Chinese wines have scored strong success in the 2015 Decanter Asia Wine Awards, winning three times as many medals as the previous year, and including a regional trophy.
A total of 43 medals were awarded to Chinese wines from six regions at the 2015 Decanter Asia Wine Awards (DAWA), show results released today (5 October). China won 12 medals at DAWA 2014.
The medal included a regional trophy for Kanaan Winery’s Pretty Pony 2013, a Ningxia Cabernet.
The wine won the Asia red regional trophy after being pitted against another Ningxia Cabernet Sauvignon from Ningxia Tianjun Lisi Winery. The latter was awarded a gold medal.
Wines from Heilongjiang, Shanxi, Yunnan and Hebei are also on the winners’ list this year, whereas only Ningxia and Shandong won medals last year.
Ningxia again led the Chinese field at DAWA 2015 with 36 medals, further consolidating its status as the most prominent fine wine region in China.
This year’s competition also saw different styles of Chinese wines being awarded medals.
A Videl-based Icewine, Fenhe Château Ice Wine 2012 of Heilongjiang Luyuan Winery, was awarded a silver medal.
Helan Qingxue’s Cabernet Franc based Jia Bei Lan Rosé 2014 also won a silver, while Moet Hennessy owned Domaine Chandon gained a silver for Ningxia with its Brut NV sparkling wine.
A total of 2,600 wines from 32 countries were tasted at DAWA 2015 by more than 40 expert judges over four days in Hong Kong in early September.
The judging panel includes predominantly top experts in Asia. This year’s vice chairs included China wine authority and DecanterChina.com columnist LI Demei, as well as Shinya Tasaki, president of the international sommeliers’ association, and wine writer and critic CH’NG Poh Tiong.
During judging, quality wines are first given medals with levels from commended, bronze, silver to gold.
Gold medal wines are then re-tasted by the chairs for the selection of regional trophies. The wines that make it through are then judged against each other in specific categories for international trophies, the highest award of the competition.
