Top picks & winners of special awards
Experience rare finds and top-notch wines!
The winner once again hails from Salgesch
The Expovina Wine Trophy exhibitor award is one of the few accolades that this family business from Salgesch has yet to win. However, this year they have managed to secure this trophy as well.
The foundation of success for the Mathier family business, now led by Nadia and Diego Mathier, was laid by Ferdinand Mathier, Diego's great-grandfather. As a devoted vineyard inspector, he already understood the importance of soil composition, vineyard locations, and microclimates in the Valais region at the beginning of the 20th century. Since 2001, Nadia and Diego have passionately and wholeheartedly led the company, faithfully developing it in line with the company philosophy of "Tradition, Emotion, Innovation, and Pleasure - for generations."
The trade submitted 588 quality wines from Europe to the Expovina Wine Trophy 2023. These wines reflect the offerings in the Swiss market, which are dominated by Italy, followed by Spain and France.
Wines from the Mezzogiorno on the podium. A bold and complex Nero d'Avola from Sicily takes the first place, rich in flavors of cherries and blackberries. The indigenous Apulian Susumaniello takes second place, while an assemblage of Nebbiolo and Barbera from Piedmont with luscious fruit and well-integrated toasty notes secures the third spot.
1st PLACE
Duca d'Atene 2019
MM Winemaker SA
Sicily IGP
MM Winemaker SA / mmwinemaker.com
2nd PLACE
Susumaniello del Salento 2021 Varvaglione Vigne & Vini
Apulien IGP
Zweifel 1898 AG / zweifel1898.ch
3rd PLACE
Bastardo Monferrato Rosso 2015
Preli AG
Monferrato Rosso DOC
Preli AG / preli.ch
A triumph of Merlot. A surprising champion from the foothills of the Pyrenees, a robust, exceptionally dense, and aromatic Merlot. Behind it, two Bordeaux classics predominantly produced from Merlot grapes.
1. FIRST PLACE
Tête Sage 2020
Benz Weine
Ariège IGP Dominik Benz - Créateur de vin / dominikbenz.fr
2. SECOND PLACE
Rive d’Or Baron de Montfalcon 2019
Baron de Montfalcon Saint-Julien AOC
Château André Ziltener / chateau-ziltener.com
3. THIRD PLACE
Château Franc Grâce Dieu 2020 Château Franc Grâce Dieu Saint-Émilion Grand Cru AOC Coop Genossenschaft / coop.ch
At this year's Concours, 30 red wines from Portugal were submitted. Among the participants, there is a surprising winner from Estremadura, as well as familiar wines from the Douro region that have made it to the podium. Leading the pack is a dense and complex blend of Alicante Bouschet, Syrah, and Touriga Nacional. Just behind, you'll find two classics made from the indigenous grape varieties Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca from the Douro Valley.
1st PLACE
Mula Velha Premium 2020
Parras Wines VR Lisboa Escher SA / la-vinotheque.ch
2nd PLACECallabriga 2020
Casa Ferreirinha Douro DOC
Escher SA / la-vinotheque.ch
3rd PLACERola Vinhas das Marias 2020
Garrafeira Grande Escolha
Ana Rola Wines Douro DOC
Escher SA / la-vinotheque.ch
The top contenders of red wines! Spain sent 77 red wines into the competition, and once again the traditional regions of Rioja and Ribera del Duero dominated the field. It is clear that Tempranillo is the key to success, whether it is combined with a touch of Graciano as seen in the winning wine or as a pure varietal, as seen in the runner-up wines from Ribera del Duero.
1ST PLACE:
Marques de Riscal Reserva 2018
Herederos del Marques de Riscal, Elciego
Rioja DOCa
Escher SA / la-vinotheque.ch
2nd PLACE
Tamaral Crianza Bio 2019
Bodegas y Viñedos Tamaral, Padilla de Duero
Ribera del Duero DO
Transgourmet Holding AG / transgourmet.ch
3rd PLACE
Viña Mayor Crianza 2020
Bodegas Viña Mayor, Quintanilla de Onesimo Ribera del Duero DO
Denner AG / denner.ch
Portugal shines with a white wine
A total of 97 foreign white wines from European vineyards were submitted to the competition by the trade this year.
