Decanter World Wine AwardsDecanter Asia Wine Awards to launch in May
- Wednesday 21 March 2012
The Decanter Asia Wine Awards is a sister competition to the Decanter World Wine Awards, which was launched in 2004; it will recognise wines targeted at the Asian market and will be judged by Asia’s most prominent wine experts.
The Asian wine market has grown dramatically in recent years, with Chinese consumption reaching 156.1m cases in 2011, according to the latest statistics from Vinexpo.
This makes China the fifth-largest wine-consuming nation worldwide, ahead of the UK in sixth place.
The Decanter Asia Wine Awards will be co-chaired by Jeannie Cho Lee MW, the first Asian Master of Wine and a Decanter contributing editor, and Steven Spurrier, chair of the Decanter World Wine Awards and Decanter’s consultant editor.
Cho Lee said, ‘With the energy and growing enthusiasm in Asia for wine, this competition arrives at the perfect time. The reputation that Decanter has garnered over the years with the Decanter World Wine Awards leaves me in no doubt that producers, consumers and professionals will appreciate Decanter’s level of professionalism, integrity and capability in organising a truly world-class competition in Asia.’
In common with the Decanter World Wine Awards, all wines will be tasted blind in regional groupings to allow for an expression of terroir to be taken into account. Each wine will be assessed within price brackets, and all wines from Silver medal and above will be tasted twice.
Decanter Asia Wine Awards co-chair Steven Spurrier said, 'Helping create the Decanter World Wine Awards back in 2004 was a challenge not to be missed and their extraordinary success has now propelled us towards Asia, another challenge to look forward to.'
Sarah Kemp, Decanter’s publishing director, and founder of the Decanter World Wine Awards said, ‘Decanter is proud to be launching into such an exciting market. The new Decanter Asia Wine Awards will provide Asian wine lovers with a trusted and reliable source of wine recommendations.’
The competition will be launched at Vinexpo Asia-Pacific in Hong Kong at the end of May and will open for entries on 29 May 2012.
Judging will take place in Hong Kong in September 2012.
For more information, please contact Christabel Lemke on +44 (0) 203 148 4498 or email: asiawineawards@decanter.com.
Have your say!
Sato,MItsu
March 23 07:15
Japan has lost its presence/
Nissanka Petiyagoda
March 23 02:14
The integrity of Wine competitions in Asia would certainly gain from Decanter's reputation.
Nissanka Peti. Sri Lanka.
Johnny Chan
March 21 10:45
Time flies! I remember I organised the first Asian International Wine Competition with HOFEX in 1995 in Hong Kong with judges representing different continents like Jean-Michel Cazes, John Platter, Peter Saunders, John Duval, Aurelio Montes, Denis Degase, Jim Crum, Bruce Cass... Alan Young was the force and spirit behind the whole project. Kevin Sinclare covered the event in vivid details thru his columns. Both Alan and Kevin have left us but will be remembered forever for their contribution in bringing the wine culture to Asia.
In vino veritas,
Johnny Chan
1421 Wines
J Boyce
March 21 09:46
It'll be interesting to see if we see much the same wine entered in this contest as are entered in the Decanter World Wine Awards or if there will be a much higher percentage of wines entered that are produced in Asia -- from China, India, Thailand and elsewhere.
Cheers, J Boyce
grapewallofchina.com