Sherry Shines at International Wine Challenge

Since its beginnings in 1984 the International Wine Challenge (IWC) has established itself as one of the most rigorous and important international wine competitions. Several hundred judges, all of them professional, including Masters of Wine and Master Sommeliers, spend two intensive weeks tasting literally thousands of wines.  This year there were around 13,000. 

The competition is divided into three rounds. The first eliminates all wines which score below 85 points while the second round assesses those which merit Gold, Silver or Bronze medals. The third and final round is a competition between Gold medal winners, and the best in each category wins a Trophy which will be awarded at the gala dinner in London in July. 

Spain has acquitted itself very well this year with a total of 659 medals, 63 of those being Gold. Jerez won 86 medals: 29 Gold – nearly half of all the Spanish Gold medals - 30 Silver and 27 Bronze. Some of these were wines bottled under supermarket own labels and did very well, but wines bottled under the bodegas’ own labels scored even higher with 20 Gold medals and 21 Silver. 

Results for Gold and Silver medals for bodega brands were as follows: 

Gold 

González Byass Palo Cortado Añada 1987
González Byass Dos palmas
González Byass Tres Palmas
González Byass Cuatro Palmas
González Byass Palo cortado Leonor
González Byass Noé Pedro Ximénez VORS
González Byass Matúsalem Oloroso Abocado
Bodegas Yuste Manzanilla Aurora
Fernando de Castilla Fino Antique
Harveys  Pedro Ximénez  VORS
Harveys Amontillado VORS
Harveys Palo Cortado Medium VORS
Lustau Amontillado VORS
Lustau Pedro Ximénez VORS
Delgado Zuleta Manzanilla Pasada en rama Goya XL
Delgado Zuleta Manzanilla Barbiana en rama
Hidalgo La Gitana Oloroso Añada 1986
Hidalgo la Gitana Palo Cortado Wellington VORS
Valdespino Fino Inocente
Valdespino Amontillado Tio Diego

Silver 

Williams & Humbert Dry sack 15 years Old
Williams & Humbert Moscatel Pálido
González Byass Apóstoles Palo Cortado Abocado VORS
González Byass Amontillado del Duque VORS
González Byass Amontillado Viña AB
González Byass Fino Una Palma
González Byass  Pedro Ximénez Delicado
Cayetano del Pino Palo Cortado Solera
Harveys Rich Old Oloroso VORS
Lustau Palo Cortado VORS
Lustau Oloroso Don Nuño
Lustau Amontillado Almacenista Cuevas Jurado
Lustau Manzanilla Pasada Almacenista Cuevas Jurado
Lustau Oloroso Almacenista Pata de Gallina García Jarana
Lustau Palo Cortado Península
Lustau Puerto Fino
Lustau Amontillado escuadrilla
Lustau  Pedro Ximénez VORS
Delgado Zuleta Pedro Ximénez Monteagudo
Hidalgo La Gitana Palo Cortado Wellington VOS
Osborne  Pedro Ximénez Venerable VORS 

Latest Trophy Results from International Wine Challenge 2016

Sherry Trophy: Cuatro Palmas, González Byass
Amontillado Trophy: Cuatro Palmas, González Byass
Fino Trophy: Dos Palmas, González Byass
Manzanilla Trophy: Goya XL, Delgado Zuleta
Oloroso Trophy: Oloroso 1986, Hidalgo La Gitana
Palo Cortado Trophy: Añada 1987, González Byass
Pedro Ximénez Trophy: Harveys PX VORS
Champion of Champions Shortlist: Harveys Amontillado VORS; Harveys Palo Cortado VORS
Fortified Winemaker of the Year Shortlist: Manuel Lozano (posthumous); Antonio Flores