In response to many requests, the appointment for the PAR Wine International 2018 has been changed from November to February. The reason for this adjustment is that many producers would have undoubtedly liked to participate in the 2017 event with their 2016 vintages, but they failed to submit their produce due to the late bottling time. Along with the relied PAR Greek Wine Award that became a part of the PAR Wine Award International this year, the new date was one of the reasons for the strong presence of the Greek winemakers during the 2018 tasting. Worth mentioning is the well represented tradition-steeped wine country Hungary that took Gold six times, for instance, for the 2015 Merlot Prémium from the winegrowing estate Koch in Villány-Siklós or sweet 2016 Grand Selection Késői Arany from the vineyard Grand Tokaj from the famous region of the same name. The 2016 Pinot Noir from the Polish Adoria Vineyards near Wroclaw received 90 PAR-points and achieved its position among the Gold wines. Wine growing estate Terra Tangra was a gold medalist from Bulgaria with its 2016 Mavrud and 2013 Cuvée comprising Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Mavrud.

The conclusion of the head of tasting Martin Darting: „Terroir and originality were especially strongly emphasised through several highlights of the 2018 tasting. Move away from the selected yeast and levelling down and towards the matured phenols with a savoury astringency that is the key potential of Eastern Europe as well as the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea region. Let me give an example of the 95 PAR-point Gold decorated 2015 Bias Priene from the Turkish vineyard Yedi Bilgeler – a wood barrel matured and technically perfected Cuvèe comprising Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Merlot with masterfull Francophile stylistics – elegant and athletic with high extract density and many phenols. “

Learn more about the full Ranking and all PAR details about wines and winegrowers at www.par-wineaward.com .

The awarding ceremony and the guided wine tasting with Martin Darting will take place on the 18th of March 2018 at 1 p.m. during the ProWein in Düsseldorf.

Additional information:

PAR® tasting method: Thanks to the analytical and documentary approach of the sensory audit system, the dégustation team could satisfy the requirements of the diversity of such competition complexly and objectively. Each submitted wine received a replicable and objective documentation of its sensory and oenological characteristics respectively its origin, climate and style. The PAR training enables the qualified jury consisting of oenologists, sommeliers and wine experts (certified by the German IHK) 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, experienced appreciation and acceptance in PAR assessment. Besides attracting attention brought by this award, many producers appreciate the revealing analyses underlying the PAR assessment. They show which exact criteria have led to matching results and provide valuable documentation for the quality management. www.par-system.de