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Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2013
Bratislava poised to host this major fixture for the global wine industry
The Concours Mondial de Bruxelles gains a firm foothold in Central Europe
The atmosphere during the run-up to the 20th Concours Mondial de Bruxelles is decidedly ebullient. The final figures leave no room for doubt – the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles in Slovakia is set to break new records both for the number of wines entered by producers across the globe and for the ever-increasing range of judges, in terms of origin and profile.
In all, 8,200 wines from 50 producer countries will compete on May 10, 11 and 12 in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Tradition dictates that France once again breaks its own record and remains the leading participating country with 2,489 entries. Ranking second is Spain which has also broken last year’s record with almost 1,700 entries (1,664 to be precise). Next come Italy and Portugal with 1,052 and 803 entries respectively, followed by Chile which year-on-year confirms its status as the Southern Hemisphere’s premier participant (363 entries).
Since 2006, the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles has been on tour and has visited Europe’s prime producer regions. The Concours Mondial de Bruxelles has travelled from Lisbon to Maastricht, Bordeaux, Valencia, Palermo, Luxembourg and Guimarães. This year sees the competition’s first foray into Central Europe:
“The choice of Bratislava as location is the result of a shared dream – that one day, the Concours Mondial would travel to the heart of Europe. The last ten years have seen a resurgence in Slovakian wine production and the country now boasts several major producers working to international standards whilst Slovakians are also discovering wines from around the world. Slovakia is a country of outstanding natural beauty and a long history. It is blessed with magical landscapes and boasts a huge number of sites to see and visit. In fact, it offers everything you would expect to find when travelling, except the sea! Due to the boutique scale of our wine industry, very few of our wines are exported, making a journey to Slovakia to experience our vinous and gourmet treasures first-hand, essential!” (SACR Head Office).
Every Concours Mondial de Bruxelles is different. Uncorking 8,200 bottles from across the globe for over 305 international judges over three days makes it a unique event. As a barometer for gauging the vitality of the sector, it provides a snapshot of the international wine and vine industry that is updated annually. It throws up new trends and consolidates change. The Bratislava event has thus already confirmed –
- France’s track record as competition leader with 2,489 entries. Bordeaux is still the most dynamic region, with 1,195 wines, followed by Languedoc-Roussillon (472).
- The Iberian peninsula’s export drive: Spain continues to rank second with almost 1,700 wines entered. Rioja (368) and Castilla and Leon (309) are joint first, closely followed by Catalonia (213) and La Mancha (200). Portugal retains its 4th place with 803 entries (Douro-Port: 173; Alentejo: 211; Lisbon: 102 and Minho: 76).
- Italy has also shown strong growth and improved on its 3rd place with 1,052 wines entered (Veneto: 188; Sicily: 174; and Tuscany: 148, are the main participating regions).
- Central Europe meanwhile has placed even greater trust in the Concours Mondial, as evidenced by its 401 entries (Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia and Slovenia), up dramatically on the previous event.
- Average ABV is on the rise and stands at 13.32% compared with 13.09% in 2006 and approximately 12.8% in 2000… This is a key indicator at a time when changes in ripeness, sunshine hours and overall climate change are under scrutiny.
- Wine entries in the aggregate represent a global sales volume of 750 million bottles.
- Finally, the competition reflects a general trend towards trading up: a third of wine entries have a price tag of 8.5 euros or more.
These are just some of the preliminary insights provided by the 20th Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. The next stages are in Bratislava on May 10, 11 and 12, 2013 for three days of tastings, then publication of results, scheduled for Monday May 20, 2013.
Founded in 1994, the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles has since then achieved the status of a world wine tasting championship. The 8,200 wines competing from around the globe represent combined sales of several hundred million bottles.
Since 2006, the Concours Mondial has decided to broaden its international scope and is organised outside Belgium. Lisbon, Maastricht, Bordeaux, Valencia, Palermo, Luxembourg and Guimarães have all provided a prestigious backdrop for the tastings.
The trade-only judging panel at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles gathers together over 300 of the world’s foremost international judges. It represents 40 nationalities and this diversity contributes to the uniqueness of the event.
At the end of the competition, only those wines and spirits that have achieved the highest scores are eligible for the prestigious medals, providing consumers around the world with a reliable buying cue.
More information at www.concoursmondial.com and www.facebook.com/concoursmondial
Press contact: Frédéric Galtier
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Telephone: (+34) 687301326
twitter: @concoursmondial #cmb2013
Concours Mondial de Bruxelles
Participation 2013
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