– The events were hosted by Eduardo Chadwick, Owner of Viña Errázuriz, along with renowned wine personalities, including Steven Spurrier, Consultant Editor of Decanter Magazine, and Fong Yee Walker, leading wine personality in China and recently recognized as the first Master of Wine in China.

– The iconic Chinese city of Shanghai was chosen as the ideal setting to mark the closure of this Anniversary World Tour.

– The third edition of the Berlin Tasting Anniversary Book, recently updated and translated to five languages, was handed to every attendee as a memento of this milestone.

(Shanghai, September 3rd 2016).- The celebrations of The Berlin Tasting 10th Anniversary reached its worldwide climax with two spectacular closing events held in Shanghai. These included a Master Class followed by a Gala Dinner, both hosted by the protagonists of this milestone that established the world-class status of Chilean wines.

Both events were held to commemorate the legendary blind tasting initiative that toured more than 17 countries and reached over 1,400 wine experts who participated in bias-free blind tastings and consistently positioned the Chilean wines among the top 3 places in 20 out of 22 events, achieving a remarkable 90% success rate if the overall preferences, thereby establishing Chile’s place amongst the world’s greatest wine appellations.

In words of Eduardo Chadwick, “These celebrations we are hosting today in Shanghai are not just commemorating the Berlin Tasting’s 10th Anniversary World Tour, it is much more than that: it is the culmination of this epic journey that started 12 years ago in Berlin, which has reached the status of a legendary event and has become a true milestone for wine history thanks to the consistent recognition of the world-class status of our wines, granted by top connoisseurs worldwide. On this joyful occasion I wish to thank all the professionals, wine lovers, key customers and friends for their contribution in helping establish Chile’s place amongst the world’s greatest appellations.”

Steven Spurrier, creator of the famed Judgment of Paris and Consultant Editor of Decanter Magazine added, “All good things have to come to an end, and Eduardo Chadwick’s Master Class and Gala Dinner held in Shanghai completes the celebratory tour for the Icon Wines Don Maximiano, Seña and Viñedo Chadwick that he launched in 2014. I am honoured to be a part of it”.
Fong Yee Walker MW, on her side, commented: “I am very excited to be taking part in such a historical tasting, not only to celebrate the final climax of the world wine tour of The Berlin Tasting Anniversary Celebration, but also to explore and enjoy the wines that truly made history, which showed the greatness of Chilean wines”.

The Master Class was held at the Jing An Shangri-La Hotel in Shanghai, and gathered top wine specialized press, sommeliers, wine experts and trade members. Wines presented on the occasion were Don Maximiano Founder’s Reserve 1983, 2005 and 2012; KAI 2006 –the very same vintage that was placed first in The Berlin Tasting held in New York on 2010; Seña 1996, 2007 and 2013; and Viñedo Chadwick 2000 –same vintage that was placed first on the original 2004 Berlin Tasting- and 2014, the first Chilean wine to be recognized with a perfect 100 points score.

On the Gala Dinner, VIP guests enjoyed selected vintages of the Chilean Icon wines that participated in the Berlin Tastings held around the world over the

past 10 years, all of which were carefully chosen: KAI 2013 –the current vintage of this iconic Carmenere-, Seña 1997 –to display its ageing potential- and Seña 2013 –awarded with 99 points by James Suckling; Don Maximiano Founder’s Reserve 2005–first place at the 2008 Berlin Tasting in Beijing- and 2013 –current vintage of this emblematic wine for Viña Errázuriz-; and Viñedo Chadwick 2000, plus the unreleased 2014 vintage.

About The Berlin Tasting
& the Quest for International Recognition

On the 23rd of January 2004, Europe’s most highly regarded wine journalists, writers, and buyers were invited to gather in Berlin for a blind tasting of 16 wines from the 2000 and 2001 vintages. The tasting included some of the best wines in the world, most of them rated 100 points by wine critic Robert Parker. The outcome placed Chile’s 2000 Viñedo Chadwick and 2001 Seña ahead of legendary world-class wines, thereby establishing the event as a milestone in the history of Chilean wine and a breakthrough for the recognition of Chilean terroirs worldwide.

The first Berlin Tasting constituted a milestone, but it also brought surprise with its results, and even criticism and disbelief. So it was important to repeat it, always blind, never revealing the origins and vintages of the wines tasted, in different places and under different palates. The reason for conducting these blind tastings was to allow the participants an unbiased view of the wines tasted and the opportunity to evaluate their intrinsic quality for themselves.

About The Berlin Tasting 10th Anniversary World Celebrations

January 23, 2014 marked the tenth anniversary of the first Berlin Tasting, and in commemoration of the now-legendary event and the epic journey that reached more than 1,400 wine experts over its ten year history, Viña Errázuriz and Viña Seña hosted a series of Gala Dinners around the world as a joyful way to celebrate and thank the professionals,
wine lovers, key customers and friends for their contribution in helping establish Chile’s place amongst the world’s greatest appellations.

The commemorative world tour revisited some of the emblematic destinations where the Berlin Tasting took place over the course of its decade-long history. The festivities began in March with gala dinners in key Asian wine markets, including Taipei, Seoul, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. It then moved on to Europe, to Copenhagen, London, and Zurich. During the second half of the year, the celebrations turned to the Americas, with stops in Sao Paulo and two events in Canada, in Toronto and Montreal. Historical vintages of the original Berlin Tasting wines were poured to show their evolution and ageing potential.

To learn more about The Berlin Tasting, please visit: www.theberlintasting.com
For more information, please contact: [email protected]