Amisfield Wine Company Pinot Noir wins top Asia Trophy

Queenstown’s Amisfield Wine Company has beaten stiff competition to take out a top trophy in the largest wine competition in Asia.

The company’s 2010 Pinot Noir has been awarded the New Zealand Regional Pinot Noir Trophy, Best in Show and a prestigious Gold Medal in the Decanter Asia Wine Awards (DAWA) announced today (October 23).

Judging took place in Hong Kong late last month, with over 40 top wine experts from across Asia joining the judging panel.

DAWA is the continent’s largest wine competition in its second year running with over 2,300 entrants from all over the world.

The Trophy was one of only 39 awarded this year and the Gold Medal was one of 45. Wines were categorised according to region and sub-region of production, grape variety, wine style, wine colour and vintage.

Decanter Publishing Director Sarah Kemp said all wines were tasted blind and judged by a panel of Asia’s finest palates.

”Only those which represent outstanding quality are endorsed with a Decanter Asia Wine Award medal,” she said.

The Amisfield 2010 Pinot Noir, praised by wine reviewers as a ‘big, powerful, dense and powerful’ wine, ‘classy and silken smooth’, has been an extremely successful vintage. Earlier this year it was also awarded the Blue-Gold Award, Top 100 Wines in the Sydney International Wine Competition.

The win cements the company’s presence in the Asian marketplace after recently announcing its partnership with high-end Chinese distributor Kerry Wines.

Amisfield Wine Company CEO Craig Eramus said the company was “delighted” with the latest result.

“This is another important step in our strategic goal of becoming a globally recognised brand and making our wines available to the broader international market,” he said.

Amisfield wines are now available in the Greater China region, including Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.

The winning wines are promoted at a series of tastings and fairs across Asia in 2013 and 2014 -- the Amisfield Pinot Noir will be showcased to key Chinese trade visitors at Prowine China in Shanghai in November and Riedel in-store tastings in Hong Kong and other cities.

For further information go to: www.amisfield.co.nz