Abrau-Durso Group won four awards at the competition in South Africa

At the Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards 2024, held in Stellenbosch (South Africa), sparkling and still wines of the Abrau-Durso Group of Companies won four medals: three golds and a silver. The competition is the most prestigious tasting competition on the African continent. The victory of the Sibirkovy white wine from Vedernikov Winery, which was awarded gold for the first time at an international competition, was special.

The Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards is an international tasting competition held annually in one of the main wine regions of South Africa. Samples are evaluated by blind tasting according to the OIV (International Organization of Vine and Wine) system. The jury members had access to information on grape varieties, drink strength, ageing and sugar content only. The competition jury consisted of 24 experts from all over the world.

Three samples of the Vedernikov Winery, part of the Abrau-Durso Group of Companies, were awarded gold medals. The 2023 Sibirkovy white dry wine for the first time has received such a high rating on the international stage. Sibirkovy still monosort wine from the same name variety, created at the Vedernikov Winery, has a thin light straw shade with a rich and multifaceted bouquet, the aroma of which is filled with notes of flowers, acacia and steppe grasses. The balanced taste with rich acidity combines the bright nuances of a green apple and a pleasant fresh aftertaste. High marks of the jury and gold awards were also given to classic sparkling wines of Vedernikov Winery from Don autochthonous varieties: 2019 Sibirkovy/ Tsimlyansky Black Extra Brut and 2020 Tsimlyansky Black Rosé Brut. The silver award went to the pink sparkling wine from the Abrau Durso Reserve collection, created using the Charmat method. In the line production, only cuvée (the juice of the first pressing of selected grapes) and a longer aging period of at least 90 days are used, which is emphasized by the word Reserve on the label.

"Our debut at the Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards was a great success. A special pride is the gold medals of the Vedernikov Winery. Monosort and assemblage, still and sparkling wines from the Don autochthonous varieties have once again conquered foreign experts. The achievements of unique native Russian grape varieties on an international level emphasize their growing importance for the world of winemaking. I'm confident that in the future even more connoisseurs of high-quality wines from different countries will discover the Vedernikov Winery collection," comments Pavel Titov, President of the Abrau-Durso Group of Companies.

In its twenty-seven-year history, the Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards (MIWSA) has become the largest professional competition on the continent. The main purpose of the event is to support wine and spirits producers who plan to develop export destinations, as well as to introduce the best wines from around the world to South African consumers.

Official website of Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards https://maiwsa.co.za