Six candidates from four countries earned the prestigious "Best of Europe White" award with top scores, including two white wines from Abruzzo and a Riesling from Moldova. The incredibly successful winning wine unexpectedly hails from Portugal.
1. FIRST PLACE
Evidência Encruzado Reserva 2021
Parras Wines, Maiorga, Alcobaça Dão DO Escher SA / la-vinotheque.ch
2nd PLACE
Südtiroler Sauvignon Blanc Collection Graf Huyn 2022
Kellerei Bozen, Bozen Südtirol DOC Coop Genossenschaft / coop.ch
3rd PLACE
Amanta Pecorino 2022
Masseria del Sud Terre di Chieti IGP Obrist SA / obrist.ch
4. PLATZ
Sauvignon Blanc Reverenz 2021
Weingut Muster.Gamlitz
Südsteiermark DAC
Coop Genossenschaft / coop.ch
5. PLACE
Avalos Pecorino 2022
I Lauri
Abruzzen DOC
Borgovecchio SA / borgovecchio.ch
6. PLACE
Manastirea Rohrbach 2020
Gitana Winery, Chisinau
IGP Valul Iui Traian
Gitana Wine House GmbH / gitanawinery1953.com
A total of 911 Swiss wines were submitted to this year's Concours, including 365 red wines and 354 white wines. The Valais leads with 343 wines, followed by the German-speaking Switzerland (207), Vaud (145), and Ticino (84).
The Swiss wine harvest of 2022 lives up to the high expectations. Two of the top white wines and two of the top red wines come from the latest vintage.
1. FIRST PLACE
Petite Arvine 2022
Cave du Rhodan, Mounir Weine AG
Wallis AOC
Cave du Rhodan, Mounir Weine AG / rhodan.ch
2. SECOND PLACE
Cuvée Blanche Mme Rosmarie Mathier 2022
Adrian & Diego Mathier Nouveau Salquenen AG
Wallis AOC
Adrian & Diego Mathier Nouveau Salquenen AG / mathier.com
3. THIRD PLACE
Ermitage Nadia Mathier 2021
Adrian & Diego Mathier Nouveau Salquenen AG
Wallis AOC
Adrian & Diego Mathier Nouveau Salquenen AG / mathier.com
1. FIRST PLACE
Assemblage Rouge La Perle Noire 2022
Domaine du Mont d’Or SA
Wallis AOC
Domaine du Mont d’Or / montdor.ch
2. SECOND PLACE
Pinot-Noir Salquenen 2022
Fernand Cina SA
Wallis AOC
Fernand Cina SA / fernand-cina.ch
3. THIRD PLACE
ex aequo Pinot-Merlot Bibacchus 2022
Les Celliers de Sion SA Wallis AOC
Les Celliers de Sion SA / celliers.ch
3. THIRD PLACE (Tied)
ex aequo Pinot Noir Grand Cru Salgesch 2021
Fernand Cina SA Wallis AOC
Fernand Cina SA / fernand-cina.ch
1. FIRST PLACE
Le Passage du Romain Villeneuve 2021
Obrist SA
Chablais AOC
Obrist SA / obrist.ch
2nd PLACE
Saint-Saphorin – Planète 2022
Les Frères Dubois SA
Lavaux AOC
Les Frères Dubois SA / lfd.ch
3. THIRD PLACE
Blanc Fumé Ollon 2022
Artisans Vignerons d’Ollon
Chablais AOC Artisans Vignerons d’Ollon / avollon.ch
1. FIRST PLACE
Coup de l’Etrier 2022
Jean et Pierre Testuz SA
Lavaux AOC
Jean et Pierre Testuz SA / testuz.ch
2nd PLACE
Murailles Rouge 2022
Henri Badoux
Chablais AOC
Schenk Suisse SA / schenk-wine.ch
3. WINNER
Syrah d’Aigle 2020
Les Celliers du Chablais
