The 2023 OIV Awards Winners Announced

The winners of the 2023 OIV Awards were announced last week, in a ceremony in Paris.  Awards were given out by the  OIV President Luigi Moio, the Award Jury President, Azélina Jaboulet-Vercherre, and the Award Jury Scientific Secretary Richard Pfister.

About the OIV Awards

The OIV Award is a distinction set out in the OIV Rules of Procedure, granted each year by an international Jury composed of eminent personalities in the vitivinicultural world, who represent the OIV Member Countries. It is a recognition on the international scale, a reference in the vitivinicultural sector since 1930.

In this year’s edition, the Members of the Jury granted overall 14 Awards, 8 Special Mentions and one Acknowledgment. 76 applications were submitted to the 2023 edition which is a record number!

Books represented a total of 27 countries, with France and Italy leading the majority of applications. The event was attended by numerous representatives of the Diplomatic Corps, together with the publishing houses of the awarded books.

Here is list of the 2023 winners:

La Vigne : Anatomie et physiologie, alimentation et carences, accidents physiologiques et climatiques / Vol.4
AWARD
Switzerland | French
Olivier Viret, Vivian Zufferey, Katia Gindro, Thibaut Verdenal, François Murisier, Carole Parodi

Châteauneuf-du-pape Histoire Géologique & Naissance des Terroirs
AWARD
France | French
Georges Truc

Vitigni, vini rari e antichi
MENTION
Italy | Italian
Ivano Asperti

Improving Sustainable Viticulture and Winemaking Practices
MENTION
Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, New Zealand, Brazil, Australia, Sweden | English
Miguel Costa, Sofia Catarino, Jose M. Escalona, Piergiorgio Comuzzo

Microbiologia della vite e del vino
AWARD
Italy | Italian
Patrizia Romano, Maurizio Ciani, Luca Cocolin

 La distillazione enologica. Manuale per la produzione di alcol etilico, grappa, brandy e la valorizzazione dei sottoprodotti vitivinicoli
MENTION
Italy | Italian
Giorgio De Vita, Pietro De Vita

Les Grands Arrêts du droit vitivinicole
AWARD
France | French
Théodore Georgopoulos, directeur

Vigne, vin et éducation Du XVIIIe siècle à nos jours
AWARD
France | French
Marie-Anne Châteaureynaud, Céline Piot, Pauli Davilà, Luis M. Naya, Marguerite Figeac-Monthus

The Routledge Handbook of Wine and Culture
AWARD
United Kingdom | English
Steve Charters, Marion Demossier, Jacqueline Dutton, Graham Harding, Jennifer Smith Maguire, Denton Marks, Tim Unwin

Faïence et vin. De la table du prince à la taverne du peuple (1640-1863)
MENTION
France | French
Jean Rosen

Viti Vini Vici
AWARD
Portugal | Portuguese
Thomaz Vieira da Cruz

The Book of Sherry Wines
AWARD
Spain | Spanish/English
César Saldaña

 Klein Constantia – The Home of Vin de Constance
AWARD
South Africa | English
Joanne Gibson, Malu Lambert

The Acknowledgment of the OIV Awards Jury
for the photographic work in Klein Constantia – The Home of Vin de Constance
To: Heiko von Fintel

Italian Wine Unplugged 2.0
AWARD
Italy | English
Attilio Scienza and editors

Histoire des vins de l’AOC Touraine
MENTION
France | French
Nicolas Raduget

Les vignerons du ciel
AWARD
France | French
Marc Paitier

The History of Rioja Wine
AWARD
Spain | English
Ludger Mees

Fazer a paisagem no Alto Douro Vinhateiro, desafios de um território
MENTION
Portugal | Portuguese
Natália Fauvrelle

La industria vitivinícola mexicana en el Siglo XXI_ retos económicos ambientales y sociales
MENTION
Mexico | Spanish
Ariel Vázquez Elorza, Norma Consuelo Borrego Pérez, Adolfo Federico Herrera García, Ever Sánchez Osorio

Petit précis de viticulture Tome 1: Terroirs, implantation et développement de la vigne
MENTION
France | French
Jean-Luc Berger Directeur de collection

Petit précis de viticulture, tome 2 / La production de raisins
MENTION
France | French
Jean-Luc Berger Directeur de collection

Sur la piste du chasselas
AWARD
Switzerland | French, English, German
Claude-Alain Mayor, Alexandre Truffer, Christian Moreillon

Oenologix
AWARD
France |  French
François Bachelot, author
Vincent Burgeon, Illustrator

Wines of Ukraine launch UK Head Office

Wines of Ukraine has recently established a UK head office to help further grow its reputation on the international stage.

