News

Record number of entries and distinguished international judges at the 13th edition of the Balkans International Wine Competition

For the first time in its history, the Balkans International Wine Competition will be held in two countries renowned for their deep wine traditions. From June 4th to 8th, Arcadia Vineyards in Turkey and Katarzyna Estate in Bulgaria will host this prestigious event. Both venues are known for their longstanding industry traditions and a focus on sustainable agriculture. This expansion highlights the competition’s ambition to promote the wine culture and establish new trade connections across the Balkans.

On one hand, the number of samples presented at the competition continues to grow steadily and sustainably. Last year, over 1,000 wines were registered for participation, representing an increase of more than 180% compared to the first edition of the competition in 2012. Over the last decade, the number of participating wineries has increased more than fivefold.

The best wine in the Balkans will be selected by a prestigious jury of 25, which this year includes Masters of Wine and Master Sommeliers from the UK, France, Switzerland, the USA, Georgia, Serbia, and Greece, along with well-known wine personalities from the Balkans and Europe. The ceremony will be held at Katarzyna Estate—a winery that has been transforming the face of the wine culture since its establishment in 2003.

The gala dinner, known as the “Balkan Wine Oscars,” will present the “Best of Show” trophies. The remaining 15 trophies in various categories will be announced at the opening of the Balkan Wine Festival on June 27th at 9:00 PM at the “Wine Town” in front of the National Palace of Culture in Sofia. This year’s edition of the Balkan International Wine Festival will take place from June 27th to 29th, with tickets set to go on sale soon.

The Balkan International Wine Competition and Festival provides a distinctive opportunity for winemakers from the region to showcase their craftsmanship and gain recognition on the international stage. By participating, they not only share their wines with a broad audience but also contribute to enhancing the visibility and prestige of Balkan wines, promoting high standards, sustainable viticulture, and innovations in winemaking.

CMB Rosé Wine Session results: the CMB reveals the best rosés of the year

At the end of March in Dalmatia (Croatia), 1,205 rosé wines from across the globe competed for the CMB’s highly coveted medals. For the first session of the year, which focuses entirely on rosé wines, 55 international judges awarded silver, gold and grand gold medals to wines from 32 countries.

For the 2024 vintage of the Rosé Wine Session, the Vinolok International Revelation Trophy was awarded to the Italian rosé Villa Cordevigo Gaudenzia 2019 by Vigneti Villabella. The Veneto winery did not just leave with one prestigious accolade, however – it also came away with three Gold and one Silver medal. In fact, all of the wines it entered in the competition won medals, a huge achievement which underscores an unrivalled commitment to crafting outstanding wines.

View the full results here: https://resultats.concoursmondial.com/en/results/2024

France secures the top spot
France confirms its ranking as a producer of stellar rosés with no fewer than 137 award-winning wines, almost double the amount of the second most awarded country, Italy, which came away with 76 medals. Spain rounds off the top three with 57 medalled wines.

Croatia and Romania stand out from the crowd
Although overshadowed by the leading rosé wine producer countries, two nations confirm that they are rising stars in the wine firmament, with each of them awarded 18 prestigious CMB medals – Croatia and Romania. In fact, the Medium-Sweet Revelation award went to a Romanian wine, the C’est Soir – Busuioaca De Bohotin Semi-Sweet.

Greece also excelled with 10 medal-winning wines, including a Grand Gold for the Lenga Pink by Avantis Estate.

View the Revelation awards here: https://resultats.concoursmondial.com/en/results
Pictures of the competition here https://flickr.com/photos/concoursmondial/albums/72177720315602434/

The Results from Mundus Vini Tasting 2024 are in. Macedonian Wineries Win 42 Medals.

The results are in for the 34th Grand International Wine Award MUNDUS VINI: the most successful wineries at this years competition are R&A Pfaffl (Best Producer Austria), DGB (South Africa),Vinaria Purcari (Moldova), Anecoop (Spain) as well as Fantini Group (Italy). The wines from those five wineries sum up to 163 awards in Silver, Gold and Grand Gold.

The six-day tasting in the traditional city hall Saalbau in Neustadt/Weinstrasse, Germany, saw an impressive number of more than 250 wine experts coming from 55 different countries to the heart of the wine-growing region Pfalz, which is the second largest in Germany. Wines were sent into the competition from 45 different nations, including up-to-now more or less completely unknown wine nations like Uzbekistan (one Silver medal), Poland (the second Gold medal for a Polish wine ever), as well as Kazakhstan, Colombia or Morocco.

Great success and prove for the consistent quality by Italian wines are the in total 639 awards (12 Grand Gold, 370 Gold, 257 Silver), given by the strict jury. Second place goes to Spain with 535 awards (7 Grand Gold, 302 Gold, 226 Silver), followed by Portugal (352 awards), France (296 awards), Germany (193 awards) as well as Austria (105 awards).

Over the last years MUNDUS VINI saw a strong improvement of the wine quality from Eastern European countries. This year especially wines from Moldova (3 Grand Gold, 56 Gold, 37 Silver) impressed the expert jury, followed by Georgia (83 awards), Romania (71 awards) and North Macedonia (42 awards).

Grand gold medals were awarded to Bovin winery‘s Emotion 2012, 2020, Tikves‘ Bela Voda Red 2021, and the underdog, the small family winery Wine Cellar Popovi with their Dark Horse Vranec Barrique 2021.
Gold medals went to another 39 Macedonian wineries: Bovin for their Experience 2011, A’gupka 2015 & Era 2015, Chateau Kamnik‘s Monte 2022 & Vranec Terroir Grand Reserva Tikves‘ Bela Voda White 2022, Bela Voda Red 2015, Babuna Red 2022, Alexandria Cuvee Red 2022, Domaine Lepovo Chardonnay 2022, Dalvina with total of seven medals for their Touch Syrah Reserve 2021, Touch Grande Cuvee Reserve 2021, Touch Premium Merlot 2019, Touch Premium Syrah 2019, Dalvina Dioniz Syrah 2019, Hermes Syrah 2021, Hermes Vranec 2021, Venec for their ever awarded Koria Temjanika 2023 & Single Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Lazar winery won gold for their Sauvignon Blanc 2023, Bukefal vranec 2021, Chateau Sopot Djinot Vranec 2023, Krnjevo Winery Barovo Red 2021, Dane Hermes Merlot Lepovo Vineyards 2022 and Imako’s Constellation Vranec 2020. 

Once again, the number of awards given to “New World” countries like South Africa (95 awards), Chile (55 awards) and Australia (50 awards), sums up to a total of 288.
All medals awarded available on the following link: www.meininger.de/en/wine/verkostungen/ergebnisse/mundus-vini-spring-tasting-2024

The 13th edition of the Balkans International Wine Competition crosses borders for the first time to be held in two countries

In its 13th edition, the Balkans International Wine Competition opens new avenues by expanding into two countries with deep wine traditions – Bulgaria and Turkey. This expansion not only reflects the growing international significance of the competition but also emphasizes the ambition to further recognize the diversity and quality of wines from the region.

At the heart of this year’s edition are two leading figures in the industry, symbolizing the strength and innovation of female entrepreneurship in winemaking – Tsvetelina Nikolova from Katarzyna Estate and Zeynep Arca Şalliel from Arcadia Vineyards. Their efforts and vision for the sustainable development of their wineries over the years serve as an inspiration for the entire industry.

Tsvetelina Nikolova, behind the successes of Katarzyna Estate, is renowned for her commitment to producing wines that reflect the uniqueness and richness of Bulgarian wine regions. Her work highlights the importance of innovation and the pursuit of creating world-class products.

Zeynep Arca Şalliel, managing Arcadia Vineyards, pioneers the application of sustainable methods in Turkish winemaking, thereby contributing to environmental protection and creating wines with a distinct character.

Galina Niforou, Chairwoman of the Bulgarian Association of Wine Exporters and Founder of the Competition, shares her vision: “This year’s edition of the Balkans International Wine Competition, spanning across Bulgaria and Turkey, marks a milestone in our journey to illuminate the diverse and rich wine culture of the Balkans. By showcasing the exceptional leadership and sustainable practices of figures like Tsvetelina Nikolova and Zeynep Arca Şalliel, we celebrate not only the excellence of Balkan wines but also the pioneering spirit of female entrepreneurs in our industry. This expansion reflects our dedication to fostering new trade relationships and promoting our unique wine heritage on an international scale.”

The Balkans International Wine Competition & Festival serves as a platform enabling various stakeholders in the wine business – producers, distributors, importers – to meet and initiate new trade relationships. Each year, the competition is hosted in a different Balkan country, aiding in the promotion of the host nation. The expansion of the competition into two countries is a clear sign of the diversity and rich wine culture of the Balkans, while simultaneously opening up new opportunities for development and collaboration.

More info in depth is available on the website “The Balkans International Wine Competition & Festival” https://balkanswine.eu/home/

Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2024

Since 30 years Concours Mondial is existing. During this time it has become one of the most reputated and biggest wine and sparkling competitions in the world. Different to a quite similar annual tasting event in London, where 80 percent of the samples sent are awarded with medals by mostly British jurors, or another one in Berlin, where 97 percent of the medals given are all in gold, the CMB organisers continue setting the point on very strict evaluation instead of medal flood – for the sake of consumers, to whom such kind of international accolades are giving important orientation at the salespoint.

Another distincting factor in the sense of global excellence: In no other competition can be found such an international tasters panel as at CMB. Half of the jurors are journalists coming from all continents; they assure global awareness for the medal winners as well as for the host regions of the competition. Second largest group are buyers and importers. There’s a reason why CMB understands itself as „United Nations of Fine Wines“. Since 2006, the Concours is itinerating through different countries and wine regions. Due to the continuosly growing figures of recently 15,000 samples per year, the competition was split into four separate tasting events in 2022:

CMB Rosé 2024 from March 20 – 22 in Split/Croatia	CMB Red+White 2024 from June 7 – 9 in Guanajuato/Mexico
CMB Sparkling 2024 from July 3 – 5 in Alghero/Italy	CMB Sweet 2024 in September

In addition, there’s several variety competitions in the sense of global presence for instance for Sauvignon Blanc, for Marselan being widespread especially in China and for the „Balkan racehorse“ Vranec as well as Spirits Selection with more than 2,000 registered samples every year.

Part of the DNA of Concours Mondial, alongside with strict evaluation of the wines and spirits, of which – following the rules of the International Organisation for Vines and Wines OIV – maximum 30 percent may obtain a medal, is professional results check by the Statistic Institute of Louvain University, strict quality control of the engaged tasters, creation of detailed aroma profiles of the samples handed over to the producers afterwards and post-event purchase of awarded wines in supermarkets and wine shops with the purpose of lab analysis.

By customized promotion events in different countries as well as by official award ceremonies at leading trade shows like ProWein and Wine Paris or at the European Parliament in Brussels products awarded with CMB medals are getting an additional international vitrine, which no other competition worldwide can offer.

The latest coup of the team around Baudouin and Quentin Havaux, owners of the agency Vinopres in Brussels, and CMB Director Thomas Costenoble is the installation of a „CMB Wine Bar“ in a five-star hotel in Mexiko City and a „CMB Wine Corner“ in the airport lounge of United Airlines. More Wine Corners will follow in the next months at the airports of Tokio and London Heathrow. Cooperation partner United Airlines is pouring wines with CMB medals on its first and business class flights in the meantime – tremendous opportunity for producers being a successful partner of the „United Nations of Fine Wines“ to reach new high class customers.

Deadline for registration
CMB Rosé: February 26, 2024
CMB Red + White: April 12, 2024
CMB Sparkling: June 7, 2024
CMB Sweet: June 15, 2024

Link for registering: https://concoursmondial.com/en/

Vranec Selection by CMB 2023: The Results

The very first international competition dedicated to Vranec revealed its results this Monday, December 11th. International judges present for the occasion unanimously agree that the creation of this new competition is a real success, with the Vranec grape confirming the potential and unique character of Balkan wines. North Macedonia is the most represented country in terms of medals, while a wine from Montenegro wins the international revelation among the 94 participating wines.

Following blind tastings conducted by a selection of international judges, the Stari Podrum Vranac 2015 from 13.jul-Plantaže, originating from Montenegro, was voted the best wine of Vranec Selection by CMB 2023, thanks to its exceptionally harmonious and complex taste. This great wine is characterized by intense aromas of black fruits, cherry, and mint, well-balanced with spicy notes that give it elegance, complexity, and freshness.

The other revelations:

Croatia: Grabovac Vranac Riserva 2016 from Vinarija Grabovac
North Macedonia: Constellation Vranec 2020 from Imako Vino
Serbia: Vranac Potrkanjski 2019 from Vinarija Jovic
International Blend Revelation: Kamnik Cuvée de Prestige 2020 from Château Kamnik
For Kosovo, the Bucina Superiore 2021 stood out with a Silver Medal.

All revelations and results are available at https://results.vranecselection.com/

Photos of Vranec Selection by CMB 2023 are available on the following link https://www.flickr.com/photos/concoursmondial/albums/72177720313191658/

Start of the first edition of Vranec Selection by CMB

Vranec Selection by CMB kicked off on 6 December in Veles wine district, in North Macedonia. For this first edition, organised under the aegis of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, a selection of international judges will be blind-tasting nearly a hundred Vranec wines from the 4 corners of the Balkans. This is a historic moment, as it is the first time that an international competition has been dedicated to the Vranec grape variety.

Vranec Selection by CMB is more than just a competition, it’s an opportunity to draw attention to two trends in the world of wine: firstly, the emergence of the Balkan wine regions, and secondly, the consumer who is now going off the beaten track to discover wines with indigenous grape varieties. So, for this first edition, it’s only logical that we should be highlighting Vranec wines, which have many passionate producers throughout the Balkans. And it’s no coincidence that every year, producers from this region win medals at the CMB.”

