Spanish wines secured three Gold Medals and eleven Silver Medals in the 9th edition of the China Wine & Spirits Competition, in which more than 450 wines from 17 countries took part. The tasting sessions were held on the12th and 13th March and the awards ceremony, where a total of 43 Gold Medals and 112 Silver Medals will be presented, will take place during the SIAL China 2008 forum, in an event that will bring together exhibitors, journalists and local importers from 14th to 16th May.

Gold went to ‘Cava Nadal Brut 2006’ by Enric Nadal under DO Cava, ‘El Lagar de Isilla Crianza 2005’ under DO Ribera del Duero and ‘Cava Castell d'Age Chardonnay Ecológico 2006’ under DO Penedès.

Another wine from this bodega, Castell d'Age, under DO Penedès, also won one of the eleven Silver Medals scooped by Spanish wines. The wine in question is ‘Castell d'Age Cabernet Sauvignon 2005’. Equally, another wine under DO Ribera del Duero, ‘Viña Gormaz Crianza 2005’ also won the same trophy. The remaining nine Silver Medals awarded by the China Wine & Spirits Competition went to a wine under DO La Mancha (‘Casa Antonete Reserva Tinto Cencibel 2002’), one under DO Almansa (‘1707-2007 Centenario Crianza 2004’), two wines made by Vicente Gandía; one under DO Utiel-Requena (‘Generación 1 2004’) and one under DO Valencia (‘Fusta Nova 2006’), two wines under DO Yecla made by Bodegas y Viñedos del Mediterráneo (‘Arco del Castillo 1998’ and ‘Gran Calero 2006’), two Vinos de la Tierra de Castilla from Bodegas Los Aljibes (‘Nordal 2006’ and ‘Aljibes Syrah 2004’) and a Vino de la Tierra de Extremadura (‘Palacio de Monsalud 2004’).

The most prominent features of the China Wine & Spirits Competition, in its 9th edition, are its marked international character and the noticeable increase in attendance, up by 60 percent; a clear indicator of winemakers’ growing interest in the Chinese market. The countries with most representation in the competition were France, Spain and Switzerland.