Pierre Richard celebrated his birthday. The outstanding Tall Blond turned 88 years old.

The eight is a sign of infinity, it is like a symbol of Ukraine’s boundless love for the great actor and the Man with a capital letter. And when there are two eights at once?! And of course, all Ukrainians raise a glass to the health of the famous actor and winemaker, some may even fill a glass with Chateau Bel Eveque wine.

Monsieur Richard came to Kyiv in 2015, and then in 2017, when Drinks+ editor-in-chief Olga Pinevich-Todoriuk managed to talk to the Tall Blond. And in 2018, our editors personally visited the Chateau Bel Eveque and had the opportunity to to break into the atmosphere of simplicity and refined, something rural and at the same time in its unique and talked to one of the sons Monsieur Pierre – to break into the atmosphere of simplicity and refined, something rural and at the same time in its unique and talked to one of the Monsieur Richard’s sons – Christophe Defays, who manages the winery today.

In 2021-2022, Chateau Bel Eveque became a nominee of the Wine Travel Awards, the international awards of an innovative format in the field of wine tourism, founded by the Drinks+ Media Group in collaboration with the MIX marketing agency. Bel Eveque was also a sponsor of the WTA prize fund.

During the First Wine Travel Awards Ceremony, which took place on 8 June 2022 at the London Wine Fair, some of the winners received sets of premium wines from the château owned by Monsieur Richard, including a wine from Chateau Bel Eveque presented to the Head of London Wine Fair – Hannah Tovey.

The Drinks+ team sincerely wishes Pierre Richard and his family many years of prosperity. We are grateful for the opportunity to meet and communicate and we really hope that this will happen again and again both in France and in our peaceful Ukraine. And despite the fact that the war forced the members of our editorial team to scatter around the planet – our hearts beat in unison and we all raise our glasses at the same time to a brilliant actor with a sunny smile, a wonderful winemaker and a great friend of Ukraine and Drinks+ personally.

Happy birthday, Monsieur Richard!

Photo: vinspierrerichard.com

August 16, the legend of cinema and winemaking – Pierre Richard celebrated his birthday. The outstanding Tall Blond turned 88 years old. The eight is a sign of infinity, it is like a symbol of Ukraine’s boundless love for the great actor and the Man with a capital letter. And when there are two eights […]

The specialized Wine & Spirit Tourism International Trade Fair will be held on March 12-14, 2023 in the city of Reims.

The organizers of the Wine & Spirit Tourism International Trade Fair (WST) consider the main goal of the first wine tourism exhibition to be the promotion of tourism offers of the wine and spirits sector in every region of the world.

To meet the needs of tour operators, travel agencies and MICE buyers, WST will present a wide range of international exhibitors specializing in the industry. It is already known today that the exhibition will feature about 300 exhibitors-players of the tourism industry: tourist offices, hotels, spa salons, museums, wineries, distilleries, etc. from 25 countries of the world.

The event will be held in Reims, the city of coronations and champagne. It was here that Saint Remigius baptized King Clovis I, after which the kings of France were crowned here for decades. And it is in Reims that champagne, the method of production of which was discovered in the Middle Ages, is a historical advantage of the city’s economy. Reims is located near the western border of the limestone soil area of the Champagne region, on the right bank of the Val River.

1,000 tourism professionals from approximately 50 countries are expected to attend the exhibition. The organizers emphasize that the main idea of the Wine & Spirit Tourism International Trade Fair is to position the event as an annual meeting place for tourism partners in the wine and spirits sector. WST enlists the support of the Reims Tourist Office (l’Office du Tourisme de Reims) and Hervé Novelli, President of the Supreme Council of Wine Tourism and former Secretary of State for Tourism.

Conferences will be held as part of the exhibition, where companies offering their services will announce the main market news and strategies for promoting wine and alcohol tourism.

WST will also organize two evenings at the Champagne Houses: Sunday, March 12 and Monday, March 13.

«As president of the Supreme Council of Wine Tourism, I would like to welcome and support the private initiative to create in France the first world exhibition of wine tourism WST. This project complements and strengthens the dynamics of the development of this sector in recent years», – said Hervé Novelli.

Under the chairmanship of Alain Marty, the company Wine & Spirit ITF, which is responsible for the WST, has already raised an initial fundraising of €1.2 million from five wine influencers.

Registration and more detailed information about the Wine & Spirit Tourism International Trade Fair is here.

Photo: https://wst-internationalfair.com

The specialized Wine & Spirit Tourism International Trade Fair will be held on March 12-14, 2023 in the city of Reims. The organizers of the Wine & Spirit Tourism International Trade Fair (WST) consider the main goal of the first wine tourism exhibition to be the promotion of tourism offers of the wine and spirits […]

Three years ago, Gérard Basset, who was the only one in the world having such high titles as World Champion Sommelier, OBE, MW and MS, passed away. A year before, D+ was lucky enough to interview this extraordinary master, and now we would like to announce that on July 12th, a documentary dedicated to this legendary man will be premiered.

Gerard Basset’s closest friends shared their warm memories. Their names are also widely known, including chef Raymond Blanc OBE, wine critic Jancis Robinson OBE MW, co-founder of Liquid Icons and the Gerard Basset Foundation Lewis Chester DipWSET, as well as the Secretary General of the International Association of Sommeliers (ASI), Michele Chantôme.

