The 1st edition of Winelovers Wine Awards took place on 20-21 June at Continental Hotel Budapest, Hungary. The competition had been organized previously on national level, it was the first year to step onto international stage. It has become a huge success: 58 wine experts from 19 countries evaluated 623 wines from 14 countries within the 2 days of the contest.

The jury included renowned international wine experts like Essi Avellan MW sparkling wine specialist, Rose Murray Brown MW, who performed an unforgettable Villányi Franc masterclass, Elizabeth Gabay MW rose specialist – certainly the chairman of rose wines, Lenka Sedlackova MW, who is passionate about introducing new wine countries to the UK market, like Greece and Hungary, and Tamás Czinki, the first Master Sommelier of Hungary.

MW's Winelovers Wine Awards

Masters of Wine Lenka Sedlackova, Essi Avellan and Elizabeth Gabay

László Bálint DipWSET, president of Winelovers Wine Awards 2022 commented Our wine contest benefited from the internationally recognized wine experts being the specialist of a wine category. The results have become adequate to the international standards.”

Essi Avellan MW added: The strong presence of the international jury was obvious at Winelovers Wine Awards, from every field of the wine trade. I really hope that this contest will strengthen its position in the future as the showcase of Central Eastern European wines.

Winelovers Wine Awards compilatie

555 medals, Best of Country awards

Out of the 555 medal winner wines 63 wines received gold medals and 137 samples won silver medals. 22 special awards were given including Best of Country awards – in case a country was represented with at least 10 wines. For the organizers it was especially important to receive samples from the war struck Ukraine, therefore, to express their solidarity for Ukrainen wineries entering samples was free of charge.

Certainly the most samples arrived from Hungary, but Best of Country award was given to Italy, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine as well.

Best of Hungary:
Pauleczky Vin Eszencia 1968, Tokaj, Hungary

Best of Italy:
Incaltalupi Sileno Negroamaro 2018, Puglia

Best of Romania:
Domeniile Prince Matei Prince Matei 2016, Muntenia

Best of Slovakia:
Pivnica Szeifert Breslava Orange 2021, Kürt

Best of Ukraine:
Sass Winery Zweigelt 2019

Highest scores, special awards

The highest score was 93 points, 5 Hungarian wineres received it, all with natural sweet wines.

The best red wine:
Eszterbauer Grand Cuvée 2017 from Szekszárd, Hungary with 91 points.

The best dry white wines:
Holdvölgy 2018 Intuition No3. Furmint (Tokaj)
and
Kancellár Estate 2018 Juhfark (Somló)

Best of Cabernet Sauvignon:
Errazuriz Max reserva 2018, Chile

Best of Furmint:
Breitenbach Tokaji Aszú 6 puttonyos 2019, Tokaj, Hungary

Best of Kékfrankos:
Stier Winery Kékfrankos 2017, Villány, Hungary

Best of Merlot:
Domenille Prince Matei: Prince Matei 2017, Muntenia, Romania

Best of Rhine Riesling:
Világi Winery Rizling Rynsky 2020, Helemba, Slovakia

Best of indigenous black variety:
Dradara Feteasca Neagra 2019, Crisana, Romania

Find all the results at:
https://wineloverswineawards.com/results

A short video about the atmosphere of the 1st Winelovers Wine Awards

More about this competition: wineloverswineawards.com

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