43 Wines Are Awarded the Chairman’s Trophy, The Highest Accolade!
Hawthorne, NY (June 13, 2016) – Ultimate Wine Challenge™ the world’s platinum standard for wine competitions announces the results of the seventh Ultimate Wine Challenge (UWC), held over the span of four weeks at the Ultimate Beverage Challenge (UBC) dedicated evaluation center in Hawthorne, NY.
Led by UBC Founder and Judging Chairman F. Paul Pacult, nine of the world’s foremost wine experts, buyers, journalists, and authors convened to evaluate more than 1,200 still, sparkling and fortified wines, ciders, and sakes from around the world, a solid 8% increase from 2015. Especially large increases were seen in the cider and sake categories.
This extraordinary group of world-class judges included Doug Frost, Master Sommelier, Master of Wine, journalist and consultant; Tracy Ellen Kamens, Ed.D, DWS, consultant; Tess Rose Lampert, wine educator; Jack Mason, Master Sommelier; Patricia Savoie, wine journalist; Rick Schofield, CWE, consultant; Francis Schott, restaurateur and buyer and Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan, Master of Wine.
Forty-three wines are awarded UWC’s highest honor, the Chairman’s Trophy. Additional accolades include Finalist, Great Value (awarded to entries with a high price/value ration – showing that great wines don’t need to always be expensive); and the Tried & True Award™, bestowed on brands that have demonstrated unfailing, consistent quality, year after year.
In accordance with UWC’s strict methodology, all wines, ciders and sakes were judged in appropriate fine crystal glassware at the proper temperature and were grouped in small flights of 3 to 8 wines, according to grape type, region, and price. The judging panels did not know the identity or price of any of the entered sparkling, still, fortified wines, ciders or sakes, to ensure that their evaluations were unbiased. UWC’s primary mission is to provide a level playing field for all entries.
Said Pacult of UWC 2016, “Assessing with care and precision an international field of 1,200+ wine, cider, and sake submissions takes a herculean effort of total dedication from UWC’s exemplary teams of judges and back-of-house. Each succeeding year’s growth in entries from producers making wine, cider and sake on five continents points to their belief in UWC’s complete commitment to impartial methodology, verifiable authority, and uncompromising integrity. Everything we do, each system we’ve installed, is geared to a singular purpose: to showcase every entry’s virtues in a field of its peers.”
Top-scoring wines will be published in the Ultimate Beverage Challenge 2016 Guide To the World’s Best Wine & Spirits in the October 2016 issue of Beverage Media, which is referenced by more than 70,000 beverage alcohol buyers in the U.S. market.
The 2016 Ultimate Wine Challenge Chairman’s Trophy Winners
Full results at www.ultimate-beverage.com/uwc2016results
Red Wines:
- Big Bill Bill’s Blend 2015 Western Cape, South Africa (Red Blends-Southern Hemisphere)
- Cabo da Roca Winemaker’s Selection Red 2015 Lisboa, Portugal (Assorted Reds-Portugal)
- Carmen Gold Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 Maipo Valley, Chile (Cabernet Sauvignon-World)
- Chateau Mukhrani Saperavi 2012 Kartli, Georgia (Other Red Varietals-World)
- Domaine Carneros The Famous Gate Pinot Noir 2013 Carneros, United States (Pinot Noir-World)
- Domaine Treloar Three Peaks 2012 Cotes du Roussillon, France (Assorted Reds-France)
- J. Lohr Cuvee Pau 2012 Paso Robles, United States (Red Blends-North America)
- J. Lohr Tower Road Petite Sirah 2013 Paso Robles, United States (Petite Sirah-World)
- Landa Vineyards Syrah 2012 Sonoma Valley, United States (Shiraz/Syrah-World)
