The "2025 Global Wine and Food Trip," where a diverse range of wines from around the world can be experienced in one place, was held on the 28th at the Marriott Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul. Wine sommeliers from major distribution companies attending the event are conducting a blind tasting. Photo by Yoon Dongju

원본보기 아이콘

"What makes a good wine? Which wine should I choose?"

Everyone has experienced hesitation in front of a wine display when buying wine. Faced with countless options, most consumers feel overwhelmed and intimidated.

The diversity of wine is like a double-edged sword.

For some, it is the driving force to navigate the vast sea of wine for a lifetime, but for others, it is the reason that makes them hesitate to take even the first step of exploration.

The wine industry devised 'Blind Tasting' as a way to resolve such hesitation.

Blind Tasting is a method of evaluating wine solely based on its quality by covering the wine's label. It is conducted to objectively judge wine, free from authority and prejudice regarding specific production regions, brands, and vintages.

Jamie Goode, a renowned British wine columnist, said, "There is widely accepted and recognized knowledge about wine in the wine world."

He added, "This knowledge, built on intersubjectivity, helps to some extent overcome the difficulty that individuals can never have exactly the same wine experience."

Since wine evaluation is subjective, the Aroma Wheel, a flavor terminology system, was introduced to address reliability issues.

It transformed the comprehensive and symbolic language that evaluated wine as a whole and described its emotional impact into a clear descriptive language focused on the actual components of the wine.

Subjective expressions were replaced with objective and specific terms, and with the introduction of a 100-point scoring system, trust in objectivity increased.

Photo by Getty Images Bank

The "2025 Global Wine and Food Trip," where a diverse range of wines from around the world can be experienced in one place, was held on the 28th at the Marriott Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul. Wine sommeliers from major distribution companies attending the event are conducting a blind tasting. Photo by Dongju Yoon

원본보기 아이콘

The highlight of the "2025 Global Wine and Food Trip," held on August 28 at the Yeouido Marriott Executive Apartments in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, and hosted by Asia Economy, was the "Blind Tasting." Celebrating its fourth year, the Global Wine and Food Trip featured participation from six major wine importers in Korea: Shinsegae L&B, Geumyang International, Ayung FBC, Naracella, Kooksoondang, and hy.

This blind tasting focused on wines of excellent quality that are relatively less recognized by consumers. Each of the six leading importers in Korea submitted one white and one red wine from their extensive portfolios-hidden gems-for evaluation. A panel of nine judges assessed a total of 12 wines based on fair criteria. The submitted wines were priced around 50,000 won at major supermarkets, and grape varieties and regions of origin were freely selected by the importers.

The "2025 Global Wine and Food Trip," where a diverse range of wines from around the world can be experienced in one place, was held on the 28th at the Marriott Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul. A participant attending the event is tasting wine. Photo by Yoon Dongju

원본보기 아이콘

The judging process followed the evaluation method of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV). Final scores for each wine were recorded out of 100 points, considering appearance, aroma, taste, and balance. To reduce the impact of outliers and accurately reflect the median, the "median statistics method" was used, and the final score was calculated as the average of the seven middle scores, excluding the highest and lowest scores from the nine judges.

The judging panel consisted of nine wine buyers from major domestic distribution channels: Kim Minju, Chief Sommelier at Shinsegae Department Store; Kyung Minseok, Sommelier at Lotte Department Store; Namgoong Hyun, Liquor MD at Hyundai Department Store; Myung Yongjin, Liquor Team Leader at Emart; Kim Woong, Liquor Team Leader at Lotte Mart; Choi Hyemin, Liquor MD at Homeplus; Shin Yonghyun, Wine MD at GS Retail; Jang Inhye, Wine MD at BGF Retail; and Song Seungbae, Liquor MD at 7-Eleven.

Geumyang International's 'Raphaura Springs Bull Padok Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2024'

원본보기 아이콘

The highest-scoring wine in the white wine category of this blind tasting was 'Rapaura Springs Bull Paddock Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2024' from Geumyang International, which received an average score of 84.43 points. This wine is a Sauvignon Blanc from the "Rapaura Springs" winery in Marlborough, New Zealand, made with grapes grown in the Bull Paddock Vineyard at Dillon's Point in the Wairau Valley, a site regarded as one of the finest in Marlborough. Its mineral notes are especially impressive.

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, currently the most popular variety in Korea, also received high praise from the judges. Sommelier Kyung Minseok described it as "a classic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, a refreshing white wine perfect for summer." Team Leader Myung Yongjin also awarded high marks, saying, "The authentic flavor of Sauvignon Blanc is impressive, and it is an excellent wine to enjoy chilled on a hot day, even without food." As for food pairings, Sommelier Kim Minju suggested, "It would pair well with popular dishes like baeksundae (Korean white blood sausage)," while other frequently mentioned pairings included white-fleshed fish such as flatfish and light salads.

원본보기 아이콘

Three Chardonnay wines were submitted for this evaluation, with Naracella's "Calera Central Coast Chardonnay 2022" achieving the highest score of 83.71 points. This is a medium-bodied wine from California's Central Coast, aged in French oak barrels. Its alcohol content is relatively high at 14.5%. The wine is made from top-quality grapes sourced from several vineyards in the Central Coast, including Monterey and Santa Barbara, and showcases the vibrant charm typical of Chardonnay grown in cool climates.

The prevailing opinion was that the wine offered a harmonious balance of restrained richness, beautiful minerality, and fresh citrus fruit flavors. MD Namgoong Hyun commented, "The fruit aromas blend well with the appropriate acidity, and the balanced structure is impressive." MD Shin Yonghyun noted, "The aroma opens up more and more with the acidity, which is very appealing." MD Jang Inhye recommended it as "a wine that pairs well with a variety of dishes, especially Asian cuisine," while Sommelier Kim Minju added, "It is expected to pair well with stone fruit salads or light appetizers, and would also go nicely with jeon (Korean savory pancakes)."

원본보기 아이콘

"Markus Molitor Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Kabinett 2021," submitted by Kooksoondang, also received high praise for capturing the unique charm of Riesling, with an average score of 82.57 points. It was the only German wine and the only Riesling variety in this tasting, with the lowest alcohol content at 9%. Markus Molitor is a renowned producer from the Mosel region of Germany, and is also the German winery that wine critic Robert Parker has awarded the most perfect scores.

Sommelier Kim Minju highly praised it, saying, "The harmony of Riesling's signature petrol aroma, exotic spices, sweet fruit notes, and acidity is captivating, and compared to Rieslings of similar value, its structural appeal is outstanding." Sommelier Kyung Minseok commented, "This is a classic Riesling with a good balance of residual sugar and acidity." MD Namgoong Hyun remarked, "It seems like a wine that would sell well." Team Leader Myung Yongjin said, "Its restrained sweetness makes it a great match for boldly seasoned Korean dishes," and other judges also mainly recommended pairing it with Korean or Chinese cuisine featuring sauces and seasonings.