German Riesling Wins the Canberra International Riesling Challenge 2008

For the second year in a row, a German Riesling took top honors at the Canberra International Riesling Challenge in Australia.

The Hessian State Wine Domains Kloster Eberbach received awards for both the best European Riesling and the best Riesling in the world for an Eiswein from the Rauenthaler Baiken site, one of Rheingau´s finest vineyards. The wine of the vintage 1991 scored the highest points of the competition, 56 out of a possible 60. Last year, the honors went to the Juliusspital estate in Franken.

An additional eight gold medals were awarded to German wines in the course of the competition in which Australian entries predominate: WeingutBecker-Steinhauer, Veldenzer Kirchberg 2007 (Mosel); Weingut Ernst Popp, Iphofer Julius Echter Berg Trockenbeerenauslese 2005 (Franken); Weingut Bassermann-Jordan, Deidesheimer Leinhöhle Beerenauslese 2007 (Pfalz); Weingut Horst Sauer, Escherndorfer Lump, Trockenbeerenauslese 2007 (Franken); Weingut Studert-Prüm, Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese 2007 (Mosel); Weingut Georg Müller Stiftung, Hattenheimer Schützenhaus Spätlese trocken 2007 (Rheingau); and Weingut Staffelter Hof, Dhron Hofberger Riesling Auslese 1993 (Mosel). A total of 69 German wines received awards: in addition to the 8 gold medals, German Rieslings fetched 17 silver and 44 bronze medals.

The Canberra International Riesling Challenge first took place in 2000. Since 2005, Riesling producers the world over have been able to participate. This year, there were entries from six countries. Alexander Kohnen, director of the German Wine and Sommelier School/Koblenz, represented Germany in the panel of judges. At the awards ceremony in Sydney, the German Ambassador to Australia, Dr. Michael Witter, took the trophy on behalf of the Hessian State Wine Domains Kloster Eberbach.

SOURCE Deutsches Weininstitut GmbH- DWI-Pressestelle