With a record 39 teams taking part, the final of the World Tasting Championship was a fierce affair. The clash of nations took place in the bucolic setting of Château Dauzac in Margaux on Saturday, October 12. Italy sprang a surprise by emerging victorious at the end of an eventful competition.
After hours of a tournament full of twists and turns, Italy (168 points) claimed its first World Tasting Champion title, ahead of Switzerland and Taiwan, who tied for 2nd (140 points). Japan (138 points) finished fourth after leading the competition to the 5th wine.
Luck smiles on Italy
For this 12th World Wine Tasting Championship, the 39 teams tasted twelve French and foreign wines (six whites and six reds). The aim was to identify: grape variety(ies) (up to 10 points depending on the proportion of grape variety in a blended wine, and 10 points for a single-varietal wine), country of origin (5 points), appellation (5 points), vintage (3 points).
“We were lucky,” smiles Andréa Podazza, a psychologist by profession and member of the winning team. The key factor in this success was perseverance. The Italian team-mates (Miguel Angel Lopez, Clémence Barraud, Luis Alberto Villarreal, Andrea Podazza) are enthusiasts from a variety of backgrounds. They've been tasting together for almost a decade. The team moved up the rankings throughout the event. The turning point was the 8th wine. By identifying the mythical Iberian wine of Vega Sicilia, Italy took the lead in the competition thanks to the intuition of the only woman on the team. “We started with a Syrah. Clémence found the tempranillo,” explains team coach Pierre-Yves Charlier.
An upset podium
The top of this year's ranking is marked by the presence of Asian teams. Japan led the competition until the 6th wine. The Japanese team was coached by the intrepid Hidé Ishizuka, Paris restaurateur (Le petit verdot) and also French karate-kata champion! The Nipponese were neck and neck with the young Taiwanese team, who took second place, tied with Switzerland. The Swiss team admits that victory eluded them at the very end of the competition. Unlike the valiant Italians, they were unable to identify the Bandol wine from Domaine de la Bégude.
The traditional champions were disappointed. Luxembourg, victorious in 2022, finished 13th. The French team, despite being favourites with three championship titles (2014, 2019, 2020), fell to 28th place. The team-mates from the In vino veritas tasting club (Hervé Cuzon, François Martinez, Eddy Gautier and coach Miguel Sennoun) acknowledge a lack of common training and fatal errors such as a miss on an Alsatian Riesling.
The championship expands
This year's edition also saw the championship grow in stature, with 7 countries joining the competition for this 2024 edition: Malta, Singapore, Ireland, Turkey, Belarus, Canada, Poland, Latvia and Hong Kong. For its first participation, Latvia, with 136 points, achieved a remarkable score, climbing to 4th place in the ranking.
“The level of competition has once again reached a new level,” commented Philippe de Cantenac, organizer of this international event. With this World Champion title, Italy succeeds Romania, led by the brilliant sommelier Julia Scavo, who finished in 8th place. This edition lived up to all its promises and reshuffled the competition's cards.
Wines tasted :
Wine N°1
Main grape variety : Xarel-lo (65%), Macabeu (35%)
Country: Spain
Appellation : Corpinnat
Producer : Can Descregut
Vintage: 2018
Wine N°2
Main grape variety : Riesling
Country: France
Region: Alsace
Appellation : Alsace Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim
Producer : Gustave Lorentz
Vintage : 2019
Wine N°3
Main grape variety : Sauvignon blanc (90%), Sémillon (10%)
Country: New Zealand
Appellation : Marlborough
Producer : Seresin Estate
Vintage: 2022
Wine N°4
Main grape variety : Garganega
Country: Italy
Appellation: Soave
Producer : Gini - La Frosca
Vintage: 2020
Wine N°5
Main grape variety : Riesling (late harvest)
Country: Germany
Appellation: Moselle
Producer : Markus Molitor
Vintage: 2018
Wine N°6
Main grape variety : Gamay
Country: France
Appellation: Brouilly
Producer : Château de la Chaize
Vintage: 2022
Wine N°7
Main grape variety : Malbec
Country: Argentina
Appellation: Mendoza
Producer : Bodega Rolland
Vintage: 2019
Wine N°8
Main grape variety : Tempranillo (97%), Merlot (3%)
Country: Spain
Denomination: Ribera del Duero
Producer: Vega Sicilia Valbuena
Vintage: 2019
Wine N°9
Main grape variety : Cabernet-Sauvignon (65%), Syrah (35%)
Country: Lebanon
Appellation: Bekaa Valley
Producer : Château Kefraya
Vintage: 2019
Wine N°10
Main grape variety : Nebbiolo
Country: Italy
Appellation : Barolo
Producer : Giacomo Borgogno
Vintage: 2020
Wine N°11
Main grape variety : Mourvèdre (95%), Grenache (5%)
Country: France
Appellation: Bandol
Producer: Domaine de La Bégude
Vintage: 2006
Wine N°12
Main grape variety : Savagnin
Country: France
Appellation: Côtes du Jura
Producer: Domaine Sainte-Marie
Vintage: 2011