Chablais AOC
Les Celliers du Chablais / celliersduchablais.ch
1. PLATZ
Sauvignon Blanc de Genève 2022
Cave et Domaine Les Perrières SA
Genf AOC
Cave et Domaine Les Perrières SA / lesperrieres.ch
2. PLATZ Premium Blanc 2022
Domaine Château-du-Crest
Genf AOC
Domaine Château-du-Crest / domaineducrest.ch
3. PLATZ Kerner 2021
Domaine de Champvigny Genf AOC
Domaine de Champvigny / champvigny.ch
1. PLATZ
Steinböckler Completer Malans 2021
Rutishauser-DiVino SA Graubünden AOC
Rutishauser-DiVino SA / rutishauser-divino.ch
2. PLATZ
CW Cuvée Weiss 2022
GVS Schachenmann AG Schaffhausen AOC
GVS Schachenmann AG / gvs-weine.ch
3. PLATZ
Cicero Sauvignon Blanc Zizers 2022
Rutishauser-DiVino SA Graubünden AOC
Rutishauser-DiVino SA / rutishauser-divino.ch
1. PLATZ
Pinot Noir Barrique N°580 2020
Zweifel 1898 AG Ostschweizer Landwein
Zweifel 1898 AG / zweifel1898.ch
2. PLATZ
tobias ROUGE G4 2018
tobias wein.gut. St. Gallen AOC
tobias wein.gut. / tobias-weingut.ch
3. PLATZ
Malanser Pinot Noir Rüfiser 2021
von Salis Graubünden AOC
Weingut Davaz / davaz-wein.ch
1. PLATZ
DIVES 2018
theilervini sa Ticino DOC
theilervini sa / theilervini.ch
2. PLATZ
Tiziano 2021
Vini & Distillati Angelo Delea SA Svizzera Italiana IGT
Vini & Distillati Angelo Delea SA / delea.ch
3. PLATZ
Il Mimo 2020
Vini & Distillati Angelo Delea SA
Ticino DOC
Vini & Distillati Angelo Delea SA / delea.ch
A total of 47 red wines from the New World were submitted. Leading the list of the best are five wines from Australia, showcasing the impressive diversity and exceptional quality of Australian wines with their use of five different grape varieties.
In the past year, the import of bottled red wine from overseas couldn't escape the overall declining trend, experiencing a decrease of almost 3 million bottles, which corresponds to a decline of over 30 percent compared to 2021. Only Australia managed to export nearly the same quantity in 2022, with just under 800,000 bottles to Switzerland.
1. PLATZ
Woodstock The Scott Collett 2015
Woodstock
South Australia
Wyhus Ryf AG / www.wyhus.ch
2. PLATZ
Marjico The Harvesters Cabernet Franc 2015
Marijico
South Australia
Wyhus Ryf AG / www.wyhus.ch
3. PLATZ
Woodstock Pilot’s View Shiraz 2019
Woodstock
South Australia
Wyhus Ryf AG / www.wyhus.ch
4. PLATZ 474 Lost Penny Water Hole Mourvèdre 2021
Lost Penny Wines, Ebenezer, SA
Australia
Wyhus Ryf AG / www.wyhus.ch
5. PLATZ 368 Grand Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Château Tanunda, Tanunda, SA
Barossa Valley
Coop Genossenschaft / www.coop.ch
The top Rosé at the Expovina Wine Trophy 2023 hails from Italy. In the realm of sweet wines, a Hungarian wine emerges victorious, while the Tessin faces competition from the Deutschschweiz in the Blancs de Noirs category.
