by Meininger’s Wine Business International

The MUNDUSVini wine competition, the largest officially recognised international wine award under the patronage of the OIV, is about to begin. Bucking international trends, the competition has seen an 8% rise in entries this year, with wine producers and importers submitting 5,726 wines from 44 different countries. Of particular note is the rise in entries from formerly ‘exotic’ wine producing regions, including Poland, Thailand, Bolivia, Denmark, Peru and the Netherlands.

Held in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, in the Germany’s Rheinland-Palatinate region, its judges will again include some of the wine world’s most prestigious names, including Professor Ann Noble, the world’s leading sensory scientist; Jeannie Cho Lee MW, the first woman in Asia to bear that title; and France Nault from the Societes des Alcools du Quebec (the Quebec Alcohol Corporation).The jurors will also include Felicity Carter, editor-in-chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, Robert Joseph, the editor-at-large, and regular correspondent Michele Shah from Italy. Altogether, there will be 275 jurors from 45 countries, who will be tasting over the last weekend in August and the first weekend in September.

“Our jury members represent an exceptional gathering of wine experts,” says Susanne Denzer, tasting manager and member of the MUNDUSVini board. “We are delighted to welcome so many first class professionals. For us, this is a tangible sign that the international significance of our competition is constantly increasing.”

Found in 2001, the annual competition has become a benchmark for the international wine trade. Organised by Meininger Verlag, the publishers of Meininger’s Wine Business International, it will be opened by Christoph Meininger, managing director, with the welcome address being delivered by Federico Castellucci, director general of the Organisation Internationale de la Vigne et du (OIV).

The official results will be announced in mid-September. In keeping with tradition, the wines will be available for the general public to taste on Saturday, 14th November 2009 in Neustadt’s Saalbau.