Press Release: THE WINE CHAMPIONS ARE SLOVAKIA AND GERMANY
19.6.2023 BRATISLAVA: Red wine from Southern Slovakia CABALI Selection 2018 from winemaker Martin Pomfy impressed the world-famous tasters at the prestigious Danube Wine Challenge 2023. It became Champion in the category of still dry red wines and at the same time won the prestigious Prix VINOFED award. Among the white wines, the Prix VINOFED laureate is Riesling Trocken 2021 from the German winery Josef Spreitzer VDP, which was also the highest rated dry white wine of the entire competition.
"The wines were evaluated by highly respected tasters from 16 countries of the world at the international wine competition Danube Wine Challenge 2023 in CHÂTEAU BELA. In the grand final tasting of the highest-ranked wines, the pure and balanced taste of the wines triumphed," explains Edita Ďurčová, oenologist and GD of the Danube Wine Challenge. The winners of the special prizes were announced during the Danube Wine Day in Bratislava's Old Market Hall, with the moderators of the gala evening, the project's ambassadors, Lucia Hurajova and Michal Hudák. The wine-loving public could taste the wines evaluated by the prestigious jury of the tenth edition of the competition, directly from the hands of winemakers or importers.
In the Danube Wine Challenge 2023, 623 wines from 15 countries were entered, 60% of them were Slovak wines. The Grand Gold Medal was awarded to 18 wines, 10 of which were from Slovakia. The most successful Slovak competitors were winemakers from Tokaj. The winery Ostrožovič won two grand gold medals. Their Saturnia straw wine 2021 was the highest rated Slovak wine and won the RONA Best of Slovakia Trophy, presented by RONA's famous designer Patrik Illo. Tokaj & Co also took home the Vinařský raj Best Wine Collection Trophy for the most successful wine collection of the 10th Danube Wine Challenge. Out of a total of 121 gold medals, the wine jury awarded a record 83 Slovak wines. Of the 48 silver medals, more than half were awarded to Slovak wines. Dozens of medals were also won by wines from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Australia, Spain and Germany.
The highest score in the category "orange wines" received the wines from the ORGANIC winery in Strekov and from the family winery Karpatská perla in Šenkvice. The sparkling wine category was dominated by Chardonnay brut from the Josef Valihrach Winery (Czech Republic) and the Slovak sparkling wine from the Nichta winery in Čajkov. Among the naturally sweet wines, the jury was impressed by the 2012 Riesling berry selection from Château Bela (Slovakia) and the 2021 Rulandské bílé selection of noble sweet berries from the Moravian Vinařství Volařík. The winemakers from the Czech Republic were handed the awards by the 1st Secretary of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Slovakia, Mrs Eva Reinöhlová.
H.E. Margitt Bruck-Friedrich, Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to Slovakia, delivered special trophies to the winners for the Best still dry (red) wine Frankovka (Villa Vino Rača Frankovka grape selection 2019) and for the Best still dry Veltliner(Karpatská Perla Veltlínske zelen sur lie, Noviny Vineyard 2021).
The trophies were handed over to the aforementioned Danube Wine Challenge Champions by the Director General of the Agriculture Section of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Juraj Pénzeš. The winners received the prestigious Prix VINOFED from the hands of Edita Ďurčová, the Deputy vice-president of this federation and the general director of the competition. Video from the final tasting of the awarded wines can be viewed HERE
Special awards - hand-blown RONA decanters - were presented to the winemakers by representatives of embassies and sponsors, as well as wine personalities, among them the well-known grape breeder Ing. Dorota Pospíšilová: "I am grateful that I have had the privilege to live to see wines from my varieties bring success to winemakers and help spread the good name of Slovakia in the world." She awarded the ViaJur winery in Svätý Jur for the Best Dunaj red wine (Dunaj 2021) and the winery from Šenkvice, Karpatská Perla, for the Best Devín (Hrozienkový výber, Plázle vineyard 2018).
Wine samples were evaluated by opinion leaders, tasters of sixteen nationalities from four continents, in the so-called blind tasting. They knew only the category of the wine and its vintage. The Danube Wine Challenge is one of the 15 most important wine competitions in the world under the high patronage of the OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine) and is a member of the World Federation of Major International Wine and Spirits Competitions (VINOFED). "A medal from such a competition is an award and a reward for every winemaker. It can promote Slovak wines and get them on the world market. The wine competition also puts Slovakia on the map of wine regions, which attracts tourists and lovers of quality wine here," added Igor Štumpf, the organiser of the competition and president of the Danube Wine Challenge project.
The complete results of the competition and the list of awarded wines can be viewed HERE.
After-movie from Danube Wine Day Bratislava 2023 can be viewed HERE.
For further information, please contact:
Edita Ďurčová, General Director
Danube Wine Challenge IWC
+421 903 221 292
danubewine@danubewine.sk
