The International Wine Challenge ‘showers’ Domènech.Vidal in gold

The prestigious British International Wine Challenge (IWC) competition distinguished two iconic Domènech.Vidal wines with two of the three gold medals awarded to Catalan wines. Furthermore, the Cultivare Xarel·lo 2015 and Cultivare Sumoll-Samsó 2003 are the only wines protected by Penedès Designation of Origin to have taken the prized gold medal.

Marta Vidal, CEO of Vallformosa, expressed her satisfaction in this major international recognition, which “places our brand and the Penedès region at the forefront of the world of wine”. Vidal insists that “through rigour and excellence, fully committing to native grape varieties from old vines, we have achieved these recognitions that spur us on and thrill us, as they endorse the good work we do”.

The IWC is considered by its organisers as “the world’s most meticulously judged wine competition”. All wines entered in the contest are judged blind. They are evaluated according to their “fidelity to the style, region and vintage”. Throughout the rigorous judging processes, each medal-winning wine is tasted on three different occasions by at least eleven different international judges. The team of judges is headed by six chairs, each one of whom specialises in his or her own field. They taste each medal-winning wine, ensuring that only the best deserve success. The renowned IWC expert judges are Sarah Abbott MW, Tim Atkin MW, Oz Clarke, Dr Jamie Goode, Peter McCombie MW and Charles Metcalfe. The IWC’s goal is to recognise the excellence and quality of the wines and to help consumers in choosing some of the best wines in the world. The International Wine Challenge was founded in 1984 and currently enjoys a reputed position as one of the most respected blind-tasting competitions. The IWC has grown enormously in its 35 years of life, with wines from around the world taking part.

The iconic Domènech.Vidal Cultivare wines

Cultivare wines are crafted in artisan fashion, presented in numbered bottles and are very much a limited-edition product. The grapes come from old, meticulously selected Penedès vines, and the optimal moment of harvest is taken into account. Cultivare Red is a signature wine made from the Sumoll and Samsó varieties, matured in French oak casks. For its part, Cultivare Xarel·lo is the result of three different fermentation processes (in a cement tank, in new oak casks and in stainless steel tanks) and matured in the bottle. These iconic wines can be found in restaurants and specialised shops.

Cultivare by Domènech.Vidal is much more than a wine, much more than a name, much more than a brand… it is a new way of doing things, of thinking and understanding vines and wines. Cultivare is the interpretation of its natural setting, applying our most creative facet to make each bottle unique and special.

Cultivare is culture and also the highest expression of our terrain. We apply cultural practices, working with the native varieties that are best suited to it. It is the harvest of an idea that was nurtured down to the last note, from the vine to the bottle, from the design to the choice of name. Right from the moment of their birth, Cultivare wines have been conveyed through dance, music, plastic arts, video art and Land Art, artistic expressions that blend with the harmonious notes of the wine.