Despite the challenges, the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles broke its own record

Despite the challenges that made many judges and producers and even the organizers themselves wonder if it would take place, the 28^e session of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles took place in Luxembourg in June. International competition in which thousands of wines are entered to be tasted by a global panel of experts, the event has been moved from Ningxia, China for the second year in a row due to the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions associated travel.

Without being discouraged by the obstacles to be overcome, this year’s Competition was considered a great success by its organizers. Rather than the usual three days, it took place over 9 days, from June 17 to 27, with more than 10,000 wines from 46 different countries tasted by 300 judges. It was the first year to cross the 10,000 wine threshold and the results were published the first week of July. This year, medals were awarded to wines from 40 nations. France leads with 672 medals, followed by Spain (507), Italy (389) and Portugal (335).

A thousand rosés were tasted earlier in the spring, and the balance of more than 9,000 wines were presented in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The Competition normally takes place in a wine producing country, and Luxembourg is no exception. Luxembourg’s hilly vineyards stretch over a 42-kilometer strip bordering the Moselle, facing Germany. The Luxembourg Moselle wine route and the breathtaking landscapes of its wine-growing landscapes, bordered by the Moselle, make it a unique place and promote wine tourism. Nearly 340 winegrowers work there over 3,000 hectares of vines, 90% of which are planted with grape varieties used to make white wines. The judges had the opportunity to discover the production of the Luxembourg vineyard during visits which took place in strict compliance with the health restrictions in force.

Of course, the tastings also took place in compliance with health rules. According to Quentin Havaux, member of the third generation of the founding family of the CMB, who heads the sponsor relations, “When we decided to go to Luxembourg, the local regulations imposed a maximum of 100 people in the same room. So we had to find a solution and reinvent ourselves. Our main concern was to offer the best tasting conditions. Instead of tasting the wines for three days by 300 tasters, we decided to invite three groups of 100 tasters for sessions of three days over nine days. In this way, we could keep our tasting standards and provide the guarantee of the quality of the medals to consumers and producers. For the staff, the competition was three times longer than usual and it was a little more complex in terms of logistics. But we were so happy to get there that we didn’t feel it. Indeed, we are so proud to have organized this tasting because the entire wine industry has missed this type of international event for the past two years.

Baudouin Havaux, President of the CMB, told us about the move of the Concours de Chine for the second year in a row: “The decision to change the location from China to Luxembourg was not easy but was the most logical decision to take. . Staying in China would not have allowed us to invite the international jury of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. This aspect was unthinkable for us. So we decided to organize it in Europe where we knew the travel conditions were more flexible. Luxembourg appeared to be a good solution due to the quality of its vineyard and its sanitary stability. It was essential for us to welcome our tasters in safe conditions. We still have the ambition to organize the competition in China when conditions allow. In our opinion, it is important for the international community to know what is currently happening in China in terms of wine production and also consumption.

The main objective of the Competition is to offer wine producers a tool guaranteeing quality to consumers, with the idea that a CMB medal-winning bottle has been proven not only by an individual but by a panel of experts. In addition to the use of statistical tools measuring the repeatability and discriminating capacity of its tasters, the CMB also buys medal-winning bottles on the market in order to verify that the bottles purchased correspond to those presented in the competition.

CMB does not want to be the biggest competitor but rather the most reliable. Only 25% of all registered wines receive a medal, which can be Silver, Gold or Grand Gold. While this can be a frustration for producers, it is proof of the strict standards of the organization and of the seriousness and dedication. professionalism of the jury. In addition to quantitative assessment which uses a point system to award medals, the tablet system is being updated to offer qualitative analyzes such as flavors and aromas for future competitions.

In addition, CMB invests in a network of wine bars around the world. CMB Wine Bars will make it possible to sell and market medal-winning wines directly to consumers to convince them of the excellence of the medal-winning wines of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. The first one opened last year in central Mexico City and has already had great success. The second CMB wine bar will open in Cotonou, Benin later this year, highlighting the importance of the growing West African market. A restaurant dedicated to wines awarded by the CMB will be added in Portugal in 2023. Several projects based in Asia are currently on hold due to the pandemic.