From China to Chile and Champagne to the Western Cape, Cecilia Wong takes us through the most intriguing sips from this year’s Asia Sparkling Masters blind-tasting competition. Which wine do you open for celebrations? Many of us will think immediately of Champagne or a sparkler. Whether it’s for birthdays, anniversaries, new year or grand openings, it’s a symbol of celebration, and we all get a thrill from the sound of a cork popping. Thanks to the changing lifestyle of younger consumers, and the growing influence of western culture and social media, the sparkling wine market in Asia continues to grow, and it is expected to increase annually by about 5% compound annual growth rate 2023-2027, according to Statista. Sparkling wine as a category is diverse, ranging from sparkling white, rosé to red styles, dry to sweet styles, and different winemaking methods. Various countries also offer their own takes on fizz, including Champagne from France, Prosecco from Italy, Cava from Spain, Sekt from Germany, and other sparkling wine styles from Australia, US, Japan, and China. For the drinks business Asia Sparkling Masters 2023, a panel of expert judges blind tasted a range of sparkling wines spanning the globe, from France, Spain, Chile, China, and South Africa. The panel tasted diverse and interesting expressions from white, rosé to red, and from extra brut, brut, extra sec to doux. The results of the competition were encouraging, with two Master awards, six Gold awards, eight Silver awards and three Bronze awards handed out. This
This Article was originally published on The Drink Business - Wine
