Rest of the Old World, WHITE, including including Switzerland, Slovenia, Romania, Kazakhstan, Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel
2018 Gold 2 Silver 8 Bronze 4 Commended 10
2017 Gold 3 Silver 6 Bronze 2 Commended 9
Until recently, this category included both Lebanon and Greece, so to see a solid spread of medals like this despite those two countries now having flown the nest and been given sections of their own was really heartening.
This, often, is where the next star countries come from, and on this evidence that star is likely to be Hungary. If Slovenia – many of our tasters’ tip for the top – was a surprising under-performer, Hungary looked good, providing wines of freshness, complexity and texture.
In short, though, there are some wonderful wines on display here. None will walk off your list, but if you’re after stimulating by-the-glass selections, this is the section for you.
FROM THE TASTING TEAMS
‘There are regions here that people should be looking at: Croatia, Slovenia, Brazil.’ Andre Luis Martins, Cavalry & Guards Club
‘I love Hungarian wines, and these had that tropical fruit and a bit of floral character, balanced by acidity. And these aren’t just to stay young – they age really well. They’re capable of making some complex wines, and they’re really good value too.’ Valentin Radosav, Gymkhana
‘They’re always going to be a hard sell. They need to be by the glass or on a food-matching menu as otherwise people won’t pick them off the list.’ Simon Woods, team leader
‘There’s more and more varietal wine coming out of places like Slovenia and Romania, and it’s probably a good place for those countries to be at the moment, with shortages in the harvest in Italy, for example.’ Charles Pashby-Taylor, consultant
‘Hungary was a star.’ Annette Scarfe MW, team leader