Australia tops IWSC 2012 results

Australia topped the medal table as the International Wine & Spirit Competition released its 2012 Southern Hemisphere results.

The country collected a total of 714 medals, including 61 gold outstanding or gold awards. Australia also scooped three product trophies: Semillon, Fortified Wine (Worldwide) and The London International Wine Fair Trophy for Single Vineyard Red Wine.

Other countries putting in a strong performance included South Africa, which won 642 medals in all, of which 44 were either gold outstanding or gold.

With entries boosted by the IWSC’s decision last year to hold the initial judging session in South Africa itself, the country took home five product trophies: The Denbies Trophy for Bottle Fermented Sparkling Wine, The Wine Extra Trophy for Chenin Blanc, The Abraham Perold Trophy for Pinotage, the Sauvignon Blanc, and the Shiraz trophy.

New Zealand producer Valli Vineyards scooped The Bouchard Finlayson Trophy for Pinot Noir, with the country as a whole winning 323 medals.

Meanwhile Chile’s Viña Luis Felipe Edwards was awarded The L.ondon International Wine Fair Single Vineyard White Wine Tropy, with Viña Morandé taking the trophy for Carmenere.

Among the less internationally well known producers, Mexico won two silver and five bronze medals, while Brazil won two silver outstanding, four silver and four bronze medals.

Commenting on this year’s results, Anna Grant, IWSC sales & marketing controller, said: “The demand for this year’s International Wine and Spirit Competition has once again exceeded expectations and the results demonstrate the extraordinary quality consistently being delivered by the industry.

“Our focus now is to equip all the winners with marketing toolkits to help them promote their awards and receive the recognition they deserve.”

The trophies will be formally presented at next month’s IWSC awards banquet in London, when this year’s national producer winners and other major awards will also be announced.

For a full list of this year’s IWSC trophy winners, click here.