In six months, 67 interviews about the life of the famous sommelier were filmed and edited. In these heartfelt parts, there are various stories, including how Gerard Basset first came to the UK and found of the wine, his path to his greatest professional and personal achievements – the titles of Master Sommelier and Master of Wine, the title of “World’s Best Sommelier” by ASI in 2010 and being awarded an OBE the following year, as well as battling a terrible disease…

The film also brought together members of the Basset family, who played an important role in the creation of this project. “Seeing and hearing Gerard in a documentary is poignant but heart-warming, and we think this film is a very special tribute to his memory,” said his wife Nina Basset.

The premiere of A Life in Wine: Gérard Basset, the World’s Favourite Sommelier will take place on July 12 at 67 Pall Mall, St. James’s. And from July 17, this tribute film will be available for viewing at 67pallmall.tv.

The film was shot by the studio 67pallmall.tv and the production team of the leading London wine club 67 Pall Mall.

Photo: gerardbasset.com

Three years ago, Gérard Basset, who was the only one in the world having such high titles as World Champion Sommelier, OBE, MW and MS, passed away. A year before, D+ was lucky enough to interview this extraordinary master, and now we would like to announce that on July 12th, a documentary dedicated to this […]

This year, at the initiative of the London Wine Fair – one of the main events in the wine world – for the first time in the history of Ukrainian winemaking, producers have united on a single stand. Admittedly, such an association was long overdue, and attempts to organize a national stand took place at regular intervals. But this is how the stars became, that in the tragic period for Ukraine, in Great Britain, which was the first on the European continent to open its doors to Ukraine, at the jubilee, 40th LWF, the stand “Wines of Ukraine” premiered.

To support Ukraine in difficult times, the organizers of LWF 2022 initiated the creation of a joint stand and gave Ukrainian winemakers the opportunity to present their products for free. During the three days of the exhibition (June 7-9), during this large-scale international event, Ukrainian wines from different regions were presented at the representative stand for the first time in the history of Ukraine.

Logistical efforts and organizational costs for the organization of the stand were borne by LWF in cooperation with Drinks+ Communication Media Group and Ukrsadvinprom from the Ukrainian side. (Note that some Ukrainian wines, nominees for the Wine Travel Awards, were presented at the same time at the tasting as part of the award ceremony, which also took place at the London exhibition hub).

The Wines of Ukraine stand, located in the heart of the LWF, was a great success, with little by little – from craft drinks to expensive and limited editions of wines that already have international recognition, such as Shabo Winery, Prince Trubetskoi Winery, Honey Badger, 46 Parallel Wine Group and Beykush Winery.

By the way, the coincidence became significant: these days at the London Wine Competition 2022 absolutely all samples of sparkling wines from 46 Parallel received medals, and Beykush Winery wines won the highest – three silver and gold – awards at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2022. We must emphasize that Beykush Winery (as well as a number of others presented at the stand in London) is located in the region, which is under Russian fire. And most visitors to the stand understood the severity of the situation: on the one hand, everyone tried to convey their condolences and solidarity to Ukrainians, on the other – everyone understood that the wines presented are not only high quality but also exclusive and limited releases. Some may be unique. Unfortunately.

As shared sommeliers, MW and influencers, who volunteered to help present these extremely interesting samples at the Wines of Ukraine stand, with D+, it was just fantastic to see so many people eager to learn and understand Ukrainian wines.

Volunteer at the Wines of Ukraine stand Richard Bampfield MW kindly left his feedback after tasting some Ukrainian products: “I liked EL CAPITAN Pinot Noir from 46 Parallel Wine Group. I thought the Brandy Aznauri XO 8 from Akkerman Distillery was particularly good. All 3 wines from Beykush Winery were excellent: Yafe Nagar 2019, Arbina 2019, Kara Kermen 2017. In my opinion, Beykush is the standout producer there.

I got plenty of interest in and likes for the Pet-Nat White Blend 2020 and Orange wine from Biologist (doubts about the packaging…).”

Mr. Bampfield also noted that Chateau Chizay had good Furmint and Cabernet Franc, Shabo Winery – Telti Kuruk Grand Reserve 2017 and Cabernet Franc / Merlot / Saperavi 2019. Stakhovsky Wines – Merlot 2019, Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 and Saperavi 2018 – all 3 of these were very good. “I really enjoyed presenting them, they deserve UK distribution,” added Richard Bampfield MW in the end.

Another volunteer of the Ukrainian wines stand Bradley Horne, Founder of WineTimeLondon, commented: “I really loved the vibe behind the LWF and wines of Ukraine stand, the passion from the staff and the volunteers was fabulous. Beykush Winery stood out to me, I love all the wines and the Arbina 2019 100% Rkatsiteli skin contact was fantastic, great fruit characters –  apricot, orange zest, limes – with stunning texture and balance; the skin contact well judged and nice acidity.”

Ukrainian influencers and trendsetters of the wine market worked at the Wines of Ukraine stand together with English professionals: Ala Skyra, Irene Gridina WA, Dmytro Goncharuk, Polina Kuznetsova.

The Drinks + editorial staff – and we are sure that Ukrainian winemakers will join us here – is grateful to all those involved for their help!

The stand “Wines of Ukraine” was crowded and grabbed the attention of wine professionals such as sommeliers, importers, wine tourism operators, distributors, as well as wine bloggers and media from different countries. The WTA team appreciates all the comments left by visitors of the stand and is gladly sharing them with Ukrainian producers and our community members.

An independent sommelier from London noted: “I tried most of the Ukrainian wines today, guys, amazing wines, good quality, it’s definitely worth trying them. Perfect! Go for them!”

Emily Jenkinson got a particular interest in exporting Ukrainian wines: “It’s being fantastic tasting the wines, I did enjoy Grand Admiral Cabernet Sauvignon-Saperavi-Merlot 2018 from 46 Parallel, the one from Stakhovskiy (ACE) – Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, and the last one I really liked was Beykush Kara Karmen 2017. There are plenty of wines offered. I certainly have to appreciate and taste all of them again.”

