German Riesling triumphs at Chinese wine competition

An end to China’s Red Obsession? A Mosel Riesling is the first white wine to win the Shanghai Wine100 Challenge.

The white wine winner © CellarTracker

Fritz Haag’s 2013 Brauneberger Riesling Kabinett has been crowned ‘best wine in show’ at one of China’s largest wine competitions, the Wine100 Challenge.

Fongyee Walker, co-chair and judge of the Wine100 competition said: “Judged by leading Chinese wine experts and influencers, this amazing result reflects a shift in perceptions and sentiment in the China market.

“While the media focus is on the highly specialised luxury red wine market, an evolving middle class and lifestyle is shaping every-day demand at a dynamic pace. I see this award as an exciting milestone, because it shows key Chinese influencers intuitively and actively guiding consumers towards a wider and more exciting range of wine styles.”

Haag’s Riesling, described as “beautiful and an off-dry classic,” beat nearly 800 other entries from 18 countries and is the first white wine to have done so since the competition started in 2011.

The tough lead judging panel included members of the newly formed China Wine Professionals Association as well as Fongyee Walker, founder of Dragon Phoenix Wines, Lu Yang, group wine director of the Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts and Frankie Zhao, a Beijing-based wine consultant.

Andrew Caillard MW, founding Chairman of Wine100 and a producer of the Australian Academy Award-winning documentary, Red Obsession charting China’s love of red wine, said: “The high standard of judging is a reflection of China’s ascendant position as one of the world’s most important wine markets.

“Over the last 10 years there has been a huge investment in professional standards, wine education and regional deep-dive experiences. Although we have a small contingent of international judges to bring outside perspectives, Wine100 is essentially all about building momentum based on Chinese tastes and references.”

The Wine100 competition was established by David Jiang, a Shanghai-based wine management consultant in 2011 to meet the growing demand for consumer wine experiences and knowledge in China. The Wine100 Challenge is the first stage of a year-long event programme with a roadshow of the competition’s award-winning wines being exhibited in 12 cities around Mainland China in the forthcoming months.