The rural wineries in Taiwan, supported by the Agricultural and Food Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of China (Taiwan), participated in the 30th International Wine Competition “Concours Vinalies Internationales” held in France in 2024. The competition results were announced, with a total of 2 Grand Gold Medals, 5 Gold Medals, and 3 Silver Medals, totaling 10 prestigious awards.
This remarkable achievement not only breaks the record for the highest performance in the competition to date but also highlights the outstanding quality of Taiwanese rural wines. Among them, two wine products from the Wufeng District Farmers’ Association Winery in Taichung City, “Chu Wu (Shochu)” and “Drunken Peak 46,” received Grand Gold Medals, earning international acclaim, marking a historic milestone for Taiwanese rural wines.
The Agricultural and Food Agency stated that rural wineries participated in the 2023 Brussels International Spirits Competition last year and achieved excellent results with 5 Gold Medals and 4 Silver Medals, setting the record for the most awards in that competition. For two consecutive years, Taiwan has shone brightly in international wine competitions, demonstrating the maturity of winemaking technology in domestic rural wineries, which now rival international standards.
The International Wine Competition in France is the oldest wine competition globally. This year, 32 countries and 2,927 wine entries participated, with a winning rate of only 30%. Taiwan’s rural wineries entered 23 products and won 10 awards, surpassing the average winning rate at over 40%. In addition to the previously mentioned two wines from the Wufeng District Farmers’ Association Winery that received Grand Gold Medals, three other wine products, “Extreme Clarity (Taiwanese Sake),” “Extreme Clarity (Junmai Daiginjo),” and “Chu Wu (Junmai Ginjo),” achieved Gold and Silver Medals.
The agency added that these five award-winning products are made from Yiqi Fragrant Rice (Taipei Agricultural No. 71) produced in Wufeng, Taichung. This unique rice variety with distinct aroma and quality is not only suitable for daily consumption but also widely popular for making various types of alcoholic beverages. It is conducive to developing a distinctive brewing industry, expanding the industrial diversity of domestic rice applications.
The agency explained that in this international wine competition, three wine products, “Rose Light Wine” and “Baili Floating Fragrance” from the Puli Town Farmers’ Association Rural Leisure Winery, and “Treasured Loveberry” from the Dahu District Farmers’ Association Winery in Miaoli County, received Gold Medals. Additionally, the “Soft Water” from the Xinyi Township Farmers’ Association Winery in Nantou County and “Turtle Hill Asahi Golden Jujube Wine” from the Hidden Wine Winery in Yilan County were awarded Silver Medals, demonstrating that rural wineries utilize local agricultural products such as roses, passion fruits, strawberries, and jujubes to produce high-quality wines, which are highly esteemed and recognized in both domestic and international wine competitions.
Furthermore, the agency elaborated that the 10 award-winning wines in this competition encompass three production processes: brewing, reprocessing, and distillation, showcasing that the winemaking technology of domestic rural wineries has reached an international first-class level. In the future, the agency will continue to assist rural wineries in optimizing both hardware and software equipment, continuously improving winemaking techniques, strengthening marketing efforts, further enhancing the quality and reputation of Taiwanese rural wines, and injecting new energy into the development of Taiwan’s agriculture.