Sophie Robertson, Brand Ambassador at Nyetimber, said: “Well I was really surprised about the quality of Ukrainian wines. They are not really the wines I’ve come across before, so it is a really exciting opportunity to taste them today. The wines are really great, really good quality. The one I especially liked was Kara Karmen from Beykush, appassimento style.”

Another comment comes from Ralph Hochar, France and UAE sales manager at Château Musar: “I am very pleased to be here at the stand “Wines of Ukraine”. Two wines particularly struck me. The one which surprised me was Furmint from Château Chizay. I also wanted to try something made in a different way, and it was an orange wine (Biologist). Very nice, very delicate, very elegant, long aftertaste with a long ageing potential.”

Will Wong, wine photographer, highlighted white wines from Ukraine: “I am absolutely delighted to be here as I haven’t tried Ukrainian wines before, only vodka. I tried sparkling wine, Petnat, good, the whole range of white wines, red wines. For me it is a revolution for Ukrainian wines. The white wines really stood out for me.”

George Biswas, leading expert on English wines, emphasised that the tasting was amazing: “The wide range of wines from the original to the exciting; Petnat, it was really unusual, very well made. The reds are fantastic, blends are unusual, like Pinot Noir & Merlot 2019 from Vinoman Winery. Full bodied but delicious! Finally, Furmint has refreshing acidity. It cleans up the palates and leaves us smiling. Glory to Ukraine!!!”

This year, at the initiative of the London Wine Fair – one of the main events in the wine world – for the first time in the history of Ukrainian winemaking, producers have united on a single stand. Admittedly, such an association was long overdue, and attempts to organize a national stand took place at […]

A wine travel guide to the Grands Crus Classés of Médoc and Sauternes was presented to the WTA project lead at La Cite du Vin.

Director of Conseil des Grands Crus Classés 1855 Sylvain Boivert presented to Oleksandra Hryhorieva, WTA project Lead, the illustrated wine travel guide to the Grands Crus Classés of Médoc and Sauternes during the chamber presentation of the Wine Travel Awards (new project of Drinks+ Communication Media Group) and an exclusive tasting from Vinos de La Luz group at La Cite du Vin.

Bordeaux 1855: A Guide to the Grands Crus Classés Médoc & Sauternes authored by Conseil des Grands Crus Classés, foreword by Stéphane Bern. This wonderful and landmark for the WTA Team practical guide features thirty-five wine châteaux in the prestigious Grands Crus Classés classification, producing the finest red and white wines in Bordeaux.

This guide presents a brief history of each estate, a description of the vineyard and the terroir, instructions for getting there, details of château stays, and various tours and wine-tasting and food-pairing sessions offered.

All in all, this guide reveals the splendor of the Bordeaux vineyards and provides everything the traveler needs to discover or to learn in a new way at the birthplace of wine as well as becoming the ideal companion for the wine lovers and for those who prefer discovering wines from the professional literature.

So, we are ready now to discover the world’s finest wines and their heritage from an original perspective through its magnificent châteaux architecture and history, legendary wine cellars, tastings and workshops, regional cuisine and museums.

About the Author

The Conseil des Grands Crus Classés actively protects and promotes the highest quality wines and their wine estates in Bordeaux. Stéphane Bern is a journalist for Le Figaro and a popular radio and television presenter. He is the author of numerous books including The Best Loved Villages of France and Luxembourg: History, Landscape, and Traditions, both published by Flammarion.

A wine travel guide to the Grands Crus Classés of Médoc and Sauternes was presented to the WTA project lead at La Cite du Vin. Director of Conseil des Grands Crus Classés 1855 Sylvain Boivert presented to Oleksandra Hryhorieva, WTA project Lead, the illustrated wine travel guide to the Grands Crus Classés of Médoc and […]

A new portfolio was presented at the Wine Travel Awards 2021-2022 Ceremony at the London Wine Fair.

As part of the First Wine Travel Awards Ceremony in London, the London Wine Fair hosted a tasting of Blue Nun wines by F.W. Langguth Erben: Blue Nun Authentic White, Blue Nun Authentic Pink, Blue Nun Sparkling 24K Gold Edition.

Blue Nun wines were also presented at the joint Drinks+ and Wine Travel Awards Stand during the three days of the exhibition. F.W. Langguth Erben has the status of German National Sponsor of the Awards.

The new portfolio is focused on authenticity and the new look – iconic and distinctive Blue Nun packaging the New York star designer, Paula Scher has developed. More details here.

A new portfolio was presented at the Wine Travel Awards 2021-2022 Ceremony at the London Wine Fair. As part of the First Wine Travel Awards Ceremony in London, the London Wine Fair hosted a tasting of Blue Nun wines by F.W. Langguth Erben: Blue Nun Authentic White, Blue Nun Authentic Pink, Blue Nun Sparkling 24K […]

In the framework of the premiere Bordeaux Wine Week, the Wine Travel Awards presentation and an exclusive tasting from Vinos de La Luz (three wines received platinum medal and 97 points at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2022) took place in the Cité du Vin on Wednesday, June 22nd, from 10 a.m. to noon. Among the guests of the event, there were the WTA winners, members of the WTA panel of judges, representatives of the French wine community – from students of oenology and sommelier of local restaurants to leading distributors and Director of Conseil des Grands Crus Classés 1855.