“Vranec Selection by CMB is like the cherry on the cake. This prestigious event closes a wonderful year for the CMB, which celebrated its 30th edition.”

The results of the competition will be published on 11 December at 11am on vranecselection.com.

About CMB
The Concours Mondial de Bruxelles is an international competition where over 10,000 wines are entered by producers to be judged by a panel of experts. Our experienced judges taste the wines in the competition with one guiding principle, and that is to single out wines of irreproachable quality, with no bias stemming from the label or an appellation’s prestige. The Concours is one of the most significant international events of its kind.

Wine Vision by Open Balkan

Wine Vision by Open Balkan is the largest and most impactful wine fair in Southeast Europe . Second year in a row, Belgrade will be the capital of the wine industry in this part of the world, from November 16-19, 2023.

This unique event, founded under the auspices of the Governments of Serbia, North Macedonia and Albania, offered visitors an entirely new wine experience and the opportunity to discover the exciting world of authentic and autochthonous wines of the Western Balkans, as well as those whose geographical indication suggests they are of the best-known wine regions.

The jury panel, which includes Masters of Wine, evaluates wines according to the system of judges’ panels and according to the standards that apply to all world wine evaluations.
Open Balkan Wine Trophy competition is organized in the categories of white, red, rose, sparkling, sweet, orange and fortified wines, and special trophies were awarded to wines made from Balkan’s autochthonous varieties. The jury panel, which includes Masters of Wine, evaluates wines according to the system of judges’ panels and according to the standards that apply to all world wine evaluations.

For more info on Wine Vision please follow the link https://www.fair.openbalkan.com/

MUNDUS VINI Summer Tasting 2023

The summer edition of the wine competition held as always in Neustadt Germany, brought six gold medals and five silver ones for Macedonian wineries. The Best of Show goes to Popov winery for their Popov Kosharishte Reserva 2021, a powerful, elegant Kratoshija.

In the medal table at the summer tasting, Italy is in first place (3 Grand Gold, 225 Gold, 215 Silver), followed by Spain (5 Grand Gold, 148 Gold, 125 Silver) and Germany (2 Grand Gold, 116 Gold, 118 silver). They are followed by Portugal (100 medals), France (90), Georgia (62) as well as South Africa (45), Austria (43), Romania (43) and the Czech Republic (40).

International awards include Taylor Wines (Australia, 1 Grand Gold, 6 Gold, 5 Silver), Vinaria Purcari (Moldova, 10 Gold, 6 Silver), Fattoria La Vialla (Italy, 1 Grand Gold, 5 Gold, 8 Silver). ) and Anecoop (Spain, 17 gold, 11 silver) were recognized as the best producers in their country.

The competition awards the “Best of Show” award, which is only given to the best wine in a category, for “Best of Show Champagne Vintage” (Alfred Gratien Millesime 2009), “Best of Show Germany noble sweet” ( 2018 Lerchenspiel Rieslaner Beerenauslese, Weingut am Kaiserbaum), “Best of Show Amarone” (Casa Vinicola Sartori) and the “Best of Show Fortified Wine” (61 Doarde en Rama, Bodega Cuatro Rayas).

Awarded medals to Macedonian wineries:

Gold Medals
Domaine Lepovo Chardonnay 2022
Popov Kosharishte Reserva 2021 (Best of Show Republic of N. Macedonia)
Popov Carménère Grand Reserve 2018
Popov Vranec Reserve 2019
Tikves Bela Voda White 2022
Tikves Barovo Red 2021
Vardarska Dolina Cabernet Sauvignon Chateau Rizoff 2021

Silver Medals
Naumchevi Cabernet Sauvignon Barrique 2021
Tikves Barovo White 2022
Tikves Bela Voda Red 2021
Tikves Barovo White Cuvee 2022
Vardarska DOlina Sonnet in a Bottle Grashevina 2022

The best wines from Grašac variety were judged at GROW du Monde competition 2023

The second edition of the GROW du Monde 2023 wine competition took place in Kutjevo, Croatia from June 14th to 17th . A panel of judges from all over the world tasted more than 200 samples of wines made from Graševina, Olaszrizling, Grašac, Welschriesling – variety of rich history, known under many different names and carrying the great importance for the wine growing regions of Central Europe.

The judging panels included 20 judges from 17 countries, and among them two holders of the Master of Wine title, Rod Smith MW and Ivan Barbić MW. The GROW du Monde was followed by the study trip in Slavonia, Baranja, and Srijem – the main Croatian regions for Graševina, and the Go Grow conference that was held on the 16th of June in Osijek where the Trophy winners were officially announced. This year, trophies were awarded in five categories – aged, young, sparkling, amber, and sweet wine -with winning wines coming from Croatia, the Czech Republic, Serbia, and Austria.

Aged Wine Trophy
Iločki podrumi, Graševina archive wine 2008, Croatia, Platinum (95 points)
Amber Wine Trophy
Kutjevo d.d., Graševina Koria 2018, Amber wine, Croatia , Gold (92 Points)
Sparkling Wine Trophy
Vinum Dina Grašac Brut 2020, Serbia, Gold (90 points)
Sweet Wine Trophy
Sattlerhof Welschriesling Trockenbeerenauslese 2017, Austria, Platinum(96 points)
Young Wine Trophy
Zámecké vinařství Bzenec s.r.o., Ryzlink vlašský ZVB Collection 2022, Czech Republic, Platinum (94 points)

GROW is an acronym composed of different names of Grašac: Graševina, Olaszrizling, and Welschriesling. GROW du Monde is a competition focused on the variety that we all believe in, with the aim of affirming its presence on the international market. It was founded by three wine experts: Saša Špiranec, the leading wine expert in Croatia; Zoltan Győrffy, founder and editor of the wine magazine Pecsi Borozo; and Igor Luković, wine expert and editor of Vino & Fino magazine. Next year’s GROW du Monde will be held in June, in Hungary.   

Greek Wines Dominate on the Award List of Winning Wines at BIWC 2023
Macedonian wineries win two grand trophies, four double gold medals, 24 gold medals, 27 silver and 47 bronze ones

This year’s 12th edition of the Balkans International Wine Competition was held in Romania (Transylvania), in the picturesque Bistrica-Nasaud County in the 15th century Teleki Castle, and a record number of participants took part in the competition – more than 1,200 wines and 300 wineries.
The biggest prize in the competition – the Grand Trophy for the “Best Wine in the Balkans”, the winery in the Balkans, which won the largest number of medals in the competition, as well as the trophies in each category – will be awarded at a glamorous Balkan ceremony “Balkan Wine Oscars” of the Festival in Sofia – on June 22-24 2023 in the Wine Town in front of the National Palace of Culture.

Best of Show for a Macedonian winery goes to Wine Cellar Popovi for their Dark Horse Organic 2020 and Tikves winery wins the Best Indigenous Rose Wine Trophy for their Rose Barovo 2022. Double gold medals were awarded to the following wines and wineries Wine Cellar Popovi Dark Horse Organic 2020 (95 points), Lazar Winery Grashevina 2022 (94 points), Venec Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Single block 2020 and Paragon Urban Winery Cabernet Franc 2022.

24 gold medals were awarded to the following Macedonian wineries and all awarded wines can be found on the following link https://balkanswine.eu/results-2023/ Congratulations to all of them!

• Chateau Kamnik Cuvee de Prestige 2021 (89 points), Kratosija (91 points), Ten Barrels Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva (89 points), Terroir Vranec 2020 (90 points), Winemakers’ Selection Red 2021 (90 points);
• Chateau Sopot Mugri 2021 (89 points);
• IZ Agro Boel DRUM Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (89 points), DRUM Cuvee Vranec/Merlot 2021 (90 points);
• Kartal Winery Merlot barrique 2018 (90 points);
• Kerem Winery Ad Astra 2019 (90 points);
• Lazar Winery Erigon Cuvee 2019 (89 points);
• Old School Winery Cuvee Gajdov 2020 (89 points);
• Paragon Urban Winery By the river -Vranec 2022 (89 points);
• STOBI Vranec Selection 2022 (89 points);
• Tikves Babuna red 2022 (89 points); Barovo white (89 points); Bela Voda white 2022 (90 points); Domaine Lepovo Grand Cuvee 2022 (89 points); Vranec Luda Mara 2020 (89 points); Zilavka Bela Voda (89 points);
• Venec Winery: Kratoshija Single block 2022 (89 points); Temjanika Koria 2022 (89 points); Vranec Orle 2020 (89 points);
• Zaharchev Winery and Distillery Vranec Barrique 2020 (90 points);
  
  

GROW du Monde Competition and Conference to be Held 14 June 2023 in Kutjevo, Croatia

GROW du Monde is an international wine challenge that will gather wines made from Graševina, Riesling Italico, Grašac Beli, Laški Rizling, Welschriesling, Ryzlink vlašský, Olaszrizling or Riesling Italian – call this great variety as you prefer. The judging of the GROW du Monde competition will take place on June 14th in Kutjevo, as a part of the GO GROW project, which is taking place in Croatia from June 13-17th at multiple locations.

In addition to the competition, the GO GROW projects also include many interesting events: GO GROW conference, press trips, and visits to wineries and vineyards. The GO GROW conference will be held in Osijek, and it will feature a series of workshops dedicated to Graševina, in the English language. We believe this event will be an opportunity for collaboration with other wine experts, as well as for experiencing the very best that Croatian wine regions have to offer.

Decanter World Wine Awards brings 43 medals for Macedonian Wineries
Small Family Wineries Seem to be Getting Their Momentum

At this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards Competition, the Macedonian wineries 43 medals in total – 2 gold, 21 silver ones and 20 bronze. However, albeit of the usual suspects’ wins, a gold medal for Tikves winery for their Luda Mara Vranec 2020 (95 points) and Marko Stojakovic’s Merak-Vranec-Merlot-Plavec 2022 (95 points) , what is more than welcoming in this array of medals is the awards for the smaller family wineries, which does not lessen the fact that winning a silver or bronze medal for the first time at Decanter is a not a major and long awaited success.

Credit: Decanter

The 2023 competition saw an influential troupe of 236 wine experts, including 53 Masters of Wine and 16 Master Sommeliers, come together from 30 nations. With over 100 overseas judges and talented regional specialists focused on what’s in the glass, DWWA results offer consumers and trade a trustworthy guide to the dynamic world of wine. – said Olivia Mason, Senior Awards Marketing Manager at Decanter.

The biggest suprise seems to come from the smaller Macedonian wineries such as Sarika, located in Prilep (Pelagonia-Polog Wine District) winning their first ever medal at Decanter, silver (90 points) for their excellent Vranec Barrique 2020. No suprises with wineries such as Chateau Kamnik winning 94 points for their Cuvee de Prestige 2020 (94 points), Popov winning 93 points for their highly praised Carménère Reserve 2018, Imako Constellation Cuvee Red 2019 (92 points), Bovin for My Way Vranec 2015 (90 points) & Euphoria Cuvee 2022 (90 points), Dalvina for their Dioniz Merlot 2019 (90 points) & Dioniz Vranec 2019 (93 points), Venec Orle Vranec 2019 (90 points). More than worth mentioning are silvers for Kratoshija wines, the one from Venec Kratoshija 2020 (90 points) & the one from Tikves Kratoshija 2022 (90 points). Tikves winery also won silvers for Barovo Red 2021 (92 points), Alexandria Cuvee Red 2021 (90 points), Vrshnik Red 2021 (92 points), Bela Voda White 2022 (90 points), Barovo White 2022 (90 points), Babuna White 2022 (90 points), Barovo Rose 2022 (91 points), Domaine Lepovo Chardonnay 2021 (90 points) & Grand Cuvee Red 2019 (90 points).

The results from the competition are available on the following link: https://awards.decanter.com/DWWA/2023/search/wines?competitionType=DWWA&country=North%20Macedonia

The Balkans’ Finest Wines Honored in a Spectacular Ceremony in Transylvania

For the twelfth consecutive year, the Best of Show wines in the Balkans were awarded in the prestigious contest The Balkans International Wine Competition (BIWC). This year it was held in the emblematic Transylvania, and a record number of participants took part in the competition – more than 1,200 wines and 300 wineries. At an official ceremony and gala dinner in Metropolis Hotel, Bistrita, Romania, the prestigious international jury announced the host country of the next edition of the Competition. For the first time the Competition will be split in two countries – Bulgaria and Turkey! In June 2024, L’Ambassade de Katarzyna, will be the main host of the 13th edition of the BIWC.

The biggest prize in the competition – the Grand Trophy for the “Best Wine in the Balkans”, the winery in the Balkans, which won the largest number of medals in the competition, as well as the trophies in each category – will be awarded at a glamorous Balkan ceremony “Balkan Wine Oscars” on the first night of the Festival in Sofia – on June 15 at 8 p.m. in the Wine Town in front of the National Palace of Culture.

Traditionally, the jury awards one of the best participants from each country in the Competition with the ‘Best of Show’ award, for the wine that won the highest number of points for each country. Here are the winners:

Best of Show Albania
Kabernelo Reserva 2019, Kantina Faba

Best of Show Bulgaria
Zornitza Family Estate 2020, Zornitza estate

Best of Show Croatia
Nedija, 2021, Caric winery

Best of Show Greece
Malvasia dessert wine 2011, Monemvasia winery

Best of Show Italy
Gianni Masciarelli Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC 2020, Masciarelli

Best of Show Hungary
Teleki Vilanyi Olaszrizling 2022, Scanyi winery

Best of Show Kosovo
Vranac Teranda 2015, Suhareka Verani winery

Best of Show Montenegro
Vranac Barrique 2018, 13 Jul. Plantaze winery

Best of Show Moldova
Individo Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Chateau Vertely

Best of Show North Macedonia
Dark Horse Organic 2020, Goce Popov/ Wine cellar Popovi

Best of Show Romania
Negru De Dragasani 2019, Avincis winery

Best of Show Serbia
Grasac 2020, Vincic winery

Best of Show Turkey
Iyiki Karasakiz white sparkling 2019, Suvla winery

Best of Show Ukraine
Odessos Merlot 2019, Odessos winery

The award ceremony was hosted by Galina Niforou, BIWC’s director and  Igor Lukovic,  BIWC president. “I am really impressed by the warmth and professionalism of the hosts from Transylvania. For the glamorous ceremony, we had not only a record number of samples but also a record quality! I’m observing the development of the wines from the region and I can honestly say that we are approaching, with a brave tempo, the world powers!”, says Galina Niforou.

