Müller Thurgau, Bellaveder at the top, and Trentino wines win the most medals

From Bellaveder, which obtained the highest score (89.091) with its Trentino Müller Thurgau San Lorenz 2024 DOC, also receiving a special mention as “Best Italian Wine”, to Giorgio and Federico Paolazzi with their Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT Müller Thurgau Pietra di Confine 2021; from Pojer and Sandri with their Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT Müller Thurgau Monogramma 2022, to Cembra Cantina di Montagna with their Trentino Müller Thurgau 2023 DOC. And then there is Hammel, with its Deutscher Qualitätswein In the Mood for Müller Trocken Pfalz 2023 (which also received mentions for “Best Foreign Wine” and “Best Long-Lived Wine”) and Deutscher Qualitätswein Erste Versuchung Rivaner Trocken Pfalz 2024. These are the six “Gold Medals”, which according to the rules cannot exceed 10% of the participants, gathered in a range from 87.54 points to 89.091, awarded in recent days by the 22nd “International Müller Thurgau Wine Competition” in the 38th “Müller Thurgau: Mountain Wine” exhibition in Cembra and its valley.
Another six “Silver Medals” were awarded to labels that scored between 86.63 and 87.45 points. These included Cantina Mezzacorona with its Trentino Müller Thurgau Superiore Cembra Castel Firmian 2023 DOC; Cavit with its Trentino Müller Thurgau Bottega Vinai 2024 DOC; Cortaccia with its DOC Alto Adige Müller Thurgau Graun 2023; Gaierhof with its DOC Trentino Müller Thurgau 2024; Pelz with its Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT Müller Thurgau 2017, and Tenuta Gottardi with its DOC Trentino Müller Thurgau 2023. As for the “Bronze Medals” (between 85.8 and 86.54 points), seven were awarded: to Nicolodi Alfio with the Trentino Müller Thurgau DOC 2023; Cantina Aldeno with the Trentino Müller Thurgau Athesim Flumen 2024 DOC; Cantina La-Vis with the Trentino Müller Thurgau I Classici 2024 DOC; Cantina Produttori Valle Isarco with the Alto Adige Valle Isarco Müller Thurgau Aristos 2024 DOC; Fondazione Mach with the Trentino Müller Thurgau 2023 DOC; Villa Corniole with the Trentino Superiore Valle di Cembra Müller Thurgau Pietramontis DOC 2023; and Winzerverein Hagnau with Hagnauer Premium Müller-Thurgau Fass 247 2023.
A total of 19 wines were awarded prizes, in compliance with the 30% limit on the total number of participants (64) imposed by the regulations, with scores ranging from 85.8 to 89.91. Among these, 14 labels were from Trentino, 2 from South Tyrol, and 3 from Germany. Specifically, 7 are 2024 vintages, 9 are 2023 vintages, and one each is from 2022, 2021, and 2017. The 64 wines in the competition, including 45 from Trentino, 8 from South Tyrol, one from Valle d'Aosta, and a dozen German wines, equal to 15% of the total, were tasted by 19 judges divided into three tasting committees, each composed of oenologists, journalists, and sommeliers, with blind tastings according to the Union Internationale des Oenologues method, which involves the evaluation of sight, smell, taste, and taste-smell.
“Once again, the quality was extremely high”, commented Sara Pedri, president of the Valle di Cembra Exhibition Committee. “Just think that, in addition to the medal winners, there were eight wines that scored over 85 points, which is usually awarded the “Gold Medal”, and that in many cases the positions in the ranking depended on tenths, if not hundredths, of a point”.