Bordeaux is home to many must-see sites, where one can dive into the city’s history, deepen one’s knowledge of wine and winemaking, and taste a large selection of crus classés. And one of such sites is the Cité du Vin, a WTA nominee and partner that celebrates the richness and diversity of wine’s culture and heritage. The museum of architectural marvel warmly hosted the WTA presentation & Wine tasting from Vinos de La Luz, sponsor of the Wine & Food Influencer Nomination in WTA 2021-2022.

To begin, Oleksandra Hryhorieva, WTA project Lead, introduced guests to the Wine Travel Awards: its concept of a global project in the wine tourism industry with an inclusive format uniting both businesses and personalities in it; the results of the first-year successful campaign; and its aspirations for the second edition starting on September 1^st.

In her words of support, Florence Maffrand, Marketing and Partnership manager at La Cité du Vin, underlined the Ukrainian origin of the project and its staff, as well as the importance of work that the WTA team has been doing despite the circumstances. That is why the Cité du Vin as a partner keeps supporting and working with WTA and Drinks+ teams in different directions.

Stéphane Badet, WTA jury, lecturer at Institute of Vine and Wine Science at the University of Bordeaux, shared the idea of Ms. Maffrand adding that for him personally it was crucial to contribute his time and expertise to such a project as the Wine Travel Awards as he closely cooperates with winemakers from different countries, including Ukraine. Experience in the wine and wine tourism industries provide him with a different perspective which he used in the process of defining the WTA winners in the categories ‘Must Visit’ and ‘Brand – the Visiting Card of the Country’.

Keeping the spirit of the celebration of the first successful campaign year after the WTA Ceremony in London, a couple of WTA winners coming from France – Wine Paths as Ambassador of the Year and Tanisha Townsend (Unique Route) – were awarded at the event in Bordeaux. New prosperous names of the wine tourism industry were revealed.

The second part of the program was devoted to the exclusive wine tasting from Vinos de La Luz group of companies – Travel to the Wine Through the Terroir! Doctor Ricardo Nunez, founder and General Director of Vinos de La Luz, was leading guests through this extraordinary wine tasting journey together with Pablo Tasso, Sommelier, Director of the board of international Brand Ambassadors of Vinos de La Luz.

Tasting notes

First three wines are 100% Malbec and come from the Uco Valley, Argentina. The highest altitude of the hills, where the vines protected by the endless mountain are grown, is around 1500 metres.

“These wines are mostly all about terroir, but not mainly. It is also about the variety. Malbec is a fresh, elegant, really nice and almost sexy variety that can give us a lot of pleasure,” assures Pablo Tasso. “Malbec has a lot of different expressions: it could be complex, it could be almost intellectual, or it could express simplicity and a straightforward message”.

RELATOS DEL CALLEJON MALBEC 2020, winery La Luz del Vino (Valle de Uco, Mendoza). Platinum medal and 97 points at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2022.

This is a medium range wine (100% Malbec). Selected yeasts. Alcoholic fermentation under strict temperature control for 20 days. Natural malolactic fermentation while it ages in the barrel. It combines aromas of plums and blackberries with notes of cinnamon, black pepper, and lavender. This is a complex wine, with a good structure and soft, ripe tannins. It is balanced, with a persistent finish featuring toasty flavors.

Origin: Vista Flores, Tunuyán – Uco Valley, Mendoza

Soil: Sandy loam with alluvial sediments.

Aging: 8 months in French oak barrels

CALLEJON DEL CRIMEN MALBEC SINGLE VINEYARDS GUALTALLARY 2019, winery La Luz del Vino (Valle de Uco, Mendoza). Platinum medal and 97 points at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2022.

This wine is quite different from the first one. Lower in yeasts. Alcoholic fermentation for about 30 days: 70% in stainless steel tanks and 30% in oak foudres under strict temperature control (24°C to 30°C). Pure, fresh Malbec, full of textures. Deep, intense red color with violet hints. In the nose it is deep, intense, and complex. The characteristic aromas of this wonderful micro-region stand out: chalk, damp stone, and slate. In the mouth there is sharp red fruit and a balanced, unctuous, silky structure, with a great mineral finish.

Origin: Plot #2 at Gualtallary, Tupungato – Uco Valley at 1,300 m (3,450 ft) asl.

Soil: Alluvial and sandy, with stones of various sizes (many of them volcanic) and different sized boulders. High calcareous component.

Aging: 12 months in French oak barrels.

CALLEJON DEL CRIMEN BLEND DE TERROIRS MALBEC 2019, winery La Luz del Vino (Valle de Uco, Mendoza). Platinum medal and 97 points at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2022.

A blend with great character. A deep violet wine, surprisingly bright over a black background. It leaves notable legs. On the nose there are notes of ripe black plum and hints of minerals and spices. In the mouth, the wine is elegant and expressive, with silky, velvety tannins. There are notes of chocolate and tobacco from its aging in French oak barrels.

Origin: Grapes from the different estates are used in varying proportions depending on the characteristics of each vintage. This Blend of Malbecs from the Uco Valley has 50% from the estate at Gualtallary, 20% from Paraje Altamira, 20% from Pampa El Cepillo and 10% from the estate at Vista Flores.

Soil: Diverse soils of alluvial origin.

Aging: 12 months in 160- and 225-litre French oak barrels, plus 12 months’ storage in the bottle.

After three wines awarded with platinum medal and 97 points at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2022, we proceeded with tasting of four ILUMINADO wines – an icon brand of Vinos de La Luz. It represents the best expression of each country where the company produces wines – Italy, Spain, USA and Argentina. It is the first time in history when four Iluminado wines were tasted all together.

Pablo Tasso notes: “These wines are in the company’s DNA; they are our fingerprint that trying to let the terroir express itself. They are messages that the terroir communicates. The terroir gives us a script for a further production.”