Rose wines are incredibly popular in Switzerland, with a wide range of options available on the market. The majority of these wines, 68 out of 99, are produced from Swiss vineyards, showcasing the quality of local production. However, the top spot was awarded to an intensely aromatic rose from Southern Italy. In second and third place, we have two Swiss roses that deserve special mention: the Wallis Diolinoir, a delightful surprise, and the classic Neuchâtel Œil-de-Perdrix made from Pinot Noir grapes.
1st PLACE
Rosato Salento Calafuria 2022
Tormaresca, San Pietro Vernotico
Salento IGT
Coop Genossenschaft / coop.ch
2. PLATZ Diolinoir Rosé, les Titans 2021
Provins SA
Wallis AOC
Provins SA / provins.ch
3. PLATZ Œil-de-Perdrix Domaine des Coccinelles 2022
Caves de la Béroche
Neuenburg AOC
Caves de la Béroche / caves-beroche.ch
The undeniable quality of Tessin Merlot is well-known, with last year's podium dominated by Tessin producers. However, this year saw a surprising turn of events as two white wines from the German-speaking region claimed the first and third spots.
Swiss producers submitted a total of 37 Blancs de Noirs, complemented by two wines from Italy. The Tessin's dominance experienced a slight setback this year, with only one Tessin wine making it to the podium.
1st PLACE
Federweisser 2022 Wunderstaa Wein AG
Schaffhausen AOC
Wunderstaa Wein AG / wunderstaa.ch
2. PLATZ
Colle d’Avra 2022 Vinattieri Ticino SA
Tessin DOC
Vinattieri Ticino SA / vinattieri.ch
3. PLATZ
Blanc de Noir 2022 Nadine Saxer
Vin de Pays
Weingut Nadine Saxer / nadinesaxer.ch
The growing demand for sparkling wines in the wine market is reflected in the record number of 121 sparkling wines submitted this year.
This year, a beloved classic in Switzerland comes to mind, the traditionally made Cava from Spain, ranking first and third. In between, there is a surprise from Argentina.
1st PLACE
Giró i Giró Premium Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2011 Especial Familia Baron Merten
Jaume Giró i Giró
Cava DO
Ciudad Condal GmbH / ciudad-condal.ch
2. PLATZ
gran espíritu 2018
vinigma
Mendoza
vinigma gmbh / vinigma.ch
3. PLATZ
Giró i Giró Bombonetta Gran Reserva 2016
Jaume Giró i Giró
Cava DO
Ciudad Condal GmbH / ciudad-condal.ch
The sweet wines from Tokaj are a true classic that had to prove their exceptional quality once again this year, even against the Swiss Crus. And this year, Tokaj came out on top.
Out of the 26 sweet wines submitted, 18 are from Switzerland. The winner hails from the renowned sweet wine region of Tokaj. Following closely behind are two impressive sweet wines from Wallis.
1st PLACE
Holdvölgy Signature 2010 Selection du Domaine 2010
Holdvölgy
Tokaj
Vinebration GmbH / vinebration.ch
2. PLATZ
GEMMA Rubin Ermitage 2020
Adrian & Diego Mathier Nouveau Salquenen AG
Wallis AOC
Adrian & Diego Mathier Nouveau Salquenen AG / mathier.com
3. PLATZ
Triumvirat Or 2020
Cordonier & Lamon SA
Wallis AOC
Cordonier & Lamon SA / cordonier-lamon.ch
Diversity from organic winemaking! The competition of biodynamic wines is dominated by sparkling, sweet, and red wines from Southern Europe.
