Press release WINE System AG

Tradition vs Modernity: Trends and Results of the sixth PAR® Wine Award International
PAR®-Jury assessed 76 wines from 7 countries from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean and the Black Sea area

Frasdorf, March 2021 – Following the example of the last great tastings by WINE System AG, the PAR® Wine Award International took place on February 27th – 28th in a virtual format. The highly qualified PAR® Certified Master tasters and the well established digital structure delivered by WINE System AG guaranteed the fundamental level of quality.   
Especially during these ongoing difficult times, this reliability again attracted numerous winemakers from seven countries. During the first online edition *) of this extraordinary contest covering the area spread from Czechia and Ukraine in the North to Syria in the South, the PAR®-Jury could assess 76 wines of different origin and style. The results: 8 Top Gold, 29 Gold, 28 Silver and 3 Compliments. Top Awards for Moldova, Hungary, Greece and Georgia.

Though the ProWein fair is cancelled again, WINE System AG will replace the traditional awarding ceremony with a special Online-Event for all winemakers, media representatives and interested audience that will take place on April 22nd, 2021. Please find the complete ranking, including the PAR® studies and all further details on wines and producers under par-wineaward.com.

Top Ratings: The high-quality contest’s overall winner is the 2017 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc reductively produced in a steel tank at Moldovan Fautor Winery that could reach 97 PAR® points. Likewise, both 96 - points Top Gold Ratings in the category of red wine went to the same vineyard located in the region IGP Valul lui Traian in Southern Moldavia: the 2015 Illustro – a stylistically modern Cuvée of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot aged in an oak barrel – and the 2018 Aurore, a blend of autochthonous Fetească Neagră and Tempranillo by maturation in steel tank and barrique.
The 2020 Bio Solaris reductively produced in a steel tank at Hungarian winemaking estate Gyukli in the region of Balatonfüred-Csopak earned 96 points and reached the top level in the category of whites. Likewise, 96 points were awarded to the 2019 „Rkatsiteli-Mtsvane“ produced at the Spekali Winery in the Georgian region Kakheti. The Qvevri wine is a blend of autochthonous white varieties Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane Kakhuri with spontaneous fermentation in a traditional amphora.
The only one Top Gold Rosé came from the Greek Peloponnese: the stylistically modern and matured in steel tank and barrique 2020 Rosé KA by Estate Theodorakakos, an autochthonous Cuvée of Kidonitsa and Agiorgitiko decorated with 96 points.
Along with the above-mentioned overall winner, the dessert wine category was represented by two other products earning 96 points and, therefore, Top Gold: 2018 Desertno vino SV. NEDIJA from the Croatian estate Gospoja, the island of Krk – an oxidatively steel tank matured sweet wine of indigenous variety Zlahtina – and 2018er Iliou Methi traditionally - oxidatively produced in a steel tank from the autochthonous Mandilaria grape at Tsoukalas Winery based on Rhodes, Greece.

Trends and Topics of 2021 Tasting:
This year’s PAR® Wine Award International shows once again the shaping role of the stylistics – a conscious choice to influence the formation process of wine by modern or traditional methods – in creating the final good. Eastern Europe’s wines show a strong general trend towards fruity and reductively made products reflecting the international style, each crowned with different success levels. Head of Tasting Martin Darting says:“Likewise the traditional growing methods, wine quality primarily depends on a grape. Whilst selected yeast and modern fermentation technology may be beneficial to get an aromatically presentable result out of weak must, however, wines that can flaunt with density, balanced acid buffering and mature phenols are preferred by the mouthfeel rather more.“
The sensor adept perceives the growing trend towards the internationally more comfortable to sell, fruity styles with mixed feelings: „On the one hand, I can well understand that winemakers from emerging growing regions in Europe and all Black Sea littoral countries want to respond to the expectations of the international market. Yet, that means that many wines that pose a contradiction will forfeit their „terroir“, the significance of origin and, consequently, the unique features. Fortunately, the contest could show us that there is a possibility of uniting tradition and modernity to produce pleasing wines with an individual touch. Who would have thought it? The majority of these wines are currently whites. One remarkable example from this line-up is the 2020 Akratos Retsina produced at biodynamic Domaine Papakonstantinou from Central Greece – an oxidatively matured in a steel tank and spontaneously fermented blend of autochthonous varieties Savatiano and Roditis decorated with 95 points and, therefore, with a Gold medal.“

About the contest: The main objective of 2016 established PAR® Wine Award International is to show the diversity of the products from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean and the Black Sea area. The PAR® method enables the jury to give each wine a specific quality assessment respectively its origin and individual style covering the broad range of products like original orange wine, modern international styles, local specialities and traditional bottle fermentation.
Besides marketing benefits brought by this competition, many winegrowers appreciate the revealing analyses underlying the PAR®-assessment.

Additional information

Background information:

WINE System AG with its activity area in consulting, training and PAR® high-quality contests is a capable partner for winegrowers, retail and expert audience in the fields of wine and sensors since 1999. WINE System AG operates under the leadership of both board members Brigitte Wüstinger and Martin Darting since 2019. Since many years, the company organisers well-known high-quality contests, for instance, international organic wine award, PAR® Wine Award International, International PIWI Wine Award and International Burgundy Wine Award, as well as other smaller events. The database that contains more than 40.000 listed wines became a global information tool highly appreciated among experts. www.winesystem.de

Assessment with PAR®: Thanks to the transparency of the internationally recognized sensory testing system PAR, each submitted wine receives replicable and objective documentation of its sensory and oenological characteristics respectively its authenticity, origin, and style. The PAR®: training enables the qualified jury consisting of „PAR® Certified Masters“, for the most part, oenologists, sommeliers verified by the CCI and appropriately qualified wine experts, to assess each wine neutrally, excluding personal preferences or preconceived opinions regarding “good taste.” In the context of contemporary oenology, new international styles, likewise the traditionally made wines, experience appreciation and acceptance. Besides marketing benefits brought by this competition, many wine-growers appreciate the revealing analyses underlying the PAR®-assessment. They show which exact criteria have led to matching results and provide a valuable manual for quality management of wines. This method promises an objective evaluation using the PAR® 100 points rating system based on transparent documentation.