The organization, formed in 2021, is made up of 15 members, comprising craft wineries with an overwhelming majority of pre-war sales rooted in the domestic market. The organization has had a strong presence at this year’s London Wine Fair and Prowein.

With the proposed UK import operation now beginning to take shape, Wines of Ukraine will host its inaugural tasting for the UK trade and media on Monday, October 9th at 67 Pall Mall in London

At its first UK tasting, there will be 11 wineries from six wine regions, that will show 60+ wines, covering different styles, including sparkling wines, unfiltered orange wines and sweet wines, reds, whites, and rosés.

Tania Olevska, marketing and PR director of Wines of Ukraine UK, states: “Our producers are excited to meet and present their bottles to wine professionals in the UK this autumn.  Now is the right time to bring the wines of Ukraine to the UK, when we have a high quality and a good range of styles – all of which are confirmed by high ratings at international wine competitions and great feedback from both professionals and consumers.”

The full-scale war unleashed by Russia has significantly affected the state of Ukraine’s wine industry with some wineries being occupied, and others being damaged and looted. Some of the vineyards are mined and not cultivated, and the local market has shrunk. However, in 2022, Ukrainian wines began to be discovered worldwide and today they are represented in the UK, USA, Japan, Poland, Baltic, and Nordic countries, amongst others.

Svitlana Tsybak, co-founder of Wines of Ukraine, added: “The mission of our team is to promote Ukrainian wines worldwide, present Ukraine as a winemaking country, and tell everywhere and everyone that Ukraine has its place in the winemaking world.

“For the last two decades, Ukrainian wine has experienced a renaissance, and now it is time to show our wines in the UK.  This is one of the most important markets for us, not least because the country supports Ukraine, which we very much appreciate.”

To register for the event click here:  https://shorturl.at/ADE04

Wineries that will be showcased, include:

Beykush Winery, Mykolaiv

Stakhovsky Wines, Zakarpattya

Chateau Chizay, Zakarpattya

Biologist Craft Winery, Kyiv

Vynkhol Oksamytne /TM Villa Tinta, Odesa (Bessarabia subregion)

Kolonist Wine, Odesa (Bessarabia subregion)

Frumushika Nova, Odesa (Bessarabia subregion)

Shabo, Odesa

Tiras Winery /TM My Wine by Eduard Gorodetsky, Odesa

Graevo, Zaporizhzhia

Father’s Wine VB, Ternopil

Austria establishes an official Vineyard Classification System

The recently adopted “Wine Law Collective Decree” has established the legal basis for the official classification of Austria’s single vineyards. The Ordinance defines two tiers: “Erste Lage” (premier cru) and “Große Lage” (grand cru). Classification is carried out according to a strict list of criteria. The first vineyard classifications can be expected in 2025, at the earliest.

Various private initiatives in Austria, for classifying single vineyards, known as “Rieds” have been in place in Austria for many years. These initiatives identify those of its members’ vineyards that have gained a name for producing first-class wines. Following an intense preliminary phase, the Wine Law Collective Decree 2023 has established the legal basis for an official, nationwide classification system. It outlines two tiers of classification. The “Erste Lage” (premier cru) is the first level that a vineyard can attain. Once a minimum of five years has elapsed, the vineyard is able to be defined as a “Große Lage” (grand cru).

“The Collective Decree 2023 has defined the legal basis for enabling Austrian Rieds to be classed officially according to a standardized system,” explains Chris Yorke, CEO of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (Austrian Wine). “The decision whether to classify Rieds is up to each wine-growing region because the significance of single vineyards differs from region to region,” Yorke adds.

Lower maximum yield per hectare and harvesting by hand required

The decree outlines the general conditions required for the classification of a vineyard. For example, the use of “Erste Lage” and “Große Lage” is only permitted on DAC wines from classified vineyards. Furthermore, the wine-growing region from where the wine originates must have defined the three DAC levels of Gebietswein (regional wine), Ortswein (villages wine) and Riedenwein (single-vineyard wine). The decree also states that “Erste Lage” and “Große Lage” can only be used when the wine has been harvested by hand and a lower maximum yield per hectare than the legal limit is met.

