Kreinbacher 2011 Brut Classic in Magnum was named Best Hungarian Sparkling Wine at the 2016 Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships Awards Dinner last night in London. This historic moment was the first time that a Hungarian wine has ever been awarded a National Champion Trophy in this prestigious international competition.

Success of a sparkling wine from the small Somló hill

Founder and chairman of the judges Tom Stevenson commented: “Hungary offers huge potential for various styles of fine quality wine, but at the top level it has struggled to gain recognition for anything other than the undeniably great, classic dessert wines of Tokaji. But over the last few years, new privately-owned sparkling wine ventures have sprung up all over Hungary and the first to deliver a truly world class quality has been Kreinbacher. We send our huge congratulations to the team for their impressive results: two Gold medals, two Best in Class awards and Hungary’s first ever National Trophy for their wines from their dedicated sparkling wine vineyards in the dramatic Somló region.”

2016 was a ground breaking year for the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships, with more entries than ever before. In addition to the first Hungarian National Champion, the judges announced National Champions for the first time from China and Chile.

Bronze medal is to give feedback discretely 

Stevenson said, “It’s our mission with the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships to discover and reward new and exciting wines from emerging regions across the world. Although we stick rigidly to recognising and publishing only Gold and Silver medals, to ensure that every one of our winning wines is indeed special, we are very interested in Bronze medal wines from new producers who are serious about quality, particularly when they are located in emerging regions or established regions with very little history of sparkling wine production. It is very hard for such producers to gauge how they are progressing when they have no local competition of world class quality. This is why feedback from the same three sparkling wine specialists every year can be so important in providing a consistent, objective and authoritative assessment. We have even, on occasions, supplied a Bronze medal certificate, entirely at our own discretion, to help those who we believe are seriously trying to excel against the odds.”

Who are the judges?

The CSWWC is the most respected, comprehensive and rigorous international sparkling wine competition in the world, judged exclusively by renowned fizz experts Tom Stevenson, Essi Avellan MW and Dr Tony Jordan. The complete list of Trophies, Best in Class, Gold and Silver medal winners for 2016 is now available to view on https://www.champagnesparklingwwc.co.uk/results/2016-medal-results/ and will be published with full tasting notes and price categories for each wine in Tom Stevenson’s Champagne & Sparkling Wine Guide 2017 (due to be published in October 2016 and available via Amazon).

FULL LIST OF CSWWC TROPHY AWARDS 2016

 Supreme World Champion 2016: Louis Roederer Cristal Brut 2002 in Magnum

Sparkling Wine Producer of the Year 2016: Champagne Louis Roederer

Chairman’s Trophy 2016: MCIII NV by Moët & Chandon

 World Champions by Style 2016:

• World Champion Classic Blanc de Blancs 2016 – Ferrari NV Brut (Magnum) from Italy
• World Champion Classic Brut Style from a Non Classic Grape 2016 – Santa Digna Estelado Rosé NV Uva Païs from Chile
• World Champion Classic NV Brut Blend – Charles Heidsieck NV Brut Réserve Champagne
• World Champion Classic Brut Rosé 2016 – Louis Roederer 2010 Brut Rosé Millésime Champagne
• World Champion Classic Vintaged Brut Blend 2016 – Moët & Chandon 2006 Grand Vintage (Magnum) Champagne
• World Champion Library Vintage trophy to Dom Pérignon Rosé 1995 P2

National Champions 2016

• Best Australian Sparkling Wine 2016 – Chandon 2005 Prestige Cuvée
• Best Chilean Sparkling Wine 2016 – Santa Digna Estelado Rosé NV Uva Païs
• Best Chinese Sparkling Wine 2016 – Chandon NV Brut Rosé
• Best English Sparkling Wine 2016 – Squerryes 2011 Brut
• Best French Sparkling Wine 2016 – Louis Roederer 2002 Cristal Brut Millésime (Magnum)
• Best Hungarian Sparkling Wine 2016 – Kreinbacher 2011 Brut Classic (Magnum)
• Best Italian Sparkling Wine 2016 – Ferrari NV Brut (Magnum)
• Best New Zealand Sparkling Wine 2016 – Hunter’s Mirumiru NV Rosé
• Best South African Sparkling Wine 2016 – Graham Beck 2009 Cuvée Clive
• Best Spanish Sparkling Wine 2016 – 1+1=3 2014 Brut
• Best US Sparkling Wine 2016 – Roederer Estate NV Brut Rosé (Magnum)

Best in Class – Regional Champions 2016

• Best Cava – 1+1=3 2014 Brut Rosé
• Best Champagne – Louis Roederer 2002 Cristal Brut (Magnum)
• Best Franciacorta – Berlucchi ’61 NV Rosé (Magnum)
• Best Loire Sparkling Wine – Bouvet Saumur Saphir 2013 Brut
• Best Prosecco – Nino Franco NV Rustico

Best Trentodoc – Ferrari NV Brut (Magnum)