WHICH BRAND OF ITALIAN WINE IS THE MOST “ADMIRED” IN THE WORLD? THE TUSCAN, ANTINORI. BUT THE CHILEAN CONCHA Y TORO IS NUMBER ONE ACCORDING TO THE BRITISH MONTHLY “DRINKS INTERNATIONAL”

The global wine market is getting more and more crowded with wines and wineries. The quality, notoriety, recognition and brand reputation of the product are key for the consumer. Which brands of wine are the most “admired” in the world? The British magazine “Drinks International” (50,000 copies a month worldwide, www.drinksint.com) compiled a list and at the top of the list is the Chilean Concha y Toro, one of the biggest wine producers in Latin America. Also on the podium is the Spanish giant Torres (1.300 acres of vineyards and wines distributed in 140 countries around the world) and the Australian, Jacob’s Creek, which produces 85 million bottles a year. The first (and only) Italian wine in the “Top 10” is the historic Tuscan brand Antinori. “This result”, Albiera Antinori said, “rewards our efforts of constantly working on improving quality at all levels, and being recognized as a company strongly linked to and representative of its territory of origin”. In the top ten, also the Anglo-Australian Penfolds, New Zealand’s Cloud Bay, the famous Bordeaux wines Château Lafite and Château Latour (numbers 7 and 10), “separated by the Spanish wines” Vega Sicilia and Marques de Riscal. They compiled the ranking by asking 60 Masters of Wine, critics, winemakers, buyers and experts, to nominate up to 5 brands of high quality or growing wines, reflecting the place of origin, responding to the needs and tastes of their target, well marketed, good packaging and a strong appeal to the public. Justin Howard-Sneyd, master of wine and head “wine merchant” at UK Direct Wines; Dan Jago, head of the wine at the giant Tesco and Neil Barker, director of Foster’s Group, U.K., were among the judges.