- Napa Cellars Zinfandel 2013 Napa Valley, United States (Zinfandel-USA)
- Orsetto Oro 2013 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Italy (Assorted Reds-Italy)
- Proemio Malbec 2015 Mendoza, Argentina (Malbec-World)
- Quady Winery Red Electra Moscato 2014 California, United States (Sweet Reds-World)
- Rodney Strong Merlot 2013 Sonoma County, United States (Merlot-World)
- Suvla Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey (Assorted Reds-Eastern Mediterranean)
- Vina Albali Seleccion Privada Gran Reserva 2010 Valdepeñas, Spain (Assorted Reds-Spain)
White Wines:
- Alamos Torrontes 2015 Salta, Argentina (Other White Varietals-World)
- Balletto Pinot Gris 2014 Russian River Valley, United States (Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris-World)
- Bulgarini Turbiana 2015 Lugana, Italy (Assorted Whites-Italy)
- Comenge Verdejo 2015 Rueda, Spain (Assorted Whites-Spain)
- Fisher King Winery Meadow Song Sweet Moscato 2015 American, United States (Muscat/Moscato/Moscatel-World)
- Heritance Sauvignon Blanc 2015 Napa Valley, United States (Sauvignon Blanc-World)
- Jost Tidal Bay 2015 Nova Scotia, Canada (White Blends-North America)
- Quetzal Reserva Branco Antao Vaz 2013 Alentejo, Portugal (Assorted Whites-Portugal)
- Rodney Strong Estate Vineyards Chardonnay 2014 Chalk Hill, United States (Chardonnay-World)
- Sauvion 2015 Vouvray, France (Assorted Whites-France)
- Tokaj Kereskedohaz Cuvee Dry White 2014 Tokaj-Hegyalja, Hungary (White Blends-Europe)
- Wagner Vineyards Select Riesling 2013 Finger Lakes, United States (Riesling-World)
Rosé & Blush Wines
- Chateau Leoube Secret de Leoube 2015 Cotes de Provence, France (Rosé/Blush-Europe)
- Wollersheim Winery Prairie Blush Marechal Foch 2015 Wisconsin, United States (Rosé/Blush-North America)
Champagne/Sparkling Wines
- Can Petit Rose Cava 2013, Spain (Cava-Spain)
- Domaine Carneros by Taittinger Le Reve 2009 Carneros, United States (Sparkling-USA)
- JCB by Jean-Charles Boisset No. 69 Rose NV Burgundy, France (Sparkling-World)
- Mionetto Prestige Collection 1887 Brut Prosecco NV Treviso, Italy (Prosecco-Italy)
- Moet & Chandon Grand Vintage 2006 Epernay, France (Champagne-France)
- Tosti 2015 Moscato d’Asti, Italy (Asti/Moscato d’Asti-Italy)
Dessert Wines:
- Poggio Rosso Losna Vermentino 2013 Val di Cornia, Italy (Late Harvest/Dessert-Europe)
- The Hare Wine Co. Icewine Riesling 2013 Niagara Peninsula, Canada (Icewine/Eiswein-World)
Fortified Wines:
- Barbadillo Principe Amontillado Aged 12 Years Jeres-Xeres-Sherry, Spain (Sherry-Spain)
Ciders:
- Angry Orchard The Muse Apple Cider, United States (Cider-North America)
Miscellaneous Wines:
- Westport Winery Little Wild Blackberry Riesling NV American, United States (Fruit Wine-World)
Sakes:
- Garyubai Junmai Dai Ginjo Sake, Japan (Junmai Dai Ginjo-World)
- Garyubai Junmai Ginjo Namachozo Sake, Japan (Junmai Ginjo-World)
All products are rated on the 100-point scale by the wine industry’s most renowned judges. All wines rated 80 points and higher receive an individual results page (accessed by clicking on “more…” next to the product name) which provides all downloadable marketing materials for the product – including icons, shelf-talkers and a bottle image for easy consumer identification. Wines rated 85 points and higher receive a tasting note.
UWC results are promoted globally via email and web publication to both trade buyers and consumers.
Ultimate Wine Challenge…Challenging Since 2010.
ABOUT ULTIMATE BEVERAGE CHALLENGE
Ultimate Beverage Challenge (UBC) provides expert evaluation of wines and spirits for producers, importers and marketers through its two innovative annual competitions: Ultimate Wine Challenge and Ultimate Spirits Challenge. UBC partners are F. Paul Pacult, Sue Woodley and David Talbot.
