The Best Wines of 2024 have already been revealed at the Awards Ceremony for the 11th edition of the Wines of Portugal Challenge, an initiative organized by ViniPortugal/ Wines of Portugal. The Gala Dinner took place last Friday, May 3, at the Monastery of Alcobaça, where the prizes were awarded to the best wines of the year. Among the 1,300 wine references entered, 383 medals were awarded, including 32 Grand Gold, 95 Gold and 256 Silver medals.
Over the course of three days (April 29 and 30 and May 1), 132 leading experts in the sector, including 108 national and 24 international judges, carefully assessed the more than 1,300 references in the competition during the technical sessions. Subsequently, the Grand Jury, made up of Bento Amaral, Dirceu Júnior MW, James Tidwell MS, Luís Lopes and Francisco Antunes, assessed the references awarded with Golds on May 2nd and 3rd, awarding the Best of the Year and Great Golds distinctions. The verdict also concluded that the most awarded region in this edition was the Douro and Porto Region, which won 16 medals. The Best of the Year were chosen by category:
- Best of the Year - Julio B. Bastos- Alicante Bouschet Alentejo 2018
- Best Fortified Wine - Graham's Single Harvest Port 1974
- Best Red Varietal - Julio B. Bastos- Alicante Bouschet Alentejo 2018
- Best White Varietal - Anselmo Mendes Loureiro Private Vinhos Verdes 2020
- Best Blend Red Wine - Altas Quintas Reserva Alentejo 2019 - Altas Quintas-Expl Agricola e Vinícola
- Best Blend White Wine - Quinta do Noval Reserva Douro White 2022
- Best Sparkling Wine - Quinta da Lagoa Velha Cuvée Bairrada 2015
The full list of winners can be found on the Vinhos de Portugal Competition website at:
https://concursovinhosdeportugal.pt/
"We are very pleased to organize this competition for eleven years now and we continue to receive very significant support, both from the producers who enter their wines and from the national and international judges who readily accept our invitation. This is an initiative that we consider important to highlight the unique quality of our wines and, at the same time, to help the consumer make a more informed choice when buying. In addition, our mission is to promote Portuguese wines to the international judges, promoting not only tastings, but also Masterclasses on Portuguese wines and other activities, such as visits to producers, wineries and gastronomic experiences in the regions where the tastings take place," said Frederico Falcão, ViniPortugal' CEO.
The wines awarded the Grand Gold and Gold medals at the Vinhos de Portugal Competition will be guaranteed a place by ViniPortugal at leading international events later this year, proof that this competition is a great opportunity for international promotion by Portuguese producers.
The international judges who made up the regular jury included Sebastian Bordthäuser, Sommelier and Journalist from Germany; Thomas Götz, Wine Journalist, Blogger and Wine Educator specializing in Iberian Wines from Germany; Thea Cipido, Sommelier and Journalist from Belgium; Janet Dorozynski, Wine Journalist and Wine Educator from Canada; Marshall Chen, founder and principal trainer at Domaine, the largest wine education institute in southwest China; Malene Smidt Hertz, Wine Educater from Denmark; Cynthia Leung, Certified Wine Educator and WSET Diploma holder from Hong Kong; Kateryna Yuschenko, CEO and Wine Educator at WSET Ukraine and Mirell Riviello, Speaker and Sommelier from Mexico.
The Wines of Portugal Competition is a benchmark event in the sector and, at the same time, a meeting point for producers, specialists, sommeliers and national and international influencers who, during these days, share experiences with each other. The initiative also reinforces Portugal's position in foreign markets as a country of excellence in wine production.
