Posted: 24.09.2024
Winelovers Wine Awards Brings Chateau Chizay Two Medals and an Honorary Award
Gold and Silver medals at the Winelovers Wine Awards for Chateau Chizay – we have received the news of new international victories from Budapest. Once again, Furmint Late Harvest triumphs – in addition to the gold medal, our “star” wine was awarded the title of Best Wine from Ukraine at the competition. Also, our beloved Chersegi received recognition, and it’s especially gratifying that this wine was appreciated, so to speak, on its historical homeland, as this grape variety originates from Hungarian selection.
Winelovers Wine Awards is a relatively young competition: it was founded 7 years ago to select the 100 best wines in Hungary, but for the past three years, it has grown into a major international contest for winemakers from Central and Eastern Europe. This is significant, as many of these countries are now emerging (or reviving) as wine-producing nations, including Ukraine.
We celebrate the success of Ukrainian wine in this international competition and congratulate our colleagues and friends! Château Chizay earned two awards and a very special honorary recognition.
🏆 Gold Medal (94 points out of 100) – Sweet white wine, Furmint Late Harvest (2022 vintage). The wine competed in the sweet wines category.
🏆 Silver Medal (87 points) – Dry white wine, Chersegi 2023 vintage (competed in the aromatic white wines category).
🔝 Furmint Late Harvest was awarded Best of Ukraine, having received the highest score among all Ukrainian entries.
We are proud that wines from unique varieties for Ukraine were honored. And they were recognized in Hungary, where these varieties are well-known: Chersegi is a product of Hungarian selection, and the “European” Furmint is the grape that made the Tokaj wine region famous.
Winelovers Wine Awards has already become one of the most important international wine competitions in Central and Eastern Europe. Its goal is to showcase these wine regions to the world, providing winemakers, wine sellers, wine experts, and consumers with the opportunity to connect and collaborate.
This year, wines from 22 countries competed. A total of 854 entries were judged by 55 world wine experts representing 25 countries.
Chateau Chizay founder, Hennadii Hutman, says:
“Consistent participation in international competitions is our strategy. But the goal is not what it may seem at first glance. Winning medals? Yes, it’s gratifying when your wine is recognized by global experts in an independent competition. But for us, it is primarily an opportunity to evaluate ourselves, our direction, and strive to become even better.
Submitting a wine to a competition is like taking an exam. Will we succeed or not? Will we score the highest points, or will there be room for improvement? There is another aspect that professionals understand – often, after the competition, we receive not only scores (and of course, medals and certificates) but also detailed feedback from top international experts.
Along with the certificate from the ‘wine world championship’ Mundus Vini, our team receives tasting profiles that analyze the aromatic and flavor profile of each wine. This is incredibly valuable and helps in our work and growth.
Competitions are also a way for us to stay in touch with global trends and be part of the international winemaking community. That’s why we participate in the most prestigious global competitions, like Decanter, as well as regional professional events.”
Let’s tell you more about our winners.
Furmint Late Harvest – a sweet white wine of a special type. It is also a dream wine, for which we waited five years for the perfect natural conditions.
It is made from Furmint grapes affected by the noble rot Botrytis cinerea. This rot ‘shrivels’ the grapes on the vine, and then the precious harvest transfers luxurious aromas and flavors to the wine: citrus, quince, peach, pear, raisins, honey…
The late harvest grapes were transformed into a special wine by our winemaker Zoltan, using a unique technology and with great craftsmanship. The wine has an excellent balance of characteristic sweetness and vibrant acidity.
Well-known Ukrainian sommelier Vitalii Kovach says:
“A bottle of Furmint Late Harvest should be in the home of every self-respecting Ukrainian! No wonder this wine is an ambassador of Ukrainian winemaking at the world’s leading wine museum, La Cité du Vin (France). This is a sweet diamond!”
Chersegi – a dry white wine from Chateau Chizay’s flagship grape variety, exclusive to Ukraine: only our company officially cultivates Chersegi and produces wine from it.
Many fans of our brand began their acquaintance with our winery through this wine. Chersegi is highly regarded for its fresh aroma with floral and fruity notes and a taste with hints of apricot, peach, and a distinctive pleasant bitterness.
It is also from Chersegi grapes that we create beloved sparkling wines – Carpathian Sekt and Sekt Selection, revealing the potential of this variety in ways never done before.
We invite you to experience our award-winning wines – and many more.
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