1st PLACE
Giró i Giró Bombonetta
Gran Reserva 2016
Jaume Giró i Giró
Cava DO
Ciudad Condal GmbH /ciudad.ch
2. PLATZ
Tête Sage 2020
Benz Weine
Ariège IGP
Dominik Benz - Créateur
3. PLATZ
Crianza Bio 2019 Tamaral
Castilla y León DO
Transgourmet Schweiz AG / transgourmet.ch
4. PLATZ
Prosecco Extra Dry
Raphael Dal Bo
Veneto DO
Raphael Dal Bo/raphaeldalbo.com
5. PLATZ
Vin Santo del Chianti 2018
Fattoria La Vialla di G.A.B.
Lo Franco
Toscana DOC
Fattoria La Vialla di G.A.B.
Lo Franco / lavialla.com
Innovative varieties on the rise
The winning wines in this newly introduced category showcase the diversity of new grape varieties at a high level of quality.
Currently, over three percent of Switzerland's vineyard area is planted with Piwi (fungus-resistant) grape varieties. The proportion of Piwi vineyards is also steadily increasing internationally.
1st PLACE
Vidal Blanc Fumé Centenaire 2022
Zweifel 1898 AG
Zürich AOC
Zweifel 1898 AG / zweifel1898.ch
2. PLATZ
DW Blanc du Village – Seminar Küsnacht 2021
Weingut Diederik
Zürich AOC
Weingut Diederik / diederik.ch
3. PLATZ ex aequo:
fürstlich Trio blanc 2022
Fürstlich Weine
St. Gallen AOC
Fürstlich Weine / fürstlich.ch
3. PLATZ ex aequo:
Divico Grandmaître – Barrique 2021
Gregor Kuonen Caveau de Salquenen AG
Wallis AOC
Gregor Kuonen Caveau de Salquenen AG /gregor-kuonen.ch
The accolade of "Price-Performance Winner" is awarded to white and red wines with a maximum of 12 g/l residual sugar. They have achieved the highest score within the price categories of Economy, Economy Plus, and Business. The Price-Performance Winner is the end consumer price including value-added tax, without considering any discounts. These wines are marked with the "Price-Performance Winner" button in this dossier.
The wines have been categorized into three tiers:
Economy: Price ranges from CHF 8.– to 15.–
Economy Plus: Price ranges from CHF 15.– to 20.–
Business: Price ranges from CHF 20.– to 30.–
The Price-Performance Winner is determined based on the end consumer price, including value-added tax, and without considering any discounts. These wines are identified in this dossier with the "Price-Performance Winner" button.
1. FIRST PLACE
Le Passage du Romaine Villeneuve 2021
Obrist SA
Chablais AOC
Obrist SA / obrist.ch
2nd PLACE
Saint-Saphorin – Planète 2022
Les Frères Dubois SA
Lavaux AOC
Les Frères Dubois SA / lfd.ch
3. WINNER
Evidência Encruzado Reserva 2021
Parras Wines
Dão DO
Escher SA / la-vinotheque.ch
1. FIRST PLACE
Coup de l’Etrier 2022
Jean et Pierre Testuz SA
Lavaux AOC
Jean et Pierre Testuz SA / jean.ch
2. SECOND PLACE
Südtiroler Sauvignon Graf Huyn 2022
Kellerei Bozen
Südtirol DOC
Coop Genossenschaft / coop.ch
3. THIRD PLACE
Calamin Le Puiné 2021
Jean et Pierre Testuz SA
Lavaux AOC
Jean et Pierre Testuz SA / testuz.ch
1. FIRST PLACE Petite Arvine 2022
Cave du Rhodan
Wallis AOC
Cave du Rhodan / rhodan.ch
2. SECOND PLACE
Cuvée Blanche Mme Rosmarie Mathier 2022
Adrian & Diego Mathier Nouveau Salquenen AG
Wallis AOC
Denner AG /denner.ch; Adrian & Diego Mathier Nouveau Salquenen AG / mathier.com
3. THIRD PLACE
Ermitage Nadia Mathier 2021
Adrian & Diego Mathier Nouveau Salquenen AG
Wallis AOC
Adrian & Diego Mathier Nouveau Salquenen AG / mathier.com