Winemakers from across the Southern Hemisphere are celebrating today after the region dominated the list of 15 International Trophies awarded by the 2013 Decanter Asia Wine Awards (DAWA).
The DAWA 2013 International Trophies were revealed this morning at ProWine in Shangahi
The International Trophies are the top award given out by the competition, and this year’s winners were unveiled at the ProWine trade expo in Shanghai, China, today (13 November).
Of the 2,023 medal winners at this year’s awards, only 15 wines went on to claim International Trophies, in which regional trophy winners are pitted against each other in specific categories. The wines were blind-tasted by an expert panel comprised of Jeannie Cho Lee MW, Steven Spurrier, Andrew Jefford, Gerard Basset MS MW, Michael Hill-Smith AM MW and Shinya Tasaki – tasked with deciding the best of the best.
Australian wines scooped seven of the top trophies from its 614 Australian entries; more than any other nation.
Among the winners, the 2010 vintage Eileen Hardy Pinot Noir from Tasmania, made by Accolade Wines, took the International Trophy for Pinot Noir, while the Eden Springs 2009 vintage of High Eden Riesling took the trophy for Riesling. It marked a triple win for Eden Springs, which scooped an International Trophy for best dry white for the 2008 vintage of the same wine in both the Decanter Asia Wines Awards 2012 and the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2013.
In the red Bordeaux varietals category, California’s Napa Valley notched up another victory against its Old World foes, thanks to victory for Cakebread Cellars’ 2010 vintage Dancing Bear Ranch from Howell Mountain.
France’s Rhone region narrowly lost out to a 2011 vintage Saronsberg Shiraz, from Tulbagh in South Africa, in the red Rhone one varietals category. There was, however, victory for Bauget-Jouette’s Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne, 2008 vintage, in the best sparkling wine category.
There were also wins for New Zealand, Spain, Italy and Argentina, the latter courtesy of Michel Torino’s Don David Finca la Primavera No.3 Torrontes in the dry aromatic category.
Lance Bradfield, managing director of The New Holland Wine Co and representing the winner of best single red varietal – the 2010 vintage Z-Force by Zonte’s Footstep in South Australia’s McLaren Vale – said, ‘this is just reward for all the hard work they’ve put in. They go at it like a bull at a gate.’
He said awards count for more in China’s emerging wine market than in some other countries. ‘The Chinese place a lot of emphasis on awards.It means credibility and cudos.’
Steven Wasylyk, brand director of artisan wines at major importer ASC Fine Wines, and who collected the trophy for Napa’s Cakebread Cellars, said of Californian wines in China, ‘a lot of connoisseurs are already drinking more. It used to be quite niche, but people are going more for it and there’s a lot of potential in terms of value for money’.
The majority of 44-strong DAWA judging line-up came from Asia, including Jeannie Cho Lee MW, who co-chaired the awards alongside Decanter contributing editor Steven Spurrier.
A special digital edition of Decanter magazine featuring the full list of DAWA results has been released today on Google Play, and will be available for tablet download at the Apple Newsstand and all major digital platforms in the coming days.
See the 15 DAWA 2013 international trophies here
Written by Decanter staff