Detailed documentation is essential

If a wine-growing region wants to classify its leading vineyards, the Regional Wine Committee must submit an application to the National Wine Committee. A classification document containing detailed information needs to be completed for each Ried. This covers facts such as the historical significance of the vineyard, the homogeneity of its soil, geological characteristics, climate and orientation, and the volume and value of the wines that the Ried produces. A Ried also has to provide evidence of other factors demonstrating its potential for producing high-quality wines, e.g. national and international wine ratings. For a Ried to receive the designation of “Große Lage”, it must have been an “Erste Lage” for at least five years and further requirements for the use of the term “Große Lage” will have to be defined.

“Establishing an official vineyard classification system at a national level presents considerable challenges,” emphasizes Yorke. “This is why we will be supporting the wine-growing regions with the process step by step over the next few years and continuously sharing our experiences.” The first “Erste Lage” classifications are not expected before 2025.

Here is a short overview:

Legal basis for an official vineyard classification system

The Wine Law Collective Decree defines the legal basis

Two tiers:

  • “Erste Lage”
    “Große Lage” (at least 5 years after having been designated an “Erste Lage”)

Conditions for the use of the terms “Erste Lage” and “Große Lage” include:

  • DAC wines from classified Rieds (single vineyards)
  • lower maximum yield per hectare than the legal limit
  • harvesting by hand

The classification process:

  • Regional Wine Committees submit an application to the National Wine Committee on behalf of the Ried(s)
  • Classification document for each candidate Ried, including information about:
    • the historical significance of the vineyard
    • homogeneity of the soil, geological characteristics, climate and orientation
    • national and international ratings of the Ried’s wines
  • The first classifications are expected in 2025, at the earliest.

PGWA Creates Custom AVA Wine Maps Using Google Maps

The Petaluma Gap Wine Growers Alliance (PGWA) has been working with an illustrator to develop a more intricate digital and printable AVA map. While this project in progress, the Alliance wanted something temporary on the website and quickly created a custom and free AVA map using Google My Maps.

Here are the steps to follow in creating a map of a particular AVA:

Step 1 – Create A New Map – Access the Google My Maps website and sign in with your Google account. You’ll need to create an account if you don’t have one yet.  Once logged in, click the “+ Create a new map” button to initiate the map-building process.

Step 2 – Personalize Your Map – At the top left corner of the page, locate the “Untitled map” field. You can enter your organization’s name.

Step 3- Define Your Boundary – Download an SHP (shape) of your AVA boundary as defined by the federal government from the TTB website. Since Google Maps only supports KML files, you must convert the SHP using geographical information software (GIS). For instance, we used the open-source GIS application QGIS for this purpose. Import the converted KML file into Google Maps as your initial layer.

Step 4 – Map Wineries – Create an additional layer for wineries. Utilize the search function to locate wineries by name or address. Click the “Add to map” option in the toolbar. If a winery has claimed its business on Google, relevant information will appear in the drop-down menu. Choose or customize the marker icon, such as a wine glass or grape icon.

Step 5 – Plot the Vineyards – PGWA has employed latitude and longitude coordinates to locate vineyards. Since only a few vineyards were registered as businesses on Google, they manually inputted information, including vineyard photos, a list of cultivated grape varieties, and elevations. Non-grower members were identified on the map with less detailed information.

Step 6- Organize Your Layers – You can enhance your map by creating multiple layers. This helps in segregating distinct categories of data. Click the “Add layer” button in the left sidebar to establish a new layer. In our case, separate layers were used for wineries, vineyards, and members and non-members.

Step 7 – Share Your Map – The map can be shared using a unique link, making it accessible to specific individuals or made public or private.  Most importantly, you can embed code to easily incorporate the map into your website or blog.

This serves as a valuable tool for wine organizations and wine professionals in showcasing vineyards and tasting rooms within the geographical boundaries.

Source:  Wine Data Researcher

2023 Michelangelo International Wine and Spirits Awards

I’m en route to Stellenbosch, South Africa to participate as a judge in the 2023 Michelangelo International Wine and Spirits Awards.  I look forward to meeting the esteemed panel of international judges for judging week which will be taking place from July 24th to 28th, 2023.

The judges are comprised of selected wine and spirits experts hailing from five different continents, in which we will be employing the internationally recognized 100-point system, and using the blind judging approach.

This year we will be judging at the stunning Lourensford Wine Estate, which is in the heart of the historical winelands of Somerset West. Spanning over 4,000 hectares of lush forest, fynbos, fruit orchards and sprawling vineyards, it is set against the stunning backdrop the Helderberg Mountains, caressed by breezes off the Atlantic Ocean.

 

Stay tuned for some more updates!