Chinese experts judge Marisco wines best with Chinese food

24 October 2013

Chinese experts judge Marisco wines best with Chinese food

Marisco Vineyards wins two trophies at Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition

Marlborough winery Marisco Vineyards has been awarded two prestigious trophies for the wines best matched with two iconic Chinese dishes—Cantonese Dim Sum and Braised Abalone (Paua)—at the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition.

The Ned Pinot Gris 2013 won the trophy for the best Cantonese Dim Sum match because it pairs equally well with steamed, deep-fried and stewed savoury items from the traditional dim sum trolley. The King’s Bastard Chardonnay 2012 won the best Braised Abalone match for its resolved tannins, complexity and concentration of flavour.

“These iconic dishes are such an integral part of Chinese culture that it is deeply rewarding and humbling to have our wines chosen as the perfect pairings,” says Marisco Vineyards Proprietor and Chief Winemaker, Brent Marris.

The Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition is run in partnership with the London-based International Wine & Spirit Competition, the world’s premier platform for recognising wine quality. Judging is conducted by Asia’s most esteemed wine judges from China, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and India, including the Competition’s Director and Master of Wine, Hong Kong-based Debra Meiburg MW and Chinese food and wine expert Simon Tam.

“This competition is famous for its unique focus on finding the best wines for the Asian market, so I have no doubt that these trophies will help cement our position as one of New Zealand’s leading wine brands in China,” says Marris.

Marisco Vineyards has been investing heavily in China since mid-2011 when it signed a national distribution agreement with Tianjin Dynasty International Wine Co.

“Despite having a number of early successes, China is still an emerging market for us. The key to our success there will be building deep and lasting relationships by servicing the market with regular visits, and educating Chinese wine drinkers about New Zealand wine, how great it is and how well it matches their cuisine,” Marris says.

Over the past four months wines from Marisco Vineyards’ Waihopai Valley property have won 25 gold medals and three trophies in competitions across the globe. These include a further trophy and ten double-gold and gold medals at the China Wine Awards; five golds at Mundus Vini in Germany; three golds at the Austrian Wine Challenge; a double-gold at the San Francisco International Wine Competition; a gold at the International Wine Challenge; and five golds in four prestigious New Zealand wine shows.

ENDS

© Scoop Media