Awarded wines from the Competition can be tasted in the special Golden Tent in the Wine Town in front of the National Palace of Culture. Apart from the rich program and the extremely generous selection of wines from the whole Balkan region, the guests of the Festival will be the first to learn the name of the winner of the Grand Trophy, the real culmination of the twelve edition of BIWCF!

If you want to be accredited for the festival, please register in the website of BIWCF – https://balkanswine.eu/registration-journalists/

Journalists who are accredited will be able to take their pass only on the first day of the festival – June 15 from 17:00 to 22:00.

Agerola, in Campania, hosts the Sparkling Wine session

The first day of judging has just got underway in Agerola, not far from Naples, under glorious blue skies. This year, over 50 specialist judges have travelled to the Amalfi coast to evaluate the 960 competing sparkling wines. Entries come from all of the major producer regions with no fewer than 25 nationalities represented. This category-focused judging session aims to showcase sparkling wines from around the world.

From a regional perspective, Champagne leads the way with 160 entries. Italy is also very high up in the entry league with over 300 wines competing from across the country. Unsurprisingly, Proseccos are in pole position with over 100 entries, offering further proof that Italian sparkling wines are truly on-trend.

Could Campania be the new Eldorado for sparkling wines?
Located between the Tyrrhenian Sea in the South-West and the southern Apennines in the North-East, Campania’s main claim to fame is the renowned city of Naples and its coastline, where beaches stretch as far as the eye can see. But the region’s inland areas are home to an incredible heritage of flowers and heirloom vine varieties, including Aglianico, Fiano, Greco, Biancolella and Forastera, all of them native grapes.

Production of sparkling wines totals approximately 9,500 hectolitres, generating revenue in the range of 8 to 9 million euros, primarily from the many sparkling DOC and DOCG wines. Over one million bottles of sparkling wine are currently produced in Campania from a host of grape varieties including Asprinio, Falanghina, Greco, Fiano, Coda di Volpe and Aglianico. Campania is much more than just a set of figures, however, and there is no denying that over the past few years its wines have transitioned from much-loved local products to more structured offerings boasting undeniable marketing relevance. Also, the vineyards used to produce sparkling wines in the region have grown exponentially and interest shown by producers in the category has prompted a change in legislation. Consequently, many regional appellations include sparkling wines in their production regulations.

About the competition
The Concours Mondial de Bruxelles is an international competition divided into four sessions (Rosé, Red and White, Sparkling, Sweet and Fortified) with over 10,000 wines entered by producers to be tasted and judged by a panel of experts. Our experienced judges taste the wines in the competition with one guiding principle, and that is to single out wines of irreproachable quality, with no bias stemming from the label or an appellation’s prestige. The Concours is one of the most significant international events of its kind.

The 31st Concours Mondial de Bruxelles to be held in Guanajuato · Mexico

The State of Guanajuato, in Mexico, will host the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2024 in the main session dedicated to red and white wines. Specifically, the modern and industrial city of Leon will host the tasting sessions on 7, 8 and 9 June 2024. This is the first time the competition will be held in the Americas.

Guanajuato is the Cradle of Mexican National Independence and one of the states that currently gives the greatest impetus to the wine industry development in Mexico.

It occupies the 5th place at national level in extension of vineyards, with 485 planted hectares and more than 100 projected hectares, which represents 4.5% of the national area for the production of quality wines. It is also the 5th national grape producer and occupies the 4th national place in wine production. It has 46 wine projects, 34 wineries that make up the Guanajuato Grape and Wine Association and 25 wine tourism projects.

Every year, Guanajuato produces more than 1,240,000 liters of wine from varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, Nebbiolo, Sémillon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. More than 70 medals, obtained in the main European competitions, prove the quality of its labels.

The Balkans International Wine Competition 2023 will award the best wines in the region in June

Record number of samples for the 12th edition of The Balkans International Wine Competition 2023 in Transylvania, Romania

Sofia, 8 May 2023 – The 12th edition of The Balkans International Wine Competition will visit Romania, between 1 and 3 June, in the city of Bistrita-Nasaud, Transylvania, and the Balkan Wine Festival, which will give all visitors the opportunity to taste the wines awarded during the competition, will be held again in the open air in front of the National Palace of Culture in Sofia, Bulgaria between 15 and 17 June 2023.In recent years, The Balkans International Wine Competition has gone beyond its regional significance and attracted more and more participants and wineries from outside the Balkan countries. This year there is a record number of samples from Italy who find the Balkans International Wine Competition an excellent platform to enter one of the largest markets in Europe, namely the Balkans with its 82 million inhabitants.

The number of wineries entering the competition has been growing organically and steadily, with over 1,000 sample wines submitted in the last year. Compared to the first edition of the competition in 2012, this is an increase of over 180% in the number of samples, and the number of wineries entering the competition has increased by nearly 5 times in the last 10 years.

In the Best of Show category, the wines from each country compete separately, but the focus remains on the Balkan wines and only they can compete for trophies in the individual categories and for the grand trophy for the Best Wine of the Balkans.

The awards ceremony and gala dinner, which will be attended by over 250 guests this year, known as the Balkan Wine Oscars, will take place on 3 June in the 17th century Teleki Castle, Transylvania, where the competition itself will be held. At the gala dinner, the Best of Show trophies for the individual participating countries will be awarded, while the remaining 15 trophies in the various categories will be announced at the opening of the Balkans International Wine Festival, on 15 June at 9 PM in front of the National Palace of Culture in the capital city of Sofia. This year the dates of the festival are from 15 to 17 June inclusive, and tickets are already on sale – direct link here and here. 

The best wine in the Balkans will be selected by a prestigious jury of 25 people, which this year includes 5 winners of the title “Master of Wine” and “Master Sommelier” from Germany, USA, UK, France, Switzerland and famous wine personalities from the Balkans and Europe. After the competition, a commercial tasting will be organized in the courtyard of Complexul Muzeal Bistrita-Nasaud, to which business representatives, sommeliers, distributors and wine lovers worldwide are invited.

The Balkan region is becoming the subject of increasing interest from global producers due to its size of 82 million people. “The Balkans International Wine Competition & Festival” is the platform that gives the different parties in the wine business – producers, distributors, and importers – the opportunity to get to know each other and start new trade relationships. Each year the competition is held in

different country in the Balkans, which helps to promote the country – the focus is where the competition is held. So far the event has been held in Bulgaria, Macedonia, Greece, Serbia and is visiting Romania this year.

Detailed information about the competition, the festival and the jury is available on The Balkans International Wine Competition & Festival website

Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2023 to be held in Poreč, Croatia

For the second time, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles as one of the biggest and most reputated wine competions wordwide is diversifying its offer. From May 11 – 14 the Istrian capital Poreč will host the CMB red and white wines main tasting. More than 7.000 wines and up to 350 tasters from all continents are expected. Open indiscriminately to all white wines (including orange wines) and all still dry and medium dry red wines from all origins and made from all types of grape varieties.

This session – the largest in the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles for the number of entries – takes place every year in May. In addition to the traditional gold and silver medals, a special trophy will be awarded in the following categories, Red Wine Revelation and White Whine Revelation. Producers interested in participation are welcomed to register their wines on the following link: https://concoursmondial.com/en/registration-red-and-white/ Deadline for registration 28/03/2023, deadline for sending samples 05/04/2023 and the results will be published 19/05/2023.

Poreč, Croatia, Istria, a wine region in the Adriatic

Istria is a beautiful region of rolling hills, terraced vineyards, olive groves, and medieval hilltop villages. It’s surrounded by the Adriatic on three sides, with the Julian Alps to the north. The area is shared by three countries: Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy. Such favourable geographic position, almost at the heart of Europe, halfway between the Equator and the North Pole, Istria has always represented a bridge connecting the Middle European continental area with the Mediterranean.

The climate is sub-Mediterranean to Mediterranean, with warm summers and mild winters, so snow and winter frost damage are rare. The region tends to be breezy, with relatively low fungal pressure thanks to the winds. Among legally protected landscape in the Istrian Region are well-known natural reservations-national park Brijuni, nature park Učka, protected landscape Limski Bay and the Motovun wood where can be finned one of the finest truffles of the world.

The city of Poreč, an established Wine Mecca

The city of Poreč is located in the heart of the western coast of Istria. The most valuable cultural monument in town of Poreč is its sixth-century basilica. The Euphrasian Basilica is one of the best preserved early Christian structures and belongs to the most significant historical monuments in the world, which is why in 1997 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. A town of culture, tourism, sport and entertainment is an ideal stay location throughout the year.

Vinistra, More than a Wine Fair

In fact, it all started here in Poreč! Poreč is a wine mecca with many years of experience in organising the wine fair as well as a number of other festivals.

Vinistra is the most renowned regional wine event organised by the Istrian Association of Winemakers and Winegrowers, Vinistra, in cooperation with the Istrian Tourist Board, Plava Laguna hotel company and Istrian Region.

The association of winegrowers and winemakers of Istria, Vinistra, has been operating since 1994 with the main goal of improving and developing viticulture and winemaking in Istria. Today, it consists of more than 120 members from the area of Istria and Kvarner.

Wine and winemaking it’s a part of Istrian tradition and have made Istria a recognisable brand on the global market.

The people of Istria have historical ties with grapes and wine production. Istria, and more specifically the town of Poreč, will host the main tasting session of the competition dedicated to red and white wines. The tastings will take place in the region on 12, 13 and 14 May 2023.

Mysterious Transylvania to host the 12^th edition of Balkans International Wine Competition 2023 in June

The 12^th  edition of The Balkans International Wine Competition will take place between June 1^nd and 3^th in Bistrita-Nasaud, Transylvania, Romania under the Auspices of Bistrita-Nasaud county and the open air Balkan Wine Festival will be held in Sofia, Bulgaria between 15^th and 17^th June 2023.The 12^th  edition of The Balkans International Wine Competition will take place between June 1^nd and 3^th in Bistrita-Nasaud, Transylvania, Romania under the Auspices of Bistrita-Nasaud county and the open air Balkan Wine Festival will be held in Sofia, Bulgaria between 15^th and 17^th June 2023.

“The Balkan International Wine Competition is the best proof of how dynamic the Balkan wine scene is and how great the quality of the wines from the region actually is. This great Competition is growing for the last decade along with the development of winemaking and the potential is still huge. Over the past years, it has become a rule that wines that are first recognized at the BIWC later receive recognition from much larger world competitions and become iconic. The reason for this lies in the dedicated work of the entire BIWC team led by Galina Niforou, as well as in the careful selection of experienced and well respected international wine judges from all over the world. It is a real honor to lead  such a competition. This year, BIWC is going to Romania for the first time, which I’m sure will bring a new quality to the Competition.”said the Chairman of BIWC Igor Lukovic from Serbia.

“It is so exciting  for us  for us to have the possibility to carry out the 12^th edition of BIWC in mysterious Transilvania! We are continuing in the  new edition with lots of optimism and energy to make Balkan Wines even more recognisable and to position them in more places in the world wine map. The chairmanship of Igor Lukovic brought to the BIWC  new fresh ideas and activities and the whole team is grateful for that.I have visited already several times the Bistrita-Nasaud county and I’m in love with the picturesque scenery of the region, the great hospitality and of course it’s amazing wines!  From the team of BIWC I would like to thank to theBistrita-Nasaud county for the warm welcome and the great support we have since the idea of organizing the BIWC there. Good luck to all the wineries participating in the Balkans International Wine Competition 2023!”,said Galina Niforou, Managing Director of BIWCF.

The best wine in the Balkans will be chosen by the prestigious jury of 25 people and this year will includes 5 holders of the title of Master of Wine and Master Sommelier from Japan, USA, Great Britain, France, Switzerland and renown wine personalities from all over the world and the region. After the Competition, an exhibition will be organized on the 4^th of June in the yard of Complexul Muzeal Bistria-Nasaud, to which business representatives, sommelier, distributors and wine lovers from Romania and abroad are invited.

With  11, 5 mln HL of wine per year, the Balkans rank 4th in Europe, just behind the largest wine-producing countries – Italy, France and Spain. The Balkans International Wine Competition is the event that brings together the world’s wine elite to see, drink and discover the richness and diversity of the Balkan wines.

The Award Ceremony and the Gala Dinner known as the “Balkan Wine Oscars” will be celebrate this year on the 3^rd of June in the breathtaking Teleki Castle in Posmus, built in 1634, where the judging  days also will be held.

Last year the Grand Trophy for the “Best Wine in the Balkans 2022” was awarded to Tikves winery, North Macedonia for Bela Voda white, 2020.

Pays d’Oc hosts the 2023 Rosé Wine Session

The third Concours Mondial de Bruxelles Rosé Wine Session is due to take place in Montpellier, between the Camargue and the Pyrenees, in the heart of Pays d’Oc. Some 50 judges will get the opportunity to discover the region’s incredible range of wines, from 8 to 10 March 2023.

A significant 30% of Pays d’Oc production is now rosé, equating to nearly 300 million bottles of wine annually. This is France’s leading IGP rosé producer region, focusing primarily on the Grenache noir, Cinsault and Syrah grape varieties.

