IWSC Wine Judging in China: Judges' Deliberations

As we reach the end of our Wine Judging in China, held in partnership with Beijing International Wine & Spirit Exchange, we caught up with our judges to find out their highlights, new discoveries and standout varieties. 

Led by Wine Judging Committee member John Hoskins MW, our panel spent a week immersing themselves in Chinese wine culture, visiting vineyards, talking to producers and judging the country's wines. The panel was comprised of: Antony Moss MW, Igor Sotric, Jeremy Lithgow MW, Maggie MacPherson, Natalie Wang, Sunny Hodge and Wei Xing MW. 

Overall, our judges were pleased with the overall quality on show in China, finding a "growing trend of restraint" creating more diverse, drinkable styles of wine. 

Marselan & Ninxgia Cabernet: the stars of the show

Across the red wines tasted by our panels, Ningxia Cabernet Sauvignon was a clear favourite, taking home more than half of the gold medals awarded. Judge Sunny Hodge likened the style of these wines to Old World Cabernet, an opinion echoed by several others.

One such wine, a 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, was described as a “brilliantly put together cabernet, with ripe, controlled tannins.”

The Ningxia Cabernet Sauvignon blends were also a particular favourite, with two gold medals awarded. Judge Natalie Wang commented: “The Cabernet blends from Ningxia were quite exciting. The quality from the flight was quite high. I was quite impressed.”

China’s other flagship grape, Marselan, also drew its fair share of praise. A 2023 Marselan earned a gold medal for its strong tannins and structure, supported by a considered use of oak. Marselan blends were also highlighted as standouts, showing strong varietal character and structural balance from their blended components.

Judge Maggie MacPherson offered a note of caution despite the variety’s technical success: “While Marselan might be the variety with the most potential in China from a technical point of view, it is a very difficult sell on the international market as it is primarily associated with cheaper wine styles.”

White Wine: A slow but steady improvement 

While not yet at the same exceptional level as the reds, Chinese white wines have shown steady progress in recent years. At this year’s judging, almost every white wine entered took home a medal, including several high-scoring silvers.

Judge Natalie Wang praised the diversity of entries, highlighting a particular varietal: “I quite enjoyed the white wine tastings, especially the Petit Mansengs.”

The Riesling and Viognier flights also performed well, earning a mix of bronze and silver medals. One silver medal-winning wine was described as having a “lovely clean palate, with a touch of phenolics providing structure, a great style of wine.”

Rose & Sparkling wines: Bubbles and blossoming styles

Still a relatively young category in Chinese wine, the rosé and sparkling entries made a strong impression this year. Two silver medals were awarded: one to a sparkling wine from Ningxia, praised as “ambitious”, and another to a pet-nat from the same region. The latter was highlighted by judges for its “soft mousse, full body, and plenty of character.”

Overall, this year’s judging was a great success, with our panel identifying several wines they believe hold strong commercial potential in the UK market.

We'll be revealing the full results for our Wine Judging in China in just a few days. In the meantime, keep an eye on our social media to see exactly which vineyards our judges were lucky enough to visit.