wein.plus awards the collections and discoveries of the 2021/22 tasting season

Europe's largest independent wine platform awards 28 wineries with the Collections of the Year as well as Discoveries of the Year.

This season, tasting directors Marcus Hofschuster and Kim Schreiber have awarded the "Collection of the Year" award to 20 wineries from as many growing regions in Germany, Austria, Italy, South Tyrol and France. In addition, the two honour eight previously little-known wineries from Germany, Austria and Italy as discoveries of the year. "The Collections of the Year go to established top producers and to wineries that have caught our eye in a particularly positive way," Marcus Hofschuster explains the selection.

28 awards after tasting almost 8,300 wines

In the 2021/2022 tasting season, Marcus Hofschuster and Kim Schreiber evaluated almost 8,300 wines, of which 1,945 scored more than 90 points. 86 wines reached the category "world class" with 95 and more points. Due to the demanding defined rating scale, these wines receive the award in the literal sense of the word: Overall, the tasters awarded these point scores to only slightly more than one percent of all wines evaluated. Only four of the approximately 8,300 wines received maximum scores: Three wines scored 99 points, one wine came in at 100 points.

From this extensive body of reviews, the tasting director used strict criteria to select the wineries for the year's collections and discoveries. "It is often nuances that tip the scales in favour of the award," says Hofschuster, describing the elaborate and demanding evaluation process. In the past tasting season, one clear trend emerged for him across the European growing regions: it is the influence of climate change. "The consequences affect us all. Winegrowers everywhere have to take countermeasures, and this is increasingly happening. But their biggest problem is not the heat, but the drought. But even though it's getting warmer all over Europe and the vines often lack a lot of water, there's a pretty clear tendency towards finer and leaner wines."

Marcus Hofschuster has been tasting Europe's top wines for wein.plus since 2000: always blind and always under the same conditions in the tasting room in Erlangen. He works incorruptibly, precisely and thoroughly.

wein.plus congratulates these wineries:

Germany

Collections of the year

• Franz Keller - Schwarzer Adler, Oberbergen (Baden)
• Rudolf Fürst, Bürgstadt (Franconia)
• Nik Weis, Leiwen (Moselle)
• Dönnhoff, Oberhausen (Nahe)
• Oliver Zeter, Neustadt a.d. Weinstrasse (Palatinate)
• Georg Breuer, Rüdesheim (Rheingau)
• Wittmann, Westhofen (Rheinhessen)
• Lüttmer, Querfurt-Vitzenburg (Saale-Unstrut)
• Beurer, Kernen (Württemberg)
• Schlossgut Diel, Rümmelsheim (Nahe)

Discoveries of the Year

• Peter Wagner (Baden)
• Philip Bernard, Erlenbach (Franconia)
• Christoph Eifel, Trittenheim (Moselle)
• Siegloch, Winnenden (Württemberg)
• Sekthaus Burkhard Schür, Bürgstadt (Franconia)

Austria

Collections of the Year

• Ernst Triebaumer, Rust am Neusiedlersee (Burgenland)
• Pichler-Krutzler, Dürnstein (Wachau)
• Neumeister, Straden (Styria)

Discovery of the year

• Pax, Wösendorf (Wachau)

Italy

Collections of the Year

• Cavallotto Tenuta Bricco Boschis, Castiglione Falletto (Piedmont)
• Lisini, Montalcino (Tuscany)
• Ca'del Bosco, Erbusco (Lombardy)
• Palmento Costanzo, Passopisciaro (Sicily)
• Giannitessari, Manincor (South Tyrol)
• Kaltern (South Tyrol)
• Roncà (Veneto)

Discoveries of the year

• Derbusco Cives, Erbusco (Lombardy)
• Tenuta di Fessina, Castiglione di Sicilia (Sicily)

France

Collection of the year

• Alain Jaume - Domaine Grand Veneur, Orange (Rhône)