We took the world view over the weekend at the 2008 Critics Challenge International Wine Competition. Our Wine of the Year came from Australia, Best Red Wine from Italy, Best Sparkling from France, Best Rose from Oregon and Best Fortified — surprise, surprise — from Michigan!
I was joined by Master of Wine and Chief Judge Mary Ewing-Mulligan and 13 other colleagues at the Westgate Hotel in downtown San Diego. We evaluated nearly 1700 wines priced from $1.99 to $399.99, with all of the usual twists and turns, debates and discoveries that occur when wine journalists convene to offer their judgments.
The $399.99 wine, by the way, was true to its pedigree, capturing the Best of Show award for sparkling wine. But is was an exceptional dry Riesling from Australia’s Clare Valley that emerged as Wine of the Year.
We have all of the results posted here at Wine Review Online, and as fast as we can edit the judges’ tasting notes we will post their comments on each winning wine on the WRO Reviews pages.
In addition to myself and Mary, other judges included Michael Apstein of Wine Review Online; Jon Bonne of the San Francisco Chronicle; Stephen Brook of Decanter; Patrick Comiskey of the Los Angeles Times, Wine & Spirits and Wine Review Online; Michael Franz of Wine Review Online; Paul Lukacs of Saveur and Wine Review Online; Ed McCarthy of Wine for Dummies and Wine Review Online; Elin McCoy of Bloomberg News and Wine Review Online; Linda Murphy of Decanter, JancisRobinson.com and Wine Review Online; Rebecca Murphy of the Dallas Morning News; Nick Passmore of Business Week; Leslie Sbrocco of Wine for Women; and Marguerite Thomas of The Wine News and Wine Review Online.
CLICK HERE FOR CRITICS CHALLENGE AWARD WINNERS
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