ILUMINADO VINOS DE LA LUZ Toscana IGT 2015, Montalcino, Italy (100% Sangiovese). Berliner Wine Trophy 2020, Gold Medal.

Intense ruby red color. The nose shows black and red berries, vanilla connotations and enveloping fresh balsamic notes. In the mouth it is consistent and coherent with de olfactory expression, and at the same time tonic and creamy. It has an excellent persistence, linked both the mineral component and sweet tannin.

Vineyard: Loamy and clayey soils located at 200 meters distance from Orcha river, with southeast orientation (between 10 – 12o inclination) at the bottom of Amiata mountain in Montalcino, the heart of the I.G.T. Tuscany denomination. Here, 20-year-old vines deliver the highest expression of quality in the region.

Winemaking process: Fermentation in conical oak trunk vats, with temperature control and selected yeasts. 12 month-aging in new French oak barrels, then stabilized and bottled.

ILUMINADO VINOS DE LA LUZ Tempranillo 2015, Ribera del Duero, Spain. 95 PTS. Guía Vinos Gourmets 2020.

Cherry red color. On the nose it presents black fruit with toasted notes, spices and leather due to its aging in new French oak barrels. On the mouth it is complex and vibrant with a dense body and sharp acidity. A powerful and well-structured wine, but at the same time, soft and velvety. Thanks to this power, balance and finesse it is a real pleasure for the palate.

Vineyard: More than 70-year-old vines. Ribera del Duero is characterized by its reddish an iron-rich soils that border the Duero River, within one of the best winegrowing, continental weather in Europe.

Winemaking process: Meticulous cluster selection. Alcoholic fermentation at 28 oC and malolactic fermentation in 160-liter French oak barrels for 18 months.

ILUMINADO VINOS DE LA LUZ SYRAH 2018, Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley, California.

Deep ruby-red to purple color. On the nose, dark fruits with notes of blackberry and blueberry, thanks to its aging in French oak barrels. You can also appreciate other aromas like licorice, herbs and clove. It is a bold and full-bodied wine, with high tannins and medium acidity, which will be remembered as an age-worthy and deeply pleasurable experience.

Vineyard: Vineyards of more than 30 years old. Due to its eastern orientation, the sun rises high above to ripen these Syrah grapes. Grown in California’s Central Coast Santa Maria Valley these grapes are sourced from the Bien Nacido vineyard, where we have identified a very special sector: the Z Block. The coastal climate, with cool Pacific fog, generates long harvest seasons, an ideal environment for making a red with personality, freshness and balance.

Winemaking process: The wine was fermented in a small stainless-steel tank with a third of a whole cluster. Then, it was aged in François Frères French-oak barrels for 18 months.

ILUMINADO MALBEC PARAJE ALTAMIRA 2015, Valle de Uco, Argentina. Best Argentinian Wine, Best Wine of South America, Top 50th in the World, 97 pts. Decanter, BEST IN SHOW.

Deep red color with very intense black and blue hints. On the nose ripe red and black fruits are perceived with delicate mineral notes. These aromas harmonize with subtle notes of tobacco, vanilla and chocolate due to its aging. A complex and vibrant wine, sharp acidity, great volume and persistence.

Vineyard: I.G. Paraje Altamira vineyard expresses the quality of Uco Valley. This terroir is characterized by its extreme climate, heterogeneous and stony soils covered with calcium carbonate, sand, and fine alluvial sediments.

Winemaking process: Meticulous cluster selection. Alcoholic fermentation in European cone-shaped oak vats. 12-month aging in French oak barrels of 160 and 225 liters, subsequent stabilization in the bottle for another 12 months.

Doctor Ricardo Nunez also drew the curtains sharing the company’s aspiration to develop the Iluminado line in Ukraine. He believes that Odesa Black, a Ukrainian flagship variety, could become a valuable asset to the brand. Sharing the idea of wines made from grapes from historic vineyards located at the most outstanding wine regions, the terroir by the Black Sea through hybrid variety Odesa Black can provide that very script for the creation of an outstanding wine from Ukraine.

Talking about the future, if you are interested in having your company, brands and services more integrated and visible in the competitive wine and wine tourism world, and to highlight your business for the period of 2022 to 2023, please join us. From the 1st of September, the Wine Travel Awards 2022-2023 open its doors. Follow the early bird registration until the 1st of December!

In the framework of the premiere Bordeaux Wine Week, the Wine Travel Awards presentation and an exclusive tasting from Vinos de La Luz (three wines received platinum medal and 97 points at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2022) took place in the Cité du Vin on Wednesday, June 22nd, from 10 a.m. to noon. Among […]

The first international Franc & Franc conference results announces.

Producers of Hungarian Villány wine region have been organizing Franc & Franc conference and tasting for years, and by today the event has become the internation forum of Cabernet Franc variety. After several years of successful conferences, they decided to create a prestigious wine competition focusing on Cabernet Franc – this is Franc Du Monde.

Wines could arrive from every region of the world, where – like in Villány – winemakers pay special attention to this grape and make varietal Cabernet Franc wines.

ENTRIES TO THE WINE COMPETITION COULD BE MADE IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

• classic: Cabernet Franc single-varietal wines with at least 9% ABV
• premium: Cabernet Franc single-varietal wines aged for at least 12 months in oak with at least 12.5% ABV

• older vintages: Cabernet Franc single-varietal wines with vintage at least ten years ago (in 2022, wines from the 2012 vintage or older)

• blends: blends containing at least 70% Cabernet Franc.