The Pays d’Oc wine region embraces four departments in Languedoc-Roussillon which is part of the broader Occitanie region: Pyrénées-Orientales, Aude, Hérault, Gard and six localities in southern Lozère. Forming an arch along the Mediterranean, it stretches from the Spanish border to the Rhone delta. Its 120,000 hectares of vineyards are home to myriad landscapes and contrasting weather patterns. The land is shaped in terraces facing the Mediterranean and combines mountains, high-level plateaux, mountain foothills, mid-level plateaux and coastal plains. The climate in Pays d’Oc is Mediterranean, with Atlantic influences to the West and continental influences to the East. Four prevailing winds sweep across the region – the Mistral, Tramontane, Marin and Autan. These weather conditions ensure the vines stay healthy and the fruit ripens naturally. A mosaic of soils – clay-limestone, limestone, gneiss, schist and gravel at the foot of the hills – instils Pays d’Oc wines with their inimitable character.

Varietal wines

92% of the IGP Pays d’Oc range of wines are single varietals, which means they come from just one grape variety. Varietal wine is the cornerstone of the designation and production specifications feature a whopping 58 different grapes to choose from. The range embraces both world famous ‘star’ grapes like Merlot, Cabernet-Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Viognier, but also lesser known varieties, some of which have a distinct Mediterranean accent, like Grenache, Rolle, Syrah and Carignan. This extensive array of varieties promotes an endless range of aromatic characters. In terms of output, IGP Pays d’Oc production volumes are consistent from year to year, with each vintage producing between 5.5 and 6 million hectolitres of wine across all three colours.

About the competition 

The Concours Mondial de Bruxelles is an international competition with over 10,000 wines entered by producers to be tasted and judged by a panel of experts. Our experienced judges taste the wines in the competition with one guiding principle, and that is to single out wines of irreproachable quality, with no bias stemming from the label or an appellation’s prestige. The Concours is one of the most significant international events of its kind. To register your rosé wines, please follow the link http://registration.concoursmondial.com/index.php?page=identification

Stanushina’s Parents Revealed

Both parents of Stanushina, the only indigenous Macedonian wine variety from which wine is commercially made, have been revealed due to a joint research done by a group of scientists from Spain and Serbia, led by Prof. Zapater. Namely, 163 samples of old vines from Zhupa, Toplice, Negotinska Krajina, Shumadija and Vojvodina were tested and the scientists identified the DNA profiles using SSR and SNP markers in order to discover valuable data closely connected to the past of the vine growing in Serbia and the Balkans.

This finding has shown that Smederevka and Stanushina have a mutual parent Bele Kozje Sise proving their Balkan origin. The published results come as a result of the project “Valorization of the genetic resources of the vin in Serbia: genome approach for vinegrowing of the 21st century” done in a collaboration with the Faculty of Biology at the University in Belgrade, Institute for Wine and Vine from the University of La Rioja in Spain, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research from the University in Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture from the University in Belgrade and the Faculty of Agriculture from the University in Novi Sad. Serbian experts who worked on this project were Prof. PhD. Slavica Todić (Faculty of Agriculture), Prof. PhD Dragoslav Ivanišević (Faculty of Agriculture in Novi Sad), Milica Rat ((Faculty of Sciences in Novi Sad), Prof PhD Željko Tomanović (Faculty of Biology in Belgrade) and Prof. PhD Miroslav Nikolić (Institute of Multidisciplinary Research on Belgrade).

Wine Vision by Open Balkan 2022, 01-04 Sep 2022, Belgrade

The first​ Wine Vision by Open Balkan​, organized by the governments of Serbia, North Macedonia & Albania, was held 01-04 Sep 2022 at the Belgrade Arena. The wine festival was the place where 350 wineries from these three countries presented their wines & 30.000 visitors had the chance to taste them. 
Highlighthning the Balkan wines in front of the domestic audience and attracting the foreign one, seems to be the evergrowing factor in showcasing the potential of the Balkan region that remains to be the fifth biggest wine producing region in the world.

During the wine festival, the wine competition Open Balkan Trophy was held, where the international jury, includign 5 Masters of Wine, judged more than 600 wines & the scores brought 12 platinum, 85 gold, 187 silver and 163 bronze medals, in addition to the nine trophies awarded for each category of wines.

​
The Macedonian wineries won 5 platinum, 15 gold medals and 2 trophies in the Red Wine Category (Tikves Barovo Red 2019) & Orange Wine Category ( Chateau Kamnik The Orange Gewurtztraminer 2019). In addition to this is one very important gold medal for the Stanushina Rose 2021 by Zaharchev Wine & Spirits, a well-desreved medal for a wine made from the only indigenous Macedoniaan variety.

White Wine
Gold​ Medals
Chateau Kamnik Winery Viognier 2020,
Wine Cellar Popovi Smolnik Chardonnay 2021
Domaine Lepovo Chardonnay 2020
Eros Winery Talisman Zilavka 2020

Red Wine
Platinum Medals
Stobi Veritas Vranec 2016
Tikves Barovo Red 2019 (​Trophy for best red wine)​
Tikves Barovo Red 2015
Wine Cellar Popovi Dark Horse Vranec Barrique 2020
Gold Medals
Chateau Kamnik Carmenere 2020
Chateau Kamnik Ten Barrels Syrah 2020
Old School Winery Merlot 2020
Sarika Vranec Barrique 2020
Stobi Vranec Selection 2020
Stobi Macedon Cuvee Red 2019
Stobi Cuvee Red Selection 2019
Tikves Luda Mara Vranec 2019

Rose Wine
Gold Medals
Stobi Antigona Rose 2021
Tikves Alexandria Cuvee Rose 2021
Zaharcev Winery Stanushina 2021

Orange Wine
Platinum Medals
Chateau Kamnik The Orange Gewurtztraminer 2019 (Trophy for best orange wine)

All results on the following link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qNntLJSPYncKh4ODI8_hwdqOOtfkCQRn/edit#gid=1970845100

Bela Voda White 2021 by Tikves Winery wins the Grand Trophy for Best Balkan Wine at the Balkans International Wine Competition 2022

At today’s award ceremony in Sofia during the 11th edition of the Balkans International Wine Festival (BIWCF) 2022, Tikves Winery won the Grand Trophy for the Best Wine on the Balkans for 2022 for their Bela Voda White 2021. 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).

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.

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.

In addition to this great sucess for Macedonian wineries, another 6 double golds were awarded and i.e. to Chateau Kamnik winery for their Ten Barrels Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2018, Lazar winery for their Erigon Kratoshija 2017 and Tikves won 3 double golds for their Bela Voda White 2021, Bela Voda Red 2019 & Vranec Luda Mara 2019 (the latter was also awarded the Best of Show from the country).

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.

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
BulgariaBest 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

Another 20 gold medals were awarded to some of the best known Macedonian wineries but what pleasently suprises is the gold medals won by some of the smaller wineries, such as the three ones for Wine Cellar Popovi, and some of them relatively less known ones but with an upcoming potential such as Iliev & MIOV wineries.
In addition to all these improtant wineries, 26 silver ones & 12 bronze ones were awarded, making the final count of total 65 medals.

Gold Medals
Brzanov Grenache Blanc Artisan 2021
Chateau Kamnik Winery Winemakers’ Selection 2020
Chateau Kamnik Merlot Single Vineyard Reserva 2019
Chateau Kamnik Heritage Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Reserva 2019
Chateau Kamnik Spark Extra Brut 2018
Chateau Sopot Nalej Kratoshija 2020
Domaine Lepovo Chardonnay 2021
Imako Vino Constellation Vranec 2018
Iliev Winery Rosé 2021
Jakovlevski Family Winery Vranec Makedon 2020
Lazar Allure Grande Cuvée 2020
Lazar Blanc de Rosé 2018
MIOV DEDOVO crveno 2017
Venec Winery Koria Temjanika 2021
Wine Cellar Popovi Temjanika Gold 2021
Wine Cellar Popovi Cabernet Sauvignon barrique 2020
Wine Cellar Popovi Dark Horse Vranec barrique 2020
Stobi Macedon Cuvee Red 2019
Tikves Barovo Red 2019
Tikves Barovo Sauvignon Blanc 2021

All results available on the following link https://balkanswine.eu/results-2022/

The Wine Town of the Balkan Wine Festival Opens in the Heart of Sofia on June 16th

For the eleventh year in a row, Sofia will host the event that puts the focus on the Balkan wines and culture. Between 16 and 18 June, The Balkans International Wine Festival (BIWCF) will set up its traditional white tents in front of the National Palace of Culture, where 70 wine producers will offer a selection of their best products for tasting. The visitors of the Festival will be able to touch the awarded wines from the Competition, held earlier June on the Greek island Salamina – in a special Golden Tent.

The wine that won the most points from the prestigious jury of the Competition – the winner of the Grand Trophy, will be announced during a ceremony on the first night of the three-day city event – on June 16 at 20:00 h. The host of the ceremony will be the director of BIWCF and chairman of the Bulgarian Association of Wine Exporters – Galina Niforu. The Best Cellar in the Balkans, which won the most medals in the Competition, and the trophies in the individual categories will also be announced.

Sofia residents and guests of the capital will have the opportunity to spend two exciting evenings (this Thursday and Friday) and all day on Saturday, enjoying a rich program, delicious delicacies from various national cuisines, music, and games with prizes. Tickets can be taken on the spot or online, and at the entrance, souvenirs of the event will await the visitors.

The Balkan International Wine Competition and Festival 2022 is supported by the Sofia Municipality, the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as the media partnership of Wines of Macedonia, All Wine Stories, Vino & Fino magazine, Sofiaadventures, Visitskopje, Vinopedia, Winepeople.ro, In your pocket, Drinks.ua, Wine Travel Awards, ivanasimjanovska.com,  Autentika, Turističke priče, Moto Pfohe Rent a Car, Страница.бг, vevesti.bg, divident.eu, Sportal Media Group, Exporter.bg, Apollowine.com, Hit-bg.com, WineBG.info, списание твоят БИЗНЕС, b2b media.bg, ExpoWorld.bg, Agro TV, Стандарт, Trio.bg, White Water, АИДБ, Аз чета, Jasmin.bg, bgtourism.bg, Winetours.bg, Wineo.bg, Bulgaria Wine Тours, Bulgaria Wine Тours, Fresh Cuts of Life, WineTourMaker.com, Exotic Wine Travel, bgvipnews.eu, hotpressbg.com, bulgarianews.bg, green-news.bg, Литературен клуб „Перото“, Екопак.

The results for the Decanter World Wine Awards are out and the Macedonian wineries have won 30 awards including one platinum & 4 gold

​At this year’s DWWA, ​18.500 samples of wines from 56 countries in the world were entered in the competition. The wines were tasted by 300 wine judges, including 60 Masters of Wine & Master Sommeliers in the period of 24th April – 07th May in London.

Platinum
Tikves Merak 2021, a blend of Vranec, Merlot & Plavac Mali, Povardarie, Tikves wine district, 97 points

Gold
Venec 56 Reserva 2018, Povardarie, Tikves wine district, 95 points
Dalvina Ar-Magedon Cuvee Barrique 2016, Strumica-Radovish wine district, 95 points
Dalvina Hermes Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Povardarie, Strumica-Radovish wine district, 95 points
Tikves Barovo 2019, Povardarie, Tikves wine district, 95 points

Silver
Dalvina Hermes Merlot 2019, Povardarie, Strumica-Radovish wine district
Tikves Bela Voda Red 2019, Povardarie, Tikves wine district
Domaine Lepovo Chardonnay 2021, Povardarie, Tikves wine district
Tristo Cuvee Barrique 2018, Povardarie, Veles wine district
Chateau Kamnik Cuvee de Prestige 2019, Povardarie, Skopje wine district

Silver
Venec Koria Temjanika 2021, Povardarie, Tikves wine district
Dalvina Ar-magedon Vranec barrique 2016, Povardarie, Strumica-Radovish wine district
Dalvina Ar-magedon Syrah barrique 2016, Povardarie, Strumica-Radovish wine district
Dalvina Synthesis Cuvee Barrique 2016, Povardarie, Strumica-Radovish wine district
Dalvina Hermes Syrah 2019, Povardarie, Strumica-Radovish wine district
Dalvina Hermes Vranec 2019, Povardarie, Strumica-Radovish wine district
Dioniz Barrique Syrah 2019, Povardarie, Strumica-Radovish wine district
Dioniz Barrique Vranec 2019, Povardarie, Strumica-Radovish wine district
Dalvina Touch Premium Syrah 2017, Povardarie, Strumica-Radovish wine district
Dalvina Touch Premium Cuvee Superior 2016, Povardarie, Strumica-Radovish wine district
Tikves Bela Voda White 2021, Povardarie, Tikves wine district
Tikves Barovo Sauvignon Blanc 2021, Povardarie, Tikves wine district
Tikves Tikves Red 2021, Povardarie, Tikves wine district
Tikves Belo Smederevka 2021, Povardarie, Tikves wine district
Tikves Cuvee Methodius 2021, Povardarie, Tikves wine district
Tikves Alexandria Red 2021, Povardarie, Tikves wine district
Domaine Lepovo Pinot Noir 2019, Povardarie, Tikves wine district
Puklavec Family Wines Instinct Vranec 2019, Povardarie, Tikves wine district
Puklavec Family Wines Instinct Black Label Merlot 2019, Povardarie, Tikves wine district
Chateau Kaamnik Viognr 2020, Povardarie, Skopje wine district

Caroline Gilby is “Wine Celebrity of the Balkans” 2022 in the 11th Edition of the Balkans International Wine Competition

The British wine expert Caroline Gilby MW was named “Wine Celebrity of the Balkans” during the official gala dinner after the end of the successful 11th edition of The Balkans International Wine Competition (BIWC). The special award is presented for the second year in a row, with last year’s title winner Robert Blom from the Netherlands also attending the gala dinner at Ktima Filipicon, Salamina.

