This year’s MUNDUS VINI Summer Tasting looked very different than in previ-ous years – the tables were further apart, everyone wore masks, and judges had to enter, exit and take their coffee breaks in specially marked zones.
"Since the beginning of the Corona pandemic, we were sure that we would be able to offer wines from all over the world a professional environment for tasting this August as well,” said tasting director Christian Wolf. “Together we have devel-oped and implemented an appropriate safety concept.” He added that it would have been a great pity to cancel the tasting, as “both winegrowers and consumers have been relying on the tasting results of MUNDUS VINI for 20 years now.”
Over four days, a total of 120 wine experts tasted and evaluated almost 4,500 wines from around the world. Once again, the results are a testimony to ever-rising wine quality: 13 Grand Gold, 919 Gold and 849 Silver medals were awarded.
Once again, Italian wines dominated the ratings, walking off with a total of 552 awards, which is, in part, a reflection of the close relationship between the Italian and German wine sectors. Next came Spain (320 awards), Germany (282), France (112) and Portugal (96). Wines from the New World also made their pres-ence known, with Australia taking home 59 awards, South Africa (36) and the USA (28).
The New World made a generally strong showing. Australia’s Shottesbrooke Vineyards won the most medals of any winery, with a haul of 1 Grand Gold, 6 Gold, 6 Silver; KWV from South Africa won 5 Gold and 5 Silver, and Bodegas Salentein from Argentina had 1 Grand Gold, 1 Gold and 2 Silver.
GES Sorrentino, based in Delmenhorst, Germany, was clearly the best importer of the Summer Tasting 2020. The wines distributed by GES Sorrentino in Germa-ny were awarded a total of 16 gold and 23 silver medals.
Among the best wines of the competition are 2015 Salentein Gran Vu Blend (Best of Show Argentina), 2013 Margaret Semillon (Best of Show
Australia white) from Peter Lehmann Wines, 2019 Casillero del Diablo Carmenère (Best of Show Chile in retail markets) from Concha y Toro, 2019 Schloss Johannisberger Riesling Blaulack – Trockenbeerenauslese (Best of Show Riesling noble sweet), 2008 Palmes d’Or Brut Vintage (Best of Show Champagne) from Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte, 2016 Barolo DOCG Vinum Vita Est (Best of Show Barolo) from
Cantina “Terre del Barolo”, 2020 Seifried Nelson Sauvignon Blanc (Best of Show New Zealand and 2014 Marqués de Riscal Baron de Chirel Rioja DOCa Reserva (Best of Show Rioja Reserva).
The twice-yearly MUNDUS VINI competition was founded 20 years ago, and the 12,000 wines that are submitted every year evaluated using a modified version of the 100-point system of the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV. The founder of the Grand International Wine Award MUNDUS VINI is the Meininger publishing house, publisher of Meininger’s Wine Business International magazine.
All of the results of the Summer Tasting are available now at MEININGER ONLINE: www.meininger.de/en/mundus-vini/results