The story started with legendary Michael Broadbent visiting Villány in 2000 and making his famous statement: «Cabernet Franc has found its natural home in Villány». «Our decision to create a new wine contest was inspired by the experiences of the past years, since Villány wine region has already organized Cabernet Franc themed trade and consumer events 6 times so far. During these years many of the most significant Old and New World producers presented their wines at Franc & Franc. They are devoted producers who believe in the variety and make varietal wine of it» – commented Gergely Nagy, the executive manager of Tenkes Regional Development Nonprofit Ltd.

Premium – the most popular segment

101 wines entered from 8 countries: France, Slovakia, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Turkey, Argentina and Hungary. «Premium» was the most popular category with 67 entries. Wines were evaluated by renowned international wine experts including two Master of Wine experts.

JURY MEMBERS:

Cees van Casteren MW , Ximena Pacheco, György Orodán, Zoltán Győrffy, Csilla Sebestyén, Pasi Ketolainen MW, Attila Fiáth, Ágnes Németh, Davide Bortone, Tolson Sue, Niklas Bergquist, László Romsics, Ivett Vancsik, Jeroen Terhorst, Joel B. Payne, Tomislav Ivanovic.

As the jury members summarized after the contest, the overall quality of the wines was very high, and since the contest followed the OIV rules, only 30% of the entered wines could receive medal. The medal winner wines are all above 89.2 points!

FRANC DU MONDE INTERNATIONAL WINE CONTEST MEDAL WINNERS:

GOLD MEDALS:

– Bock Cabernet Franc 1993, Villány, Hungary (old vintage wine)

– Fritsch Villányi Cabernet Franc 2019, Villány, Hungary (classic)

– Günzer Tamás Bocor Villányi Franc 2019, Villány, Hungary (premium)

– Csányi Chateau Teleki Villányi Cabernet Franc 2002 ,Villány, Hungary (old vintage wine)

– El Enemigo Cabernet Franc 2016, Argenina (premium)

– Vylyan Franc Variations 2020 barrel 2020, Villány, Hungary (classic)

– Blum Villányi Franc 2018, Villány, Hungary (premium)

– Tajna Cabernet Franc 2019, Slovakia (premium)

– Bodri Cabernet Franc “Dűlő” (Vineyard) Selection 2019, Szekszárd, Hungary (premium)

– Havas & Timár Franom 2018, Eger, Hungary (premium)

– Bock Villányi Franc Ördögárok Selection 2015, Villány, Hungary (premium)

– Csányi Teleki Tradíció 1881 Villányi Franc KOPÁR 2017, Villány, Hungary (premium)

SIVER MEDALS:

– Jackfall Cabernet Franc 2017, Villány, Hungary (classic)

– Belo Brdo Cabernet Franc black Label 2017, Serbia (premium)

– Havas & Timár Franom Barrel Selection, 2017, Eger, Hungary (premium)

– Szende Kopár Villányi Franc 2017, Villány, Hungary (premium)

– Mokos Villányi Franc Super Premium 2017, Villány, Hungary (premium)

– Blum Cabernet Franc 2017, Villány, Hungary (classic)

– Weninger & Gere Villányi Franc (Csillagvölgy) 2018, Villány, Hungary (premium)

– Antal Cabernet Franc 2020, Szekszárd, Hungary (classic)

– Vesztergombi Kerékhegy Cabernet Franc 2017, Szekszárd, Hungary (premium)

– Lelovits Tamás Villányi Franc 2017, Villány, Hungary (premium)

– Bock Villányi Franc Fekete-hegy Selection 2012, Villány, Hungary (old vintage wine)

– Bakonyi BIO Villányi Cabernet Franc 2020, Villány, Hungary (classic)

– Mokos Villányi Franc 2017, Villány, Hungary (premium)

– Csányi Chateau Teleki Villányi Franc 2017, Villány, Hungary (premium)

– Bock Villányi Franc Fekete-hegy Selection 2009, Villány, Hungary (old vintage wine)

– Bock Villányi Franc M Selection 2017, Villány, Hungary (premium)

–Cabernet Franc 2013, Villány, Hungary (premium)

– Koch VinArt Cabernet Franc 2018 Villány, Hungary (classic)

– Feravino (Enosophia) Cabernet Franc Miraz 2018, Croatia (premium)

– Heumann La Trinitá Villányi Franc 2017, Villány, Hungary (premium)

– Koch VinArt 899 Villányi Franc 2017, Villány, Hungary (premium)

The award ceremony took place a day after the contest (11 June) at Bock Winery conference centre. The conference was funded by «Wine Tour Across Borders» HUHR/1901/2.1.3/0095 project of Villány wine region. After giving over the certificates, Cees van Casteren MW, Pasi Ketolainen MW, Chilean winemaker Ximena Pacheco and András Horkay DipWSET gave lectures about different Cabernet Franc styles and summarized their experiences. The ceremony ended with lunch and tasting of the samples.

The first international Franc & Franc conference results announces. Producers of Hungarian Villány wine region have been organizing Franc & Franc conference and tasting for years, and by today the event has become the internation forum of Cabernet Franc variety. After several years of successful conferences, they decided to create a prestigious wine competition focusing […]

Bela Voda White 2021 from North Macedonia Won The Grand Trophy For The Best Balkan Wine.

Bela Voda White 2021 of the Tikves Winery from North Macedonia was named the best wine in the Balkans at the moment.

The decision of the expert jury became clear during the traditional award ceremony, called «Balkan Wine Oscars», at the eleventh edition of The Balkans International Wine Competition and Festival (BIWCF).