“It was a great honor to receive this award at the Balkans International Wine Competition. After so many years of tasting, narrating, and writing about wines from the Balkans, I feel that my efforts in showing the rest of the world what an exciting wine place that is, have finally been recognized, especially by the region itself. Thank you”, said Gilby.

The winners from all participating countries were also announced at the ceremony, and the most significant awards will traditionally be announced on the first night of the Sofia Wine Festival – on June 16 at 20:00 h. The space in front of the National Palace of Culture will again be occupied by tents, where producers and exhibitors from all over the Balkan region will present their best wines.

Caroline deserves the award for her tireless work for decades promoting Balkan wines. The whole region owes her gratitude, she is a worthy ambassador of the Balkan culture – a value that we put on a pedestal with the entire organization of the Competition and the Festival for 11 years, said Galina Niforu, director of BIWCF.

Caroline Gilby has one of the most prestigious titles in the wine world – Master of Wine. Her first book – “Wines of Bulgaria, Romania, and Moldova”, was published in 2018 after Gilby has been traveling to Central and Eastern Europe for many years and witnessed the complete wine revolution throughout the region. She contributed to the promotion of this region by writing for Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book, Oxford Companion to Wine, World Atlas of Wine, The Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia, The Wine Opus, Wine Report, and Wines of the World.

Gilby has chaired a tasting panel for the Balkans, Eurasia, and Eastern Europe at the Decanter World Wine Awards and has also judged and presented at a number of wine events around the world. In 2018, she became the first foreigner to be awarded the title “Friend of Hungarian winemakers”.

The next event in the BIWCF program is the Sofia Wine Festival between 16 and 18 June. Sofia residents and guests of the city will be able to taste thousands of wines from the Balkan region, including those awarded during the wine competition on the historic Greek island Salamina. They will have the opportunity to enjoy the festive atmosphere with music and art in the open air and try delicacies from different national cuisines.

A Record Number of Wines Compete for the Balkans International Wine Competition Awards

More than 1,000 wines and 280 wineries copete for the awards at The Balkans International Wine Competition 2022 (BIWC). Its 11th edition brings together winemakers from Bulgaria, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Romania, Croatia, Albania, Slovenia, Northern Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Montenegro, and Ukraine.

The pride of their work will be judged by an internationally prestigious jury of 21 judges, chaired by Igor Lukovic from Serbia. The jury includes 5 holders of the title of Master of Wine and established wine professionals from all around the world.

“There are only two weeks left until BIWC and I can’t wait to gather in the paradise island of Salamina and assess the best wines from the Balkans! For the first time, I will be the chairman of the jury of the Competition and it is an honor for me to be part of such a star team! This year, the jury has been expanded with new world-class wine judges and I am confident that the Competition will be remarkable,” said the President of BIWC Igor Lukovic.

The Balkan Wine Oscars will be presented at a glamorous ceremony in Ktima Filipicon, Salamina, on June 3. The most attractive and contested categories are traditionally the Grand Trophy for “Best Wine in the Balkans” and “Best Cellar in the Balkans”, but this year’s edition will also award a special prize – “Golden Dionysus”. It will be given to the best Greek wine for 2022 by the Mayor of Salamina, Mr. Panagopoulos.

“Municipality of Salamina is ready to welcome the international jury of the Balkans Wine Competition in the beginning of June. We are proud that the organizers trusted us by choosing the island to host the 11th edition of the prestigious wine forum. As a popular tourist and cultural destination, we will offer hospitality to our guests, you are welcome!”, said Georgios Panagopoulos, Mayor of Salamina.

After the competition, on June 4, a wine expo will be held, where business representatives, sommeliers, distributors, and wine lovers from the host country – Greece, and abroad are invited.

Registration for participating in the Balkans International Wine Competition and Festival lasts until  May 20. More information and instructions can be found at www.balkanswine.eu.

“I am extremely proud that year after year the Balkans International Competition enjoys growing interest from the wine community in the region. In 2022, we are setting a new record for the number of wineries that will present their best wines in Salamina, and I am convinced that the quality will also be improved a lot. We can now have the confidence that we own a world power in winemaking”, said Galina Niforu, Director of BIWC.

The upcoming 11th edition of the Balkans Wine Festival is also receiving increased interest from exhibitors. Traditionally, the event will bring together lots of wineries and hundreds of wines under the umbrellas of a specially built town in front of the National Palace of Culture. Between June 16 and 18, Sofia will once again be a desirable destination for wine lovers and producers who will share their love for the ancient drink.

Cittadelles du Vin 2022 brings 6 gold medals & 15 silver ones for Macedonian wineries
A Special Prize for Venec Winery & Sommeliers International Special Prize for Tikves Winery

In total, 232 medals were awarded this year at this prestigious wine competition that is held every year in Bourg-su-Gironde in Bordeaux. Out of those medals won, 76 of them were gold and Special Prizes went to wines from Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Spain, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Northern Macedonia, Mexico and Portugal.

During the competition, a master class on Macedonian wines made from the country’s pride the Vranec variety was held by Ante Bacic, a long-time judge at Cittadelles du Vin.

Complete list of medals won by Macedonian wineries on the following link:
https://www.citadellesduvin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=23&tmpl=resultat-en&theme=recherche2022

Results from Mundus Vini 2022 Spring Tasting are out- Macedonian wineries win 20 gold medals & 6 silver ones

Italy leads the top 5 winemaking nations, winning a total of 5 Grand Gold, 364 Gold and 364 Silver medals. They are followed by Spain (7 Grand Gold, 362 Gold, 298 Silver) and Portugal (5 Grand Gold, 186 Gold, 123 Silver). The Top 5 is completed by France (10 Grand Gold, 173 Gold, 109 Silver) and Germany (1 Grand Gold, 116 Gold, 91 Silver).

Gold Medals were awarded to the following Macedonian wineries: Chateau Kamnik for their Ten Barrels Syrah Reserva 2019, Chateau Sopot for both their Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Reserva 2015 & Iconic Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc 2015, Dalvina wins 7 gold medals for Ar-Magedon Vranec Barrique 2016, Dioniz Vranec Barrique 2019, Dioniz Syrah Barrique 2019, Dioniz Cabernet Sauvignon Barrique 2019, Hermes Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Hermes Syrah 2019 & Hermec Vranec 2019, Domaine Lepovo wins gold for their Pinot Noir 2019, Stobi for their Aminta 2018 & Private Reserve Vranec Veritas 2016, Puklavec & Friends Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot 2019, Tikves Barovo Sauvignon Blanc 2021 & Barovo Red 2019, Touch Wine Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 & Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, the latter wining Best of Show, and Venec for their Orle 2019.

All results available on the following link: https://www.meininger.de/wein-suche?f%5B0%5D=wein_medaillenart%3Agold&f%5B1%5D=wein_tasting%3A2055524

Concours Mondial de Bruxelles splits in four sessions for different kinds of wines

The organizers chose Valladolid for the particular relevance of rose to the province, which is the only one on the Iberian Peninsula that boasts five appelations: Cigales, Rueda, Rober del Duero, Toro & Leon with over 27,000 hectares of vines planted.

The Balkans International Wine Competition 2022 to be held in Salamina

The 11th edition of #BIWC will take place between 1st and 3rd June on the historical Island of Salamina, Greece under the Auspices of Municipality of Salamina and the 11th Balkan Wine Festival will be held in Sofia, Bulgaria between 16th and 18th June 2022.

After the huge success in last year’s 10th Anniversary edition in Skopje, North Macedonia, BIWC will start its new decade in the beautiful island of Salamina, as Greece was elected to host the 11th edition of BIWC 2022. The aim of the rotation of the most prestigious Wine Competition for the Balkan Wines is a better integration of the wineries from all Balkan countries and to their better exposure in the region and in Europe.

“It is a great honor for us to have the possibility to carry out the 11th edition of BIWC in historical island of Salamina. We are starting our new decade with lots of optimism and energy to make Balkan Wines even more recognizable and to put them in more places in the world wine map. From the team of BIWC I would like to thank to the Mayor of Salamina, Mr. Giorgios Managopoulos for his warm welcome and his desire to host the Balkans International Wine Competition in the historical island”, said Galina Niforou, Managing Director of BIWCF.

“The Municipality of Salamina supports robustly and welcomes international initiatives such as the Balkans International Wine Competition as the opportunity of pointing out the tourism identity of Salamina. The ongoing development and enhancement of extroversion of our island is part of a wider strategic planning of our Municipality through our cultural agenda and consists a practical proof on how the cultural institutions can constitute development factors and creativity foyers for SalaminaSpecial thanks to contributors and organisers who worked hard to render Salamina the best choice in order to be the Host city  of such an important event” said Giorgios Managopoulos,  Mayor of Salamina.

The best wine in the Balkans will be chosen by the prestigious jury and this year will includes 5 holders of the title of Master of Wine and renown wine personalities from all over the world and the region. After the Competition, an exhibition will be organized on the 4^th of June in the yard of City Hall of Salamina, to which business representatives, sommelier, distributors and wine lovers from Greece and abroad are invited.

With nearly 1.8 million tons of wine per year, the Balkans rank 5th in the world, just behind the largest wine-producing countries – Italy, France, Spain and the United States. The Balkans International Wine Competition is the event that brings together the world’s wine elite to see, drink and discover the richness and diversity of the Balkan wines.

Prowein 2022 postponed for May

The biggest European wine fair Prowein, planned to be hed in March is postponed again for May this year. According to the Italian wine mag, Wine News, the organizer will officially announce the news soon.
https://winenews.it/en/prowein-2022-is-moving-to-may-this-was-confirmed-to-winenews-by-internal-sources-at-the-dusseldorf_460171/

The organizers of the event have decided to postpone it due to the ongoing wave of Covid infections in Germany and Europe. The Macedonian wineries have been presenting their wines for years in a row att this prestigous wine competition held in Düsseldorf.

The First Macedonian Slow Wine Salon 2021

The wine salon in Bitola, this year held under the Slow Wine brand, took place 3-4 December at the newly renovated Oficerski dom (Officer’s Hall) in the very center of Bitola. The event, organized by Slow Food Macedonia, locally supported by Slow Food Bitola, brought together more than 30 small-scale wineries and five distileries that showcased their wines, rakijas & brandies in front of the domestic & international audience.

The Slow Wine Salon aims to highlight family wineries, as well as producers of spirits and delicacies and to promote the wine culture in the region and the country. The family wineries, many of the certified organic, presented some of the most exciting, likeable, unpretencious, yet high-quality wines made mostly from indigenous varities, highlighting the local Stanushina, one of the Slow Food Macedonia presidia and regional ones from Zhupjanka, Smederevka Plovdina, Prokupec, Vranec, to name just a few, as well as wines from the usual international culprits when it comes to vine varieties. More than ten food producers who are part of the Slow Food Macedonian convivia, were among the exhibitors and the numerous guests had a chance to taste some of the most exquisite Macedonian delicacies such as Ajvar, cheeses, red pepper spices, honey, different kinds of chocolate, hazelnut home-made spreads…

The launch of the first Macedonian edition of Slow Wine 2021 took place a day before the Slow Wine Salon in the Manaki cinema, known as the venue for the world acclaimed Manaki Film Festival. Exactly seven family & boutique wineries are part of this publication thats aims to support and promote small-scale Macedonian producers. Six of them- Eros, Naumchevi, Jakovlevski, Zaharchev, Wine Cellar Popovi and Peshkov come from the Tikves Wine District & one boutique winery, Chateau Kamnik, the most awarded Macedonian winery, comes from the Skopje wine district.
Grateful to Slow Food Macedonia for entrusting me the role of author.

14th October – Prokupac Day

Belgrade – On October 15, 2021, Vinska kultura, with the support of the USAID Competitive Economy Project, is organizing an international wine conference, “Prokupac – born in Serbia.” The conference will bring together regional, local and international wine experts, representatives of the wine industry and wine lovers to promote this most important Serbian indigenous grape variety and exchange knowledge and experiences about the specifics of Serbian vineyards, the position of the Prokupac on the world wine map, its identity and future.

International Prokupac Day is celebrated for the sixth time, with a series of events throughout Serbia. From October 11 to 17, the Prokupac Week takes place this year in over 300 restaurants, bars, and wine shops, with promotions and special menus. The Prokupac caravan was held in Prokuplje, Aleksandrovac, and Kragujevac, on October 9, 10, and 12, with a rich program and wine tastings and workshops to support small winemakers who nurture authentic, high-quality wines. On October 14, in the Promenade Event Center, from 4 pm to 9 pm, the Prokupac Salon will be held, which will gather about thirty of the most important wine producers of this variety from all over Serbia.

All details about events can be found on the website: www.prokupacday.rs

Media interested in visiting the Prokupac Salon on October 14 can be accredited by e-mail to the address: zdenka.kostic@vf.rs

The Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2021 – Twelve medals Awarded to Macedonian Wineries

This year’s Concours Mondial de Bruxelles was held in Luxembourg from 17th to 27th June, this time reinvented in the interests of the wine industry, while at the same time maintaining its impeccable standards. However, it was one of the many reminders of how much the world wine scene was affected by the Covid 19 situation. 

Total of 10,000 wines by 46 producer countries were entered at this year’s edition of Concours Mondial de Bruxelles  and more than 300 international judges had the chance to taste and evaluate them. The wine tasting sessions were held over nine days and the judges, divided in three groups, took turns to taste the wines due to the Covid 19 restrictions and safety measures. 

The programme of the competition included visits to wineries in the Moiselle valley and I and my group had a chance to visit and taste the wines of Laurent and Rita Cox Winery (L&R Cox). The owners, the ever so charming Laurent, inclined to the tradition of winemaking, has obviously been in perfect balance with his daughter’s more modern approach for experimentation, innovation and dedication to polyculture in the vineyards.

