New Wine Competition Format wein.plus launches
"GOLDEN GRAPE AWARDS"

With the "GOLDEN GRAPE AWARDS", a new wine competition format is being launched. In five varietal-specific competitions, winemakers from the German-speaking region can strengthen trust in their wines through attractive awards.

Declining demand, low harvest volumes, image problems of alcoholic beverages, uncertainty, restraint: The wine industry is going through difficult times. Nevertheless, or precisely because of this, a new wine competition format is being launched this year with the "GOLDEN GRAPE AWARDS". Five individual competitions for wines from the German-speaking region are planned in the coming months, focused on grape varieties: Silvaner, Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Burgundy varieties, and Blaufränkisch or Lemberger. The organizer is the media house wein.plus in Erlangen.

All wines that meet the respective varietal specifications of the competitions are eligible for the "GOLDEN GRAPE AWARDS", regardless of quality level, origin designation, vintage, or taste profile. The jury consists of the proven, independent, and professional tasting team from wein.plus, led by Marcus Hofschuster. He is one of the most experienced wine critics in Europe and has evaluated almost 170,000 wines in the over 25 years of wein.plus's company history.

Each competition includes various categories, differentiated by quality class (basic, upper class, premium), residual sugar content, quality level, and possibly color or predicate. All submitted wines will be judged blindly and under standardized laboratory conditions in Erlangen. This ensures that Hofschuster guarantees each participant has the same chances.

The best-rated wines will receive awards in four levels: Grand Gold, Gold, Silver, and Bronze. The winners will be published with international reach in the print and online media of wein.plus, before the award ceremony takes place in Berlin on February 7, 2025.

"Especially in economically challenging times, successful marketing is crucial. With this new format, we want to actively support the producers," explains Alexander Schreck, Managing Director of wein.plus. "Our awards create trust in the quality of the wines and generate attention in sales."

Registration for the competitions of the "GOLDEN GRAPE AWARDS" is now possible. Interested parties can find more information about the conditions and the process of the competitions, as well as the online registration forms at www.gga.wine.