Rados Vukicevic, Tikves Winery

The official part of the evening began with a congratulatory address by the Minister of Agriculture Dr. Ivan Ivanov, read by the Executive Director of the Executive Agency for Vine and Wine Georgi Todorov. Tsvetan Simeonov, Chairman of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also took the stage in front of the National Palace of Culture. The ceremony was also attended by Yordan Chorbadjiiski, Chairman of the National Vine and Wine Chamber.

Georgi Todorov

«The time is not far off when the Balkans will take their fifth place in the ranking of world producers. I would like to thank Galina Niforou for being the driving force behind this prestigious forum for the 11th time. The wine sector is becoming stronger and more recognizable and the growing number of connoisseurs is the best illustration of this», said Simeonov.

The most prestigious award in the competition was presented by the director of BIWCF and chairman of the Bulgarian Association of Wine Exporters Galina Niforu. Rados Vukicevic, director of Tikves Winery, took the stage to receive the statuette in person.

«I am very happy that this wine won the grand prize of the Balkan International Wine Competition, because 12 years ago, when it was created, it was the first wine from North Macedonia, awarded many points by Robert Parker. And today it is number 1 in our country as well!», said Niforou.

The trophy for «Best Winery in the Balkans» was awarded for the third year in a row to Turkish Suvla Winery. The award is given to the winery that won the most medals in the competition. The award went to Sulim Winery’s Selim Ellialti, who expressed his gratitude and pride for the award and the fact that their team is part of the Balkan community that BIWCF unites.

Selim Ellialti, Suvla Winery

At the end of the ceremony, BIWCF Director Galina Niforou announced the next host country which will host the competition. In 2022, the jury of the wine forum will assess Balkan wines in Romania (Bistrita-Nasaud, Transylvania).

Here is the complete list of trophy holders in the different categories:

Best Dry White Wine Trophy – Bela Voda White 2021, Tikves winery, North Macedonia

Best Dry Red Wine Trophy – N 1/2, Vinarija Ivanovic, Serbia

Best Dry Rose Wine Trophy – ISSA Pinot Noir Rose 2021, Crama la Salina, Romania and Zelanos Pinot Noir Rose 2021, Zelanos Winery, Bulgaria

Best Sparkling wine Trophy – Rose Metodo Classico, 2016, Edoardo Miroglio, Bulgaria

Best Orange Wine Trophy – Orange, 2020, Vidinska Gamza, Bulgaria

Best Organic Wine Trophy – Assyrtiko Nikolaou Bio 2021, Greece

Best Dessert Wine Trophy – Monemvasia-Malvasia, 2011, Monemvasia Winery, Greece

Best Semisweet Wine Trophy – Oenodos Moschato Semisweet, 2021, Evdaimon – Tselepis P.C, Greece

Best Special Wine Trophy – SWEET SUNSET, 2020, Skevofilax, Greece

Best Indigenous Red Wine Trophy – Prokupac 2019, Vinarija Grabak, Serbia

Best Indigenous White Wine Trophy – Cuvee Evdemon, 2018, Estate Argyros, Santorini, Greece

Best Indigenous Dessert Wine Trophy – Vinsanto Late Release,  2002, Estate Argyros, Santorini, Greece

Best Label Design Trophy – Gorun Winery, Bulgaria

The other participants in the contest with a record number of samples won double gold, gold, silver and bronze medals. The awards for best wine by country –  Best of Show – were announced after the end of the competition in Salamina, Greece. From Ukraine such a winner was the wine Odessos Merlot Limited Edition 2020, winery ODESSOS WINERY. More details here.

Drinks + Media Group and Wine Travel Awards performed at a competition in Greece (Salamis) and the Wine Festival in Bulgaria as the information partner.

At both events, the WTA team presented the Wine Travel Awards Guide, published by the Drinks + media group.

The Wine Travel Awards Guide includes stories about stories about all nominees, voting winners and awarded winners.

On the last day of the Balkans International Wine Competition, the nominees’ wines and sponsors of the Wine Travel Awards were presented, including a presentation of Ukrainian wines, specifically: Vinoman, Le Pri-more, Biologist craft winery, Odesos Winery, VinSancho.

Bela Voda White 2021 from North Macedonia Won The Grand Trophy For The Best Balkan Wine. Bela Voda White 2021 of the Tikves Winery from North Macedonia was named the best wine in the Balkans at the moment. The decision of the expert jury became clear during the traditional award ceremony, called «Balkan Wine Oscars», […]

In 2021, as a reaction to the coronavirus crisis the whole wine world was finally convinced of the need for the digitalization of their businesses. The Communication Media Group Drinks+ did not stay aside from this new opportunity and created a new global project dedicated to wine tourism – the Wine Travel Awards (WTA). Ironically, the online-offline hybrid strategy that was a core of the concept helped not only members of the WTA community to demonstrate their business-models to the world, but became a lifeboat to the media group and its team itself. Less than 6 months after launching the WTA, Putin began his invasion of Ukraine, where the Wine Travel Awards had their head office and where 70% of the team worked.

Awards had their head office and where 70% of the team worked. However, despite the Russian war in Ukraine and this being just the first year of the project and a startup spin-off, since the first days of existence the WTA has managed to bring together the leading experts in the field of wine and wine tourism from 30 different countries.

As the result of an exciting first campaign year, with extreme pride from the team and community members, the First Wine Travel Awards Ceremony happened at the London Wine Fair in the «Industry Briefing Room» on June 8th, 2022 as a private event. The Wine Travel Awards Ceremony highlighted the results of the 2021-2022 campaign, where the winners of both public voting and professional jury selection were appraised and new and prosperous names in the wine tourism business were revealed.

The 2-hour program agenda included a presentation of the project and its partners, announcement of the winners and WTA discoveries, and a walk-around tasting of wines of the WTA community members.

