Beringer Blass Wines Estates, the world's leading premium wine group, has triumphed in two renowned international wine competitions which have been announced at the wine and spirits trade exhibition currently underway at Vinexpo, Bordeaux.
In a ceremony on 18 June, the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) 2001 awarded Beringer Blass the prestigious Schenker Trophy for the best Australian Wine Producer. In another prestigious international wine competition announced at Vinexpo, the "Olympiades du Vin", Beringer Blass was awarded the Trophée d'Or for Best New World Wine, along with five of the entire six medals in the Australian wine category.
The International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) was founded in 1969 by Anton Massel, wine chemist and entrepreneur, and has become the premier competition of its kind in the world.
The Competition's aim is to promote the quality and excellence of the world's best wines and spirits through both professional tastings and chemical analysis. Wines from the Southern Hemisphere took many of the IWSC honours from across the board while strong competition from within the Australia camp lined up for the national trophy. Beringer Blass beat off all these contenders, both large and small, reflecting the emphasis which the company puts upon the individual character and quality of their premium wine range.
Warren Winiarski, IWSC president, who spoke of the quality and breadth of contestants, announced the trophies. "There was a tremendous increase in entries this year from Australia - our judges had a very challenging time determining the winners", Winiarski said.
Terry Davis, Managing Director of Beringer Blass Wine Estates, was delighted that Beringer Blass was acknowledged as the best of Australian wine producers. "At Beringer Blass, we believe in investing to achieve optimum quality and these awards reflect the success of that practice. It is heartening to see the energy and expertise of our winemakers being acknowledged.
The Beringer Blass team in Australia will be delighted with such a prestigious international accolade." The IWSC award came hot on the heels of the presentation by the Olympiades du Vin Competition on the opening day of Vinexpo 2001 of the Trophée d'Or for Best New World Wine.
The trophy was for the Mamre Brook Cabernet Sauvignon 1998, made by Saltram winemaker Nigel Dolan. The Olympiades du Vin is the prestige tasting competition sponsored by the Office International de la Vigne et du Vin (OIV), which is an international forum for wine experts to exchange views and information on the operating environment of the global wine industry.
Chief winemaker for the Australian portfolio of Beringer Blass Wine Estates, Chris Hatcher, is at Vinexpo this week where he is leading a series of tastings for the company at their site in the Club des Marques.
Further Information
Business Media:
Rell Hannah
Director Corporate Affairs
Tel: +613 8626 3307
Mob: 0419 369 075
Email: rell.hannah@beringerblass.com.au
