Challenge International du Vin:

the Blaye International Wine Competition

The largest international wine competition held in France takes place every spring in Blaye, a commune in Bordeaux. Very well known internationally, this oenology event is the oldest of the major international competitions.

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THE OLDEST INTERNATIONAL WINE COMPETITION

Created in 1976, the Challenge International du Vin is also the largest international wine competition organised in France. Certified ISO 9001 version 2008, which is rare for a tasting competition and especially for an association (Concours Des Vins - association loi 1901), this event is not a simple tasting, but a real competition.

Respect for anonymity, traceability of entries and samples: everything is controlled from the reception of the bottle to the award ceremony. Each awarded wine is analysed again after receiving the medal to check its typicity. This allows to verify that the medal-winning wines are indeed the wines that have been tasted. This procedure attests to the seriousness and technicality of the organisation.

For this competition, 700 jurors are gathered, professionals and amateurs, to taste nearly 5000 wines from 38 different countries. The jury is made up of professionals, but a quarter of them are also amateurs. During two mornings, winegrowers, oenologists, buyers, distributors and oenophile consumers taste wines blind.

The atmosphere is studious: at each table there are four people, including a chairman who writes the summaries of the tasters from the wine industry, from producer to consumer. They evaluate the wines presented according to five selection criteria:

1. Dominant olfactory type

2. Dominant structure

3. Power

4. Age

5. Evolution

The jurors then give an overall assessment to give a score out of 20, which determines the acquisition of an award. This is a rigorous selection, as less than 30% of the wines presented are awarded a medal!

The result is gold, bronze and silver medals symbolised by precious badges on the bottles.

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WINES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD

The objective being to select and promote the best wines of the world, one can find wines from sometimes even unexpected countries: Ecuador, French Polynesia, Tahiti, Japan...

In order to ensure a mix in the appreciation of these wines of the world, the jurors are also from different nationalities. For the 2017 edition, no less than 18 nationalities were represented. Different languages, cultures and tastes guarantee an intrinsic judgement of the wine. For example, a Spanish jury member will fill in his tasting sheet in Spanish about a Spanish wine with as much care as he would when tasting a Bordeaux wine or a Japanese Chardonnay. It is really the quality of the wine that is put forward.

For the 41st challenge, Morocco was in the spotlight. It is not a coincidence: if this country is not necessarily well known for its wine production, it is nevertheless the second African exporting country.

And for good reason, the Challenge International du Vin closely monitors the evolution of wine around the globe, which is reflected in the increasing quality of wines produced around the world over the last few decades. In fact, according to the key figures for vineyards and wines announced by the OIV, the 2016 results show that world trade is better valued and quality is increasing. The ambition of this competition is to accompany the evolution: the medals awarded are a guarantee, especially for exports.

Challenge International du vin de Blaye 2017

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THREE GOOD REASONS TO BE INTERESTED IN THE MEDALLISTS

In order to guide you a little more, Vinatis gives you its opinion:

A rigorous selection: we appreciate this because it is a competition with a rigorous selection. The number of wines tasted per jury member (24 maximum) is quite reasonable. And the number of gold medals awarded to "very good and excellent" wines rated from 16 to 20/20 is very low: only 5 to 6%.

Another positive point is the average price per bottle: in this challenge, it is €8.83, which is high but guarantees good value for money. There are also bottles costing €40 that compete with much cheaper bottles.

Finally, this challenge is not a club of oenologists: the opinion of the consumer is represented in this jury... which is important to us! The medals awarded are important for our tasting committee because they allow us to guide the consumer. What's more, these medals are recognised internationally, a guarantee of quality for consumers... especially for our company, which exports throughout Europe!