Among the walk-around tasting participants, there were international nominees: F.W. Langguth Erben (Germany), Castel Mimi (Moldova), Shumi Winery (Georgia), Chateau Mukhrani (Georgia), «Armenia Wine» Factory LLC (Armenia), as well as the nominees from Ukraine: 46 Parallel Wine Group, Fathers Wine, Beykush Winery, Shabo Winery, Stakhovsky Wines, Prince Trubetskoi Winery, Honey Badger. Some of these WTA members of Ukrainian origin are now under occupation or were destroyed.

The ceremony was attended by reputable WTA judges such as Robert Joseph, British wine expert, consultant, producer, an editorial consultant for Meininger’s Wine Business International, Felicity Carter, Executive Editor, Pix+ Special Projects, and Doctor Ricardo F. Nunez, the owner of the Vinos de La Luz company, that just received three platinum medals at the Decanter, having won the opportunity to present the «platinum» bottle to Hannah Tovey, Event Director of the LWF.

The Consortium Asti DOCG, as an official sponsor of the WTA Ceremony, provided the guests with welcome drinks that demonstrated to the professionals gathered at the event how diverse Asti can be!

Among the WTA Ceremony guests, there was Federica Zanghirella – Vice President of the UK Sommelier Association, another reputable organization that supported the WTA Ceremony. All together the ceremony, which was invitation-only, received 80 VIP guests.

Presenting a WTA judge’s perspective, Robert Joseph said during the ceremony: «When I was first invited to get involved with these awards, I thought really strongly about it. To be publishing in the Ukrainian magazine, that is not an easy place to be but I also had a personal interest because I did a book guide on wine tourism about 15 years ago, and I spent quite a lot of time looking at wine tourism all the years. And the variety of offerings across the world has exploded. As one of the judges of the WTA competition, I had a really hard time, there were a lot of really good entries. In my short list that I’ve got to evaluate, I thought everybody had the right to win and I would like to congratulate everybody that took part in this competition.»

The WTA results were published in The Wine Travel Awards Guide 2021-2022 which, since March 2022 and until the end of the year, have been distributed at the world’s leading wine exhibitions and the WTA events, such as ProWein, London Wine Fair, Bordeaux Wine Week, etc.

Welcome the first-year edition’s winners:

1.The Visiting Card of the Country

Must visit – #124 Château Mukhrani (Georgia)

Brand – the visiting card of the country – #33 Vinaria Purcari (Moldova)

Progressive approach – #160 Frank John winery (Germany)

Authentic location – #143 Villa dei Misteri: the wine of Ancient Pompeii (Italy)

Objet d’Art – #164 Museo d’Impresa Mastroberardino Atripalda (Italy)

2.Education in Enotourism

Unique program – #15 “Master Class”, the first sommelier school in Ukraine (Ukraine)

Cultural mission – #136 GuideMASTER Wine Tour Guide Program (Armenia)

3.Enogastronomic Events

Magnet of the region – #152 The Shumi Winery (Georgia)

Effective event – #170 London Wine Fair (UK)

Event of the year – #150 Yerevan Wine Days (Armenia)

4.Ambassador

Ambassador of the year – #133 Wine Paths (France)

Creative strategy – #97 Vinuri de Comrat (Moldova)

5.Wine & Food Influencer

Author of the year – #34  Alder Yarrow (USA)

Research of the year – #159 Wine consumption study (Armenia)

Expert opinion – #38 Alder Yarrow (USA)

The brightest journey – #83 AdVINEtures (Canada)

6.Wine Guide

Guide of the year – #147 Vini Armenian Wine Guide (Armenia)

Unique route – #45 Tanisha Townsend (France)

Educational tour of the year – #109 WineStatistics (Romania).

All the winners received trophies and diplomas, rare wines from the WTA partners and educational courses and gift certificates from the most reputable wine tourism institutions. An additional bonus is that all the winners are automatically participating in the 2nd edition of the WTA campaign.

However, there are no losers in the Wine Travel Awards. And this is the main feature of the project: places and prizes are just the cherry on top. And the main dish of the project is a global tailored-made advertising campaign for each nominee that lasts throughout the year and includes both digital promotion and offline activities – such as participation in the world’s largest wine exhibitions and private events of the WTA.

Up to the London Wine Fair, the nominees have been presented in a number of events – in Ukraine, Italy, Spain, as well as in large-scale exhibitions – such as ProWein (5,700 exhibitors + 38,000 visitors from 145 countries) and Vinitaly (4,400 exhibitors and 25,000 visitors from 139 countries). Now it was the London Wine Fair.

Followed by the Balkans International Wine Competition 2022 (Greece) and the premiere of Bordeaux Wine Week. Taking into account the audiences, including online, to which information about the nominees of the Wine Travel Awards was presented, today the awareness of this project reaches the figure of almost half a million operators in the wine and tourism industry.

The WTA team appreciates all the help and support from the London Wine Fair that made this event possible.

The WTA team has already prepared the ground for WTA 2022-2023 that will start officially on the 1st of September. Join the community and receive a year-long advertising campaign! You’ll be highlighted in the WTA Discovery area on the official website right away – and be automatically included in the WTA campaign next year, too!

Congratulations to the Wine Travel Awards first year edition winners! We wish all of you the future prosperity, growth and more victories you deserve!

Photo: Oleg Savca

In 2021, as a reaction to the coronavirus crisis the whole wine world was finally convinced of the need for the digitalization of their businesses. The Communication Media Group Drinks+ did not stay aside from this new opportunity and created a new global project dedicated to wine tourism – the Wine Travel Awards (WTA). Ironically, […]