The Luxembourgish wine scene is intriguing in terms of terroirs and by all means, the Crémant wines. The Luxembourgish vineyards spread on 1300 hectares and run for 42 km between Schengen and Wasserbillig, overlooking Germany. The Appellation Moselle Luxembourgeoise (Appellation d’Origine Protégée – Moselle luxembourgeoise) is the one single appellation used for all Luxembourg. The organized cruise on the Moiselle river, on the Bateau Princesse Marie Astrid boat, gave an overwhelming view of the rolling hills of vineyards. (More detailed report on Luxembourgish wines coming soon).

The results of this year’s edition of the wine competition have now been released by France leading the way for the number of accolades (672), followed by Spain (507), Italy (389) and Portugal (335). The Macedonian wineries won twelve medals in total: Stobi winery won three gold medals for their Vranec Veritas 2017, Vranec Veritas 2016 & Petite Verdot 2017 and silver for Aminta 2017 & Rkatsiteli 2020, Chateau Kamnik won gold medal for their Ten Barrels Syrah Reserva 2018 & silver for Carménère2019, Tikves winery wins silver for Barovo White 2020, Barovo Red 2018, Bela Voda Red 2018 and Domaine Lepovo Chardonnay 2020. 
Full list of results on the following link https://resultats.concoursmondial.com/en/results/2021

The Greek Vinsanto Late Release 2001 Won The Grand Trophy For The Best Balkan Wine

Vinsanto Late Release 2001 of the Greek winery Estate Argyros 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 tenth-anniversary edition of The Balkans International Wine Competition and Festival (BIWCF).

The most prestigious award in the Competition was presented by one of the special guests of the Festival – the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Prof. Dr. Hristo Bozukov. Along with him on the open stage in the festival Wine Town in front of the National Palace of Culture was the new chairman of the BIWCF jury – the Serbian judge and wine expert Igor Lukovic.

“It’s always a huge pleasure to come to Sofia, but this time it’s also a huge honour. 10 years are behind us and I’m sure that the next 10 will be even better. The Balkans International Wine Competition, thanks to Galina Niforou, shows us what we can do when we are together. And it’s not only a story about the quality of the wines, of the terroirs, about diversity, quantity of the bottle, etc. It’s a story about friendship and working together”, said Lukovic and ended his short speech with a humorous remark about the rainy weather in Sofia: “Let’s show today that we appreciate wine more than water!”.

The Serbian Ambassador in Bulgaria Zeljko Jovic came on the stage to take the trophy for the best orange wine (Vinarium Pinoranz 2019, Vinarium Winery, Serbia) on behalf of his compatriots who couldn’t travel to Sofia.

“I think that events like The Balkans International Wine Competition and Festival are the best places to strengthen the ties between people, to drink the best wine, to have sweet conversations with nice people. I wish you health and success and as a Serbian ambassador in Bulgaria, I hope all the awarded wines will be Serbian and Bulgarian”, said with a smile Jovic.

The trophy for “Best Winery in the Balkans” was awarded for the second year in a row to Suvla Winery from Turkey. The award is given to the winery that has won the most medals in the competition.

At the end of the ceremony, BIWCF Director Galina Niforou announced the next host country for the competition. In 2022, the jury of the wine forum will evaluate Balkan wines in Greece.

„I’m sure that the Greek wineries and authorities will make this event amazing next year. It is really beautiful to travel around all Balkan countries and have this event. It gives us the opportunity to get to know each other, make friendships and to promote the Balkan wines”, said Galina Niforou.

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

• Best Label Design Trophy – Carmenere 2019, Chateau Kamnik, North Macedonia
• Best Special Wine Trophy – Nalozhen Pelin, Yalovo winery, Bulgaria
• Best Organic Wine Trophy –  Tamjanika Selena Orange 2020, Plavinci winery, Serbia
• Best Dry White Wine Trophy – Museum Collection White 2019, Gerovassiliou, Greece
• Best Dry Red Wine Trophy – Artisan Syrah 2016, Brzanov winery,
  North Macedonia
• Best Dry Rose Wine Trophy – Heritage Rose de Noir 2020, Edoardo Miroglio, Bulgaria
• Best Sparkling Wine Trophy – Brut Blanc de Blanc 2016, Edoardo Miroglio, Bulgaria
• Best Orange Wine Trophy – Vinarium Pinoranz 2019, Vinarium Winery, Serbia
• Best Dessert Wine Trophy – Vinsanto Late Release 2001, Estate Argyros, Santorini, Greece
• Best Semidry Wine Trophy – Jeruzalem Ormoz, Rheinriesling 2020, Puklavec Family Wines, Slovenia
• Best Semisweet Wine Trophy – Grasa Dulce – Vinoteca 1985, Cotnari, Romania
• Best Indigenous Red Wine Trophy – Gamza 2020,  Vidinska Gamza, Bulgaria and Barovo Red, 2018, Tikves Relais & Chateau, North Macedonia
• Best Indigenous White Wine Trophy – Canava Hrissou, Assyrtiko Santorini 2018, Tselepos Winery, Greece
• Best Indigenous Dessert Wine Trophy – Monemvasia – Malvasia From Barrels 10 years, 2011, Monemvasia Winery, Greece

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 Skopje. During the official “Balkan Wine Oscars” representatives of the Bulgarian winner – Roxs Winery, and the Turkish – Chamlija Winery – took personally their awards.

Here are the awarded Best of Show wines by countries:

• Albania – Merlot 2018, Belba Winery
• Bosnia and Herzegovina – Collection Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot, 2018, Fazan winery
• Bulgaria – SM by Snejana Mutafchijska 2018, Roxs Winery
• Croatia – Prisbus Reserva 2018, Baraka Winery
• Greece – Afoura Santorini Assyrtiko 2019, Anhydrous Winery
• Kosovo – Grand Rahova Reserve 2019, Labi wines
• Montenegro – Stari Podrum Vranac 2013, Plantaze winery
• North Macedonia – Signature Merlot 2017, Grand Reserva, Chateau Kamnik
• Romania – Issa Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Crama La Salina
• Serbia – Dina Grasac Sparkling 2018, Vinarija Vinum
• Slovenia – Brut Seven Numbers, Puklavec & Friends
• Turkey – Asticus Mons Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Chamlija

The Balkans International Wine Festival is open until June 19, and welcomes the residents and guests of Sofia in the specially built Wine Town in the park in front of the National Palace of Culture. In addition to getting acquainted with some of the most interesting wineries in Bulgaria and the Balkans, wine lovers will have the opportunity to taste the award-winning wines in a special Golden Tent.

Macedonian Wineries Awarded 10 Double Gold & 38 Gold Medals at BIWC 2021

Another successful outcome for Macedonian wineries at this year’s jubilee 10th edition of the Balkans International Wine Competition for winning 48 gold medals including Trophy for best Red Wine on the Balkans for Brzanov’s Winery Artisan Syrah 2016, Best Indigenous Red Wine Trophy for Barovo Red 2018 Tikves Chateaux & Domaines & Best Label Design Trophy for Carmenere 2019, Chateau Kamnik. The overall results and awards ceremony was held this evening, 17th June at the open air of NDK in Sofia where BIWC Festival is being underway.

The 10th edition of the Balkans International Wine Competition was held in Skopje 3rd-5th June where 22 judges from all over the world had a chance to taste almost 1000 wines, highest number of entries at this wine competition so far. With total 139 medals, including the 56 silver & 35 bronze ones, the Macedonian wineries prove to be among the highest awarded wines on the Balkans.

The Greek winery Estate Argiros from Santorini, quite rightfully, wins the Great Balkan Trophy for best wine on the Balkans for 2021 for their Vinsanto Late Release 2001.

Awarded trophies per category:
Best Winery in the Balkans Trophy – Suvla winery, Turkey
Best Dry White Wine Trophy – Museum Collection White 2019, Gerovassileiou, Greece
Best Dry Red Wine Trophy – Artisan Syrah 2016, Brzanov winery, North Macedonia
Best Dry Rose Wine Trophy – Heritage Rose de Noir, 2020, Edoardo Miroglio, Bulgaria
Best Sparkling wine Trophy – Brut Blanc de Blanc, 2016, Edoardo Miroglio, Bulgaria
Best Orange Wine Trophy – Vinarium Vinoranz, 2019, Vinarium winery, Serbia
Best Organic Wine Trophy – Tamjanika Selena orange, 2020, Plavinci winery, Serbia
Best Dessert Wine Trophy – Vinsanto Late Release, 2001, Santorini, Estate Argyros, Greece
Best Special Wine Trophy – Nalozhen Pelin, Yalovo winery, Bulgaria
Best Semidry Wine Trophy – Jeruzalem Ormoz, Rheinriesling 2020, Puklavec Family Wines, Slovenia
Best Semisweet wine Trophy – Grasa Dulce – Vinoteca, 1985, Cotnari, Romania
Best Indigenous Red Wine Trophy – Gamza, 2020, Vidinska gamza, Bulgaria & Barovo red, 2018, Tikves Chateaus & Domaines, North Macedonia
Best Indigenous White Wine Trophy – Canava Hrissou, Assyrtiko Santorini2018, Tselepos winery, Greece
Best Indigenous Dessert Wine Trophy – Monemvasia – Malvasia from barrels 10 years, 2011, Monemvasia winery, Greece
Best Label Design Trophy – Carmenere 2019, Chateau Kamnik, North Macedonia

GOLD MEDALS FOR MACEDONIAN WINERIES

Double Gold Medals
Venec winery Vranec Orle 2019
Winery Skovin Group Skupi Cuvee 2011
Vardarska Dolina Rizoff Cabernet Sauvignon (semidry)2013
Tikves Chateaux&Domaines 1885 Barovo red 2018
Popov Carmenere Reserve 2018
Popov Gewurztraminer Vrshnik 2019
Lazar Winery Alshar 2016
Brzanov Artizan Winery Artisan Syrah 2016
Wine cellar Popovi Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
Chateau Kamnik Winery Signature Merlot Grand Reserva 2017

Gold Medals
Imako Vino Constellation Cuvee 2018
Venec winery Cuvee 56 Reserva 2018
Chateau Sopot Fruit wine Raspberry
Puklavec Family Wines Instinct Cabernet Sauvignon Super Premium 2019
Puklavec Family Wines Instinct Merlot Super Premium 2019
Puklavec Family Wines Instinct Vranec Super Premium 2019
Stobi Vranec Veritas 2016
Stobi Aminta 2018
Stobi Muscat-Temjanika Macedon 2020
Stobi Rkaciteli 2020
Stobi Stobi Cuvee White 2020
Tikves Chateaux&Domaines 1885 Domaine Lepovo Grand Cuvée 2015
Tikves Chateaux&Domaines 1885 Barovo white 2020
Tikves Chateaux&Domaines 1885 Bela Voda red 2018
Tikves Chateaux&Domaines 1885 Alexandria (rose) 2020
Tikves Chateaux&Domaines 1885 Alexandria (red) 2019
Tikves Chateaux&Domaines 1885 Alexandria Cuvée (rose) 2020
Tikves Chateaux&Domaines 1885 Alexandria Cuvée (red) 2019
Dalvina Elegija Zuplanka 2020
Dalvina Elegija Traminer 2020
Dalvina Elegija Syrah Rose 2020
Dalvina Dioniz Syrah 2017
Dalvina Hermes Merlot 2016
Dalvina Hermes Syrah 2016
Bovin Grashevina 2016
Bovin Alexandar 2019
Bovin Tempranillo 2017
Bovin A’Gupka 2012
Popov Syrah Vrshnik 2018
Popov Domaine Vrshnik 2019
Popov Chardonnay Grand Reserve 2019
Lazar Winery Pearl Blanc de Blanc 2018
Chateau Kamnik Winery Fume Blanc 2020
Chateau Kamnik Winery Carmenere 2019
Chateau Kamnik Winery Ten Barrels Syrah Reserva 2018
Chateau Kamnik Winery Terroir Vranec 2018
Chateau Kamnik Winery Spark Rose 2017
Chateau Kamnik Winery Spark Brut Nature Blanc De Blanc 2014

Complete full list of awarded wines https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QYAmg0CAGl9dZ22Uzn4PmKWYFMnFBuBI/view?usp=sharing

Chateau Kamnik Wins Gold at Syrah du Monde for their Ten Barrels Syrah 2018

Galina Niforou: Wine Is a Bridge that Connects Nations and at BIWC in Skopje We All Felt That

The competition part of the tenth-anniversary edition of The Balkans International Wine Competition and Festival (BIWCF) was held in a glamorous and cozy atmosphere, arranged by the kind hosts from Wines of Macedonia, Skopje. In addition to evaluating a record number of samples from twelve countries, the prestigious international jury awarded the Dutch wine expert Paul Robert Blom as “Wine Personality in the Balkans” and the Serbian judge Igor Lukovic was chosen to be the new chairman of the jury. The current chairman of the jury – the first Master of Wine in the Balkans Konstantinos Lazarakis will be the honorary chairman of BIWC. The biggest prize in the competition – the Grand Trophy for “Best Wine in the Balkans”, the Best Cellar in the Balkans, which won the most medals in the competition, as well as the trophies in the individual categories – will be awarded at a glamorous ceremony called Balkan Wine Oscars. This will happen on June 17th at 8 p.m. – the first night of the Festival in Sofia under the open sky in front of the National Palace of Culture. A rich musical program will accompany the event.

