Vinitaly 2015: record of countries at the International Wine Competition

There are nearly 3,000 wine samples from 32 countries which will compete for the 64 medals up for grabs. Less than 3% are the awarded each year, for the one that is the most selective international wine competition in the world. Now in its 22nd edition, the Wine Competition is the only one at this level to have already used the judging sheet in digital format. For the best Italian wine, the "Banco Popolare Special Prize", too.

Locked in their blue bags to avoid being recognized, the almost 3,000 wine samples sent by the producers of 32 nations to participate in the 22nd edition of the International Wine Competition of Veronafiere are now ready to be judged. A record number of countries of origin, with Japan, Sweden and Taiwan, that for the first time participate in the most prestigious and selective international wine competition.

The wine samples are covering the production of all five continents: representing Europe, there are Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, the Czech Republic, the Republic of San Marino, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Hungary; from the New World were enrolled: wines from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico and Venezuela; Oceania is present with Australia and New Zealand; from the African continent: the wines of South Africa; from Asia, to represent the Middle East: the wines produced in Azerbaijan, Israel and Turkey, and from the Far East the new entry Japan and Taiwan.

Up for grabs, 64 medals (Grand Gold Medal, Gold Medal, Silver Medal and Bronze Medal) divided out of the 16 groups of the three big categories of still wines, frizzanti wines and sparkling wines, with a percentage of awarded wines that never exceeds 3% of the total samples submitted for trial. Awarded each year by the International Wine Competition, also three special awards: "Vinitaly Nation", "Designation of Origin" and "Grand Vinitaly".

A recognition more for Italian wines is the "Banco Popolare Special Prize", which this year will be awarded nationally to the Italian wine that will have obtained the best score of all categories.

For our opinion, the Competition relies on the work of 21 committees, each consisting of three oenologists, one of which foreign, and two journalists or international experts from 40 countries, for a total of 105 judges. More or less forty are the hours provided for operations of tasting and about 18,000 glasses.

The score of each sample is determined on the basis of the arithmetic mean of the five cards, with the exclusion of the highest and the lowest score. The valuation method used is the one of the Union Internationale des ?nologues, which provides for the expression of judgements in cents. Thanks to the use of tablets, the insertion of data is done in real time.

The digital judging sheet was introduced last year with great success, thanks to a major technology investment of Veronafiere, which is not found in other similar major international competitions and that helps to make the procedure of the Competition even more efficient and transparent.

Organized by Veronafiere, the International Wine Competition enjoys the patronage of the Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Parliament, the Organisation Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin (OIV), the Union Internationale des Oenologues (UIOE) and Ministries of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies and of the Economic Development.



VeronaFiere Press Office