As Golden Week approaches, now is the time when consumers will be out and about gathering their choicest products to celebrate, making it essential for businesses to prepare for the upcoming week-long holiday. While picking the best from an extensive selection of wines, whether sourced from local vineyards in China or renowned wine-producing regions such as France or Italy can prove to be a task, we present a curated list of award-winning wines from the prestigious China Wine Competition. This selection not only enhances the holiday experience but also provides a strategic opportunity for retailers and distributors to highlight exceptional offerings that resonate with consumers seeking quality and value during this celebratory period.

Also read: China's Wine Demand: Trends And Opportunities For International Wineries In 2025

Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, Double Gold Medal (97 Points)

Novak Winery’s Cabernet-Sauvignon 2017 is a single-varietal wine that won the ‘Double Gold’ and ‘Best in Show by Country’ awards. It is a red wine with a rich, fruity profile and spicy undertones, opening with the intense aromas of cherries, plums and cranberries followed by spicy notes of nutmeg. 

Image Title and Credits: Novak Winery

Vernaccia Di Oristano DOC 1968, Gold (92 points)

The ‘2021 Gold Winner’ Vernaccia Di Oristano DOC from the Italian winery Silvio Carta is a dessert wine with rich and complex flavours. It has the sweet smell of chestnut honey, coffee and butter and finishes with the lingering aftertaste of almonds.

Image Title and Credits: Silvio Carta

Barra 1999, Gold (94 points)

Another 2021 gold medal winner is the Barra Winery’s Barra 1999, a still wine that the Hungarian winery recommends consuming as a dessert. It offers a smoky aroma and taste notes hinting at coffee, botrytis, citrus and tobacco.

Image Title and Credits: Barra Winery

Finca Sobreño Organic 2020, Gold (91 points)

Finca Sobreño Organic 2020 by Sobreño holds the ‘Best in Show by Country Category’ award for wines from Spain and the ‘Gold’ title. Made using the Tempranillo grape varietal and aged in oak barrels, the wine has a fruity and floral taste, tempered by its acidic note. 

Image Title and Credits: Sobreño

Charles VII Brut, Gold (90 points)

The French contender of the ‘Best in Show by Country Category’, ‘Best in Show by Varietal Category’ and a gold medal winner is the Charles VII Brut from Champagne Canard-Duchêne. It is a mixed-varietal sparkling wine consisting of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and more that contribute to the wine’s fruity and floral aromas. 

Image Title and Credits: Champagne Canard-Duchêne

Le Sixieme Element Climat, Silver (87 points)

With a silver medal from the 2021 China Wine Competition, Le Sixieme Element Climat from FSP Wine is a wine made from Marselan grapes cultivated in the Ningxia region. It has an aromatic profile of nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and red fruits with sweet tannins.

Image Title and Credits: FSP Wine

Also read: Key Trends Shaping the Alcohol Market in China and Hong Kong

Alberto Nani Prosecco, Gold (91 points)

Alberto Nani Prosecco DOC is a gold medal winner and is a dry organic wine from Italy’s Enoitalia. This sparkling wine, best served cold, has an intriguing mix of floral, savoury and mineral notes. 

Image Title and Credits: Enoitalia

Borsari Amarone della Valpolicella, Gold (90 points)

Another gold prizewinner produced by Enoitalia is the Borsari Amarone della Valpolicella, a full-bodied red wine made from multiple grape varietals that give the wine its complex and well-balanced notes of raspberry, blackberry, nutmeg and pepper.

Image Title and Credits: Enoitalia

Zweigelt Reserve 2019, Gold (91 points)

The Austrian winery Zantho’s Zweigelt Reserve 2019 is a gold medal winner. Produced using the Blauer Zweigelt grapes, the vintage wine has an intensely fruity aroma and taste resembling cherries, blackberries, plums and cinnamon, balanced by its spicy finish. 

Image Title and Credits: Zantho

Trockenbeerenauslese, Gold (90 points)

Trockenbeerenauslese is a mixed varietal wine that also won Zantho a gold medal at the competition. It begins with a sweet and citrusy aroma on the nose and has a spicy taste followed by a sweet aftertaste.

Image Title and Credits: Zantho

Amplus Cabernet Sauvignon, Gold (90 points)

This single-varietal red wine from Santa Ema earned the Chilean winery a gold medal. Amplus Cabernet Sauvignon is a full-bodied wine with aromatic notes of blackberries, blueberries, plum and dark chocolate. 

Image Title and Credits: Santa Ema

Mukuzani Premium, Gold (90 points)

Mukuzani Premium of Askaneli is a gold medalist. The dry red wine is made from Saperavi grapes that were specially cultivated and aged in oak barrels thus gaining its complex notes of black pepper, plum, blackberry and oak.  

Image Title and Credits: Askaneli

Perspectiva Reserva, Silver (88 points)

Santos & Seixo Wines’ Perspectiva Reserva is a mixed-varietal vintage wine that won a silver medal for its mildly intense notes that are accompanied by fruity, oaky, leafy and herbal flavours. 

Image Title and Credits: Santos & Seixo Wines

Barolo DOCG Luigi Bosca, Gold (90 points)

This Italian wine produced by Bosca with Nebbiolo grapes grown in the region holds the gold medal title. Barolo DOCG Luigi Bosca is a full-bodied still red wine with notes of clove, vanilla, butter, dry persimmon and oak, which are all elevated by the richness of tannins in the bottle.

Image Title and Credits: Bosca

Le Sixieme Element La Vie, Silver (87 points)

Le Sixieme Element La Vie is a chardonnay with silver medal status at the China Wine Competition. As part of FSP Wine’s Le Sixieme Element collection that combines the techniques of China and France, La Vie feels acidic on the mouth with flavours of ripe fruits, vanilla and cream. 

Image Title and Credits: FSP Wine

As Golden Week arrives, this curated selection of wines offers something for every palate. From elegant reds to refreshing whites, each wine complements a variety of dishes For those with a preference for sweeter options, the collection also includes exquisite dessert wines to explore. 

Header image sourced from Unsplash.

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