Traditionally, the jury awards one of the selected participants in the Competition from each country with the Best of Show award, for the wine that has won the highest number of points for the respective country. The Bulgarian wine, which won the award in this category, collected 95 of the maximum 100 points according to the independent jury – SM by Snezhana Mutafchiyska 2018, Roxs winery. Here are the other winners:

Best of Show Albania

Merlot 2018, Belba Winery

Best of Show Bosnia and Herzegovina

Collection Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot, 2018, Fazan winery

Best of Show Croatia

Prisbus Reserva 2018, Baraka winery

Best of Show Greece

Afoura Santorini Assyrtiko 2019, Anhydrous winery

Best of Show Kosovo

Grand Rahova Reserve 2019, Labi wines

Best of Show Montenegro

Stari Podrum Vranac 2013, Plantaze winery

Best of Show North Macedonia

Signature Merlot 2017, Grand Reserva, Chateau Kamnik

Best of Show Romania

Issa Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Crama La Salina

Best of Show Serbia

Dina Grasac Sparkling 2018, Vinarija Vinum

Best of Show Slovenia

Brut Seven Numbers, Puklavec & Friends

Best of Show Turkey

Asticus Mons Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Chamlija

The organizers were mesmerized by the perfect organization of the competition held in the period 2-4 June in the capital of North Macedonia – Skopje.

“I keep memory in my heart of the warm and professional attitude of our partners from Wines of Macedonia. The accompanying program was very intense and interesting. We were lucky enough to visit 8 of the best wineries in the country, which welcomed us with wide-open doors. Our Macedonian colleagues and friends showed the international jury what Balkan hospitality, warmth, and cordiality mean. Wine is a bridge that connects nations, and we all felt that in Skopje. I look forward to welcoming them to the Festival in Sofia”, said Galina Niforou, Director of BIWCF.

It is this warmth and continuity that are the basis of the “Wine Personality of the Balkans” award. Its winner, Paul Robert Blom, has been promoting Balkan wine since 1964. He was a lecturer at the Central European Wine Academy from 1977 to 2009. Since 1978 he has been a member of the examination commission of the Academy. In 2008 he received the Register Vinoloog of the Wijnacademie HONORIS CAUSA – the third person in the Netherlands to be awarded this prize.

“I was pleasantly surprised to receive such a unique recognition for the 50 years in which I promote and sell Balkan wine. The variety of authentic autochthonous grape varieties is inexhaustible. If you find it, you will be amazed by the price-quality ratio”, Blom commented.

The announcement of the new chairman of the jury – Igor Lukovic was another highlight of the Competition. This choice was dictated by the organizers’ desire to give the Balkan countries an equal chance to show the best of the world of wine and their wine elite. Konstantinos Lazarakis MW, the first Master of Wine in the Balkans, will serve as honorary chairman of the BIWC as he continues to develop international relations between the Balkan countries.

Igor Luković is a wine critic, wine judge, writer and journalist from Serbia. He is Editor in chief of Vino & Fino magazine and an associate of many other media dealing with wine and food culture. He is one of the founders of the Wine Identity initiative, which stands behind Wine Salon in Novi Sad, International Prokupac Day, many wine conferences, workshops and competitions in Serbia and surrounding countries. He has vast experience in judging wines at Decanter DWWA, IWC London, BIWC Sofia, and many other international wine competitions. He is engaged in wine education, trainings, consulting, and event managing.

All awarded wines from the Competition will be available for tasting in the special Golden Tent in the Wine Town in front of the National Palace of Culture. Apart from the rich program and the extremely generous selection of wines from the whole Balkan region, the guests of the Festival will be the first to learn the name of the winner of the Grand Trophy, the real culmination of the anniversary edition of BIWCF!

You will find the full program for the Festival in the attachments, as well as on the BIWCF website.

If you want to be accredited for the festival, please fill in the form at this link or reply to this email with your name, email address, phone number, and the media you will represent. The Balkans International Wine Competition And Festival 2021 is taking place with the support of Sofia Municipality, the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Wines of Macedonia, as well as with the media support of All Wine Stories, Vino & Fino magazine, Sofiaadventures, Visitskopje, Vinopedia, Winepeople.ro, In your pocket, ivanasimjanovska.com, Autentika, Turističke priče,  Moto Pfohe Rent a Car, Exporter.bg, Apollowine.com, Hit-bg.com, WineBG.info, списание твоят БИЗНЕС, b2b media.bg, InFoodVeritas.com, ExpoWorld.bg, Agro TV, Стандарт, Trio.bg, White Water, АИДБ, AzCheta.com, Жената днес, Jasmin.bg, bgtourism.bg, SlowTours.bg, Agronovinite.com, Winetours.bg, Wineo.bg, Bulgaria Wine Тours, Bulgaria Wine Тours, Fresh Cuts of Life, WineTourMaker.com, Exotic Wine Travel, bgvipnews.eu, hotpressbg.com, bulgarianews.bg, green-news.bg, Culinarytourism.bg, Литературен клуб „Перото“, Екопакс.

Nearly 1000 Wines at the 10th Balkan International Wine Festival in Sofia in June

The 10th-anniversary edition of The Balkans International Wine Competition and Festival (BIWCF) will offer its visitors nearly 1,000 wines from Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Slovenia, Turkey, Albania, Romania, and Serbia. The large-scale event will take place in the open air in the specially created “Wine Town” in front of the National Palace of Culture from June 17 to 19. The Golden Tent with the awarded wines from the 10th Balkans International Wine Competition, held earlier in June in Skopje, is expected to receive the most attention.

This year the festival will hold the culmination of the competition part – the award ceremony “Balkan Wine Oscars 2021” – on the open stage in the Wine Town. The hosts will be BIWCF Director Galina Niforu and the Serbian judge Igor Lukovic. The guests on the spot will be the first to learn who are the winners of the Trophies in the different categories, the grand prize – the Grand Trophy, as well as the award “Best Winery in the Balkans”.

Mike Sax, the famous saxophonist, will take care of the musical background on the first opening day of the Festival (Thursday, June 17), and visitors will be able to try delicacies from different national cuisines. In the remaining days, you will be able to hear Balkan ethnic music performed by Brass Band Vivo Montana and opera program thanks to the Euro Atlantic Art Foundation, whose mission is to support disadvantaged children and youth, as well as those with special educational needs who are with outstanding talent in the field of arts.

“Organizing the Balkan International Wine Festival is always a real challenge that lasts for months. However, its tenth edition will be a real holiday! I am happy that BIWCF is already a trademark of quality wine and Balkan culture. I look forward to finding out which wines will be awarded in the competition in Skopje, as they will find a place in the Golden Tent in the wine town! ”, says Galina Niforu, Director of BIWCF.

You will find the full program for the Festival in the attachments, as well as on the BIWCF website.

If you want to be accredited for the festival, please fill in the form at this link or reply to this email with your name, email address, phone number, and the media you will represent.

 The Balkans International Wine Competition And Festival 2021 is taking place with the support of Sofia Municipality, the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Wines of Macedonia, as well as with the media support of All Wine Stories, Vino & Fino magazine, Sofiaadventures, Visitskopje, Vinopedia, Winepeople.ro, In your pocket, ivanasimjanovska.com, Autentika, Turističke priče,  Moto Pfohe Rent a Car, Exporter.bg, Apollowine.com, Hit-bg.com, WineBG.info, списание твоят БИЗНЕС, b2b media.bg, InFoodVeritas.com, ExpoWorld.bg, Agro TV, Стандарт, Trio.bg, White Water, АИДБ, AzCheta.com, Жената днес, Jasmin.bg, bgtourism.bg, SlowTours.bg, Agronovinite.com, Winetours.bg, Wineo.bg, Bulgaria Wine Тours, Bulgaria Wine Тours, Fresh Cuts of Life, WineTourMaker.com, Exotic Wine Travel, bgvipnews.eu, hotpressbg.com, bulgarianews.bg, green-news.bg, Culinarytourism.bg, Литературен клуб „Перото“, Екопакс.

 “Wine personality in the Balkans” Award for the First Time at the Balkan International Wine Competition and Festival 2021

Due to the record number of samples that will be evaluated in the competition, the jury for the first time consists of 18 people – wine experts from 10 countries.
There are a few more days in which wineries from the entire Balkan region can register for participation in the competition. All winners and the Grand Trophy awarded winery will be announced during the festival part of The Balkans International Wine Competition & Festival (BIWCF). Traditionally, it is held outdoors in a specially built “Wine Town” in the area in front of the National Palace of Culture. Residents and guests of the city will have the opportunity to enjoy the best of Balkan wine, music and food between June 17th and 19th.

“There are only a few days left until the beginning of the 10th anniversary edition of The Balkans International Wine Competition & Festival. The whole team is excited because for these ten years we have managed to achieve a lot. Balkan wine is on the forefront and names like Jansis Robinson MW define it as the next hit in the world of wine. And so it is. For the last 10 years we have seen the increase in the quality of wines from the Balkan countries. Our emotion is great, we are looking forward to finding out who the winner of the Grand Trophy and the Trophies in the different categories will be. The program for the anniversary edition is just beginning. All colleagues and Balkan wine lovers can expect a very rich program, which we will announce after the Competition”, shares Galina Niforou, Director of BIWCF.

Registration is open until May 21, 2021. For more information check out www.balkanswine.eu

The Balkans International Wine Competition And Festival 2021 is taking place with the support of Sofia Municipality, the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Wines of Macedonia, as well as with the media support of All Wine Stories, Vino & Fino magazine, Sofiaadventures, Visitskopje, Vinopedia, Winepeople.ro, In your pocket, ivanasimjanovska.com, Autentika, Turističke priče,  Moto Pfohe Rent a Car, Exporter.bg, Apollowine.com, Hit-bg.com, WineBG.info, списание твоят БИЗНЕС, b2b media.bg, InFoodVeritas.com, ExpoWorld.bg, Agro TV, Стандарт, Trio.bg, White Water, АИДБ, AzCheta.com, Жената днес, Jasmin.bg, bgtourism.bg, SlowTours.bg, Agronovinite.com, Winetours.bg, Wineo.bg, Bulgaria Wine Тours, Bulgaria Wine Тours, Fresh Cuts of Life, WineTourMaker.com, Exotic Wine Travel, bgvipnews.eu, hotpressbg.com, bulgarianews.bg, green-news.bg, Culinarytourism.bg.

International Wine Challenge 2021 brings 21 medal for Macedonian wineries

International Wine Challenge 2021, one of the most influential wine competitions in the world, brings 21 medals for Macedonian wineries. The rigorous IWC judging process assesses every wine ‘blind’ and judges each for its faithfulness to style, region and vintage. Each IWC medal-winning wine is tasted on at least three separate occasions by a minimum of 2 panels of judges tasting together, and then tasted by 2 Co-Chairs to verify the panel results. The IWC judging teams include experts and influencers from the international wine industry, commercial decision makers, buyers and MWs working in unison to find the highest quality wines each year from the 52 wine-producing countries represented in the competition.

Chateau Kamnik wins the only gold for the country for their recently released wine on the market, Carménère 2019. Silvers were awarded to Skovin for their Kratoshija 2019, Domaine Lepovo Chardonnay 2020, Tikvesh Winery for their T’ga za jug 2019, Bela Voda White 2020, Special Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2020 & Alexandria Cuvée Red 2019. 

Bronze medals were awarded Tikvesh Winery for their excellent Kratoshija 2020, Cuvée Methodius 2020 (a blend of Vranec & Merlot), Barovo White 2020, Special Selection Vranec 2018, Alexandria Cuvée Rosé 2020, Bela Voda Red 2018, which were followed by Commended wines Skovin’s Temjanika 2019, Sangiovese 2017, Tikvesh’s Cuvée Cyril 2020, Special Selection Merlot 2019, Alexandria Red 2019, Barovo Red 2018, Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 & Puklavec & Friends for their blend Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot 2019. 

The Best Balkan Wines, Awarded at the Balkan Wine Competition 2020, In a Special Catalogue

Citadelles du Vin 2021
Tikves Winery awarded Special Prize for their Alexandria Cuvée Rose 2020

The 21st edition of Citadelles du Vin has just closed its doors after 3 days of tasting in Bourg sur Gironde, near Bordeaux, thus offering the first palmares of the year to its producers.

Tikves winery was awarded the Macedonian special prize for their Alexandria Cuvee Rose 2020 which is a blend (cuvée) of Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon winning gold, and in addition, silver for their Barovo Red 2018 & one more silver for Domaine Lepovo Chardonnay 2020.

The full awards list is available here : https://www.citadellesduvin.com/2021-Palmares

For this edition, this prestigious international wine and spirits competition welcomed 35 high-level professional tasters (sommeliers, œnologists, buyers, journalists, etc.) who met from 27 to 29 March to taste 769 samples from 28 countries. 219 Gold and Silver medals were awarded as well as 18 Special Prizes.

The Vinofed Special Prize rewards the best score in the still dry wine category. This year, this distinction was awarded to Vignobles Gabriel & Co for their CHÂTEAU LAGRANGE DES MAUBERTS red 2019 in AOP Sainte-Foy Côtes de Bordeaux, with a score of 93.25/100.

The Balkans International Wine Competition and Festival Opens Registration for Its 10th Anniversary

The BIWCF team is already accepting registrations from wineries that want to compete for the Grand Trophy for The Best Balkan Wine, the title of The Best Winery in the Balkans, and the trophies and medals in the other categories.

For the first time this year, the prize “Wine Personality of the Year” will be announced- for merits in promotion of Balkan wines.

“Ten years of The Balkan International Wine Competition. Who could tell… TEN YEARS! Actually, those years have been ten amazing years, at least as far as the BIWC goes. It started almost like a crazy project. Then it continued growing. Getting bigger was not as important as getting more respected, but fortunately, the BIWC did extremely well on both accounts. It got bigger, it got respected and then it even started to travel… It is going to be the best Balkan International Wine Competition ever. It is always fascinating to see a beloved project grow. This year it is going to be emotional! Please join!”, said the Chairman of BIWC and first Master of Wine in the Balkans Konstantinos Lazarakis.

Since its beginning in 2021, The Balkans International Wine Competition is one of the very few in Europe that lean closer to the Australian Wine Show model, allowing for a better evaluation of the competing wines.

“There is great interest from wine producers in taking part in the anniversary competition! 2020 was full of challenges and changes but against all odds, we managed to hold a very successful Competition and Festival. BIWCF was one of the very few wine events in Europe for 2020 that weren’t canceled!”, said Galina Niforu, director and founder of BIWCF. “The winemakers in both Bulgaria and the Balkans are extremely talented and dedicated professionals who managed to get through the unexpected challenges brought by the COVID crisis with dignity and even more ambition. We at BIWCF are really happy and proud to give them an opportunity to show their success and achievements!”.

An exclusive trade degustation will be held in Skopje after the Competition on June 4. There wine importers, wine traders, HoReCa professionals, and media from North Macedonia, the Balkans, and Europe will be able to taste all the competing wines

Registration is open until May 21, 2021. For more information check out www.balkanswine.eu

Mundus Vini 2021 brings Four Gold & Two Silver Medals for Macedonian Wines

Steven Spurrier dies at the age of 79

Steven Spurrier, one of the most influental personalities in the wine world, a British wine merchant and expert died at the age of 79 at his home in the UK. He is best known for organizing the Paris Wine Tasting widely known as The Judgment of Paris back in 1976 where at a blind tasting the Californian wines beat the French ones thus allowing expansion of wine production in the New World and subsequently the ever growing presence of these wines throughout the world.

In 2014 he visited North Macedonia along with other wine critics as Julia Harding MW, Jim Loire, Stephen Brook and Caroline Gilby MW.

Citadelles du Vin 2021

The CDV (Concours Des Vins) will organize the 21st edition of its prestigious Citadelles du Vin competition, from 27 to 29 March 2021 in Bourg sur-Gironde near Bordeaux. During these three days, 40 jurors from the global wine sector will gather to taste nearly 1,000 samples from around 30 countries.

he Association CDV (Concours des Vins), has been organising the Citadelles du Vin for 21 years now.
The CDV is committed to promoting the quality and diversity of high-end wines from around the world. 75% of the wines and spirits presented are foreign. The laureates – who represent 30% of the wines in the competition – win a Gold or a Silver Medal. Gold laureates may receive an additional distinction with a Special Prize Partner or Country. The promotion of the winners is ensured through quality partnerships, social networks and a laureate event, planned on 16 June 2021 at the time of Vinexpo Bordeaux. As well as an international recognition, it is also a real commercial and media asset for the laureates.

Launch of Slow Wine Concept & Association of Tikves Family Wineries

Slow Wine concept, as a part of the Slow Food Macedonia (and Slow Food International) movement, was promoted last weekend in the town of Kavadarci by an organized wine tasting & judging of wines from six small family wineries which are part of a recently formed association called “Tikvesh Family Wineries”. This new concept will be followed by the first Slow Wine Guide to be published in the following months.

And in times like these when it is by all means risky to invest in new projects with the vision to monetize them in the near, yet uncertain, future,  this small group of winemakers from the Tikves Wine District, seem to be harnessing the bad winds by investing in building new ones or renovating their old wineries and buying new equipment. This association “Tikves Family Wineries” numbers more than 20 wineries and keeps expanding with more members day by day. in addition, more and more small wineries from the other wine districts have either applied to be members or are soon going to become part of the Slow Wine.

Now, these wines might not be the usual Macedonian blockbuster wines you are used to but that is certainly not the aim of these winemakers. Their idea is to create mostly every day, easy drinking wines with an occasional, and surprisingly exceptional wine you would put in your cellar and age for a considerable time. My strong belief is that they would have to continue investing in improving their wines if they want to achieve consistency in quality products. And there is a lot to be found (at very affordable prices) for every winelover. I present you my highlights from each of these six wineries.

Pere Pershkov (Peshkov Winery) is a young enologist who has been producing fresh, crispy and above all, fruity wines, under the motto “To work with nature & not against her”. His clean cut wines range from his organic and zingy Smederevka, followed by an aromatic Temjanika, to one very fruity Vranec 2020. The grapes for his dry organic Farish Smederevka 2020 come from the micro location known as Farish in the Tikves Wine District. Certified organic as of last year, this wine has much to offer- it has the intensity of Granny Smith apples, gooseberry and lime aromas. It’s zingy, with an overwhelming freshness of green apple fruits and appealing lightness of touch- a style that should be encouraged. For a bargaining price of MKD 250, you get more than just a crowd pleaser wine. 

Smederevka seems to have become favourite among these winemakers as they’re eager to make decent wine from it and encourage wine drinkers to have it as it is & not mixed with sparkling water for the yet, nationwide favourite spritzer mix. Jakovlevski’s Bianca 2020 is Smederevka that was blended with 10% Grenache Blanc and it features citrus fruits and Granny Smith apple aromas. Bitter lime peel and green apple fruits awaits us on the palate backboned by good acidity.* Price MKD 200.

Gjorgji Naumchev, the enologist & owner of Naumchevi winery, keeps on surprising by perfecting his wine range year after year. And this Cabernet Sauvignon is no exception. A complex dry wine that opens in layers on the nose and the palate is packed with dark forest berries, licorice, cocoa powder and subtle vanilla hints.  A full-bodied & luscious wine. It’s a steal for the price as it offers a lot & beyond!. ” Price 500 MKD

Goce Popov, very much supported by his wife Vesna, produces wines mostly from international grape varieties such as Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, The grapes for this Temjanika Gold 2020 come from the village of Begnishte in the Tikves Wine District, also known as the place where excellent Stanushina & Vranec grapes are grown. This Temjanika features white blossoms, linden and very subtle elder flower aromas. Young yellow citrus fruits on the palate and medium stony finish. * Price MKD 250

Eros winery is a small family winery led by Sashko Andov & his father that dedicate themselves to local & regional varieties such as Stanushina, Zilavka and Vranec as well as international ones like Chardonnay & Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains (Temjanika). The young enologist Sashko Andov has dedicated himself to putting in focus local & regional varieties, creating crisp & easy drinking wines. His Zilavka 2020 is no different- it’s refreshing, with fairly juicy citrus aromas and just a lick of salinity, firm acidity and decent length. * Price MKD 150.

Zaharchev winery is a family winery located in the town of Kavadarci that also dedicate themselves to creating wines mostly from local and regional varieties. Plovdina is known to give fruity wines but yet, it is rather overlooked in the country’s vineyards. These Plovdina grapes for his Plovdina Rose 2020 come from vineyards that are under conversion & soon to be certified organic.  Salmon-pink colour, fruit driven and light. Attractive and expressive crisp red berry fruits on the palate with a lovely acidity make this rose lovely and easy drinkable. * Price MKD 270.

The wines are available at the wineries & they also deliver to Skopje & other towns in the country. You can also ask them for a mixed package containing wines from different wineries. Occasionally you will find them in wine stores in Skopje.
Please note that the prices ar cellar ones.

THE GRAND DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG SET TO HOST THE 2021 CONCOURS MONDIAL DE BRUXELLES

Brussels, January 25, 2021: Ten years after the competition last took place there, its organisers are delighted to announce that the tasting sessions for the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles in 2021 will be held in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The international judges will all remember the professionalism and warm welcome of our hosts. The dates originally scheduled will remain unchanged. The tastings will run from 21 to 23 May 2021 in the LuxExpo convention and exhibition centre located in the business district of Luxembourg City. However, were the health situation and government guidelines to change between now and then, the event could be reviewed and changed.

“We thank the host country for offering us a venue that is particularly well suited to our event and for the invitation to visit the vineyards of the Moselle and discover the diversity of the country’s five wine regions. The lack of international exhibitions and trade conventions makes the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles a rare opportunity for producers to stand out from their peers. It was therefore essential that the competition go ahead on the dates initially planned to provide them with a unique chance to promote their wines and tap into new markets”. Baudouin Havaux, Chairman of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles.

Luxembourg, a small country with great wines

The hillside vineyards of Luxembourg stretch over a 42-kilometre strip along the Moselle, facing Germany. The fact that Luxembourg’s Moselle Valley, the Grand Duchy’s main wine region, is one of the country’s leading tourist destinations is no accident. Luxembourg’s Moselle wine route, and its spectacular vineyard landscapes lining the banks of the Moselle, make this a unique location and wine tourism hotspot. From Schengen in the South to Wasserbillig in the North, nearly 340 winegrowers farm approximately 1,280 hectares of vines, 90% of them planted to grape varieties used to make white wines. The judges will be able to discover Luxembourg’s vinous treasures during visits that will fully comply with the requisite safety measures.

About the competition

The Concours Mondial de Bruxelles is an international competition with over 9,000 wines entered by producers which are subsequently tasted and judged by a panel of experts. Our seasoned judges taste the wines with a single-minded objective and that is to select wines of irreproachable quality, irrespective of their label or the prestige of their appellation. The Concours is one of the largest international events of its kind. After Switzerland in 2019 and the Czech Republic in 2020, the tastings will be held in Luxembourg in 2021.

Skopje Hosts the 10^th Anniversary edition of Balkans International Wine Competition 2021 in June

“I believe that the energy and the inspiration that we invest in the organization of the Balkans Wine Competition will allow us to make another great Competition in Skopje. The crisis from last year was unexpected and caused a lot of damage to the wine industry. But winemakers are people who work with passion, ambition and inspiration. I believe that forums such as the 10th Balkans Wine Competition and Festival provide a platform that wine cellars can use to tackle the crisis!”, said Galina Niforou, Managing Director of BIWC.

The main mission of BIWCF is to promote the Balkan wines and the wine culture both in the Balkan region and around the world. The chairman of the Competition and the jury is traditionally Konstantinos Lazarakis MW, the first holder of the title of Master of Wine in the Balkans.

“The Balkan wine is a symbol of quality and authenticity that consumers value! The 10^th Anniversary edition of BIWC will help not only wine lovers, but also representatives of the HoReCa sector to get to know more regional wines and producers”, promises Lazarakis. After the Competition, an exhibition will be organized with all samples – on June 4^th   at the venue of BIWC in Skopje, to which business representatives, sommelier, distributors and wine lovers are invited. Rich program of Master classes and seminars is planned for all the wine professionals and wine lovers from North Macedonia and the guests from abroad.

BIWC is one of the few wine competitions in Europe that is closer to the Australian model of tasting and scoring, which allows a better evaluation of competing wines.

The best wine in the Balkans is chosen by the prestigious jury and this year will includes at least four holders of the title of Master of Wine. Last year the “Best Wine in the Balkans” was awarded Serbian winery Aleksandrovic with its wine Trijumf Sauvignon Blanc 2019.

In 2021, BIWC will organize many sub events in order to promote the Balkan Wines in the Balkan region and in Europe.

The 10^th open-air edition of the Balkan Wine Festival is plan for 17^th to 19^th June 2021. The “wine town” in the heart of Sofia will rise in front of the National Palace of and will allow wine professionals and wine lovers from the region and abroad to enjoy a “long wine weekend” with the best Balkan Wines from the National Pavilions exhibited in the Fair.

With nearly 1.8 million tons of wine per year, the Balkans rank 5th in the world, just behind the largest wine-producing countries – Italy, France, Spain and the United States. The Balkans International Wine Competition is the event that brings together the world’s wine elite to see, drink and discover the richness and diversity of the Balkan wines. Each year, the awarded wines are celebrated at a special ceremony and gala dinner, known as the “Balkan Wine Oscars”.

The 10^th Anniversary of Balkans International Wine Competition And Festival 2021 is taking place with the support of  organization Wine of Macedonia, MACOM (Macedonian organization of Sommeliers),S ofia Municipality, the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as with the media partnership of Bulgarian National Radio, Vino & Fino magazine, Oinohoos magazine, Manager magazine, Exporter.bg, Мама Нинджа, Hit-bg.com, WineBG.info, списание Твоят бизнес, b2b media.bg, Exporter.bg, InFoodVeritas.com, ExpoWorld.bg, Agro TV, Стандарт, Аз чета, Жената днес, Winetours.bg, Wineo.bg, Bulgaria Wine Тours, Арт Идея Бг, Bulgaria Wine Тours, Fresh Cuts of Life, wineo.bg, WineTourMaker.com, Aunetnika and Turisticke Price, etc.

CONCOURS MONDIAL DE BRUXELLES: 2020 RESULTS
MACEDONIAN WINERIES WIN TWO GOLDS AND FOUR SILVER MEDALS RESULTS

8,500 wines from 46 producer countries competed this year in the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles in Brno, Czech Republic, from September 4-6.

Medals were awarded to wines from 40 different countries. At the top, with the highest number of accolades stands France (570), followed by Spain (495), Italy (363) and Portugal (306). The Czech Republic picked up 112 awards, thus securing fifth place. In addition to the Silver, Gold and Grand Gold Medals, the competition also awarded Revelation trophies to the wines with the highest score in different categories.

This year, the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles introduced a new category dedicated to the best oaked wine – the Sylvain Revelation Oaked Wine.

Brad Pitt Launches First Rosé Champagne from Château Miraval

Fleur de Miraval is the first Champagne to exit from the Château Miraval, and will be solely promoted by Brad Pitt. After the successful launch of the first wine, Miraval Rosé back in 2012, a join venture together with the Perrin family, it was only expected that the first Champagne from Château Miraval would be a rosé Champagne.

Slovenia receives its first Two Stars Michelin for Chef Ana Roš & her Hiša Franko Restaurant

The first Michelin Guide for Slovenia, presented in Ljubljana two days ago, has awarded the first two Michelin stars for Chef Ana Roš and her Hiša Franko restaurant and one star to another five Slovenian restaurants, putting the country’s gastronomy high on the world map.

In 2017, Ana was named world’s best female chef by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy and in 2016 she was featured in the Netflix documentary Chef’s Table. Her restaurant is also well known and praised for sustainability.