The Paris Wine Cup recognises, rewards and promotes wine brands that are focussed on a specific drinker. Their judges follow strict protocols for quality, value for money and presentation for each entry.

To win a Paris Wine Cup award you will need to score highly in all three areas of our judging criteria. You might have an outstanding quality wine, but if the price and packaging are not right, you will not be recognized by the Paris Wine Cup.

2017 Gran Appasso Rosso Passito IGP has been awarded 2020 Paris Wine Cup wine of the year.

The wine is produced by Femar Vini

Femar Vini owns about 40 hectares of vineyards and it can also count on grapes and wines from its associated companies, which allow the company to offer to its clientele a diverse productive selection. The cooperative, in its technical aspects, develops on approximately 6,000 square meters with two operating units: one is dedicated to cold technology, equipped with stainless steel containers for winemaking and storage, with a modern bottling device and a sophisticated laboratory of analysis; the other one is designed to host an underground tufaceous experimental area containing over 800 barriques, with areas reserved for large Slavonian oak barrels for red wines and very structured white wines. Thus technologies and latest equipment serving a great wine tradition.

This brand embraces a line of wines produced in different areas of the region of Apulia. It has become one of the most representative brands of Femar thanks to its winning packaging, its versatility at the table and the pleasantness of drinking. Although the brand is born with the intent of representing Apulia in its most modern form, Gran Appasso Rosso, ottenuto da uve leggermente appassite recovers an ancient farming technique, probably prior to the first vinification and farming methods of Vitis Vinifera. It consists to leave the grape on the plant beyond the full maturation to let it loses water, concentrating sugar and acid in order to make the grape stronger in case of longer storage.

This technique reaches Apulia, and in the area of Salento somebody understands that pressing raisins, it gets a richer and more concentrated must, from which a more robust wine, durable and long-lived, very important features for trading at

that time. For this reason, this wine gets a place in the tradition, and that is why, Femar produced Gran Appasso Rosso: a full-bodied wine, satisfying and long-lived, which celebrates the tradition of this great land.

After the success of that, other wines have been introduced that have contributed to the completion of the range: the Gran Appasso Collezione, produced from sorting of the best grapes of Primitivo, a powerful and structured wine witnessing the production area; the Gran Appasso Primitivo Rosé, expression of elegance and persuasion; the Gran Appasso Zinfandel Organic always made from Primitivo, and the Gran Appasso Chardonnay, made from the same grape.

Then the Grand Appasso Primitivo Appassimento, new top of the range and leader of a brand now synonymous with quality, tradition and innovation, and the Gran Appasso Susumaniello, another sample of the Apulian tradition.

Technical notes:

Intense deep ruby red. Wild berries on the nose, red flowers, aromatic herbs, humus and eucalyptus. Very fruity in the mouth, well-balanced, mouth-filling, with great persistence.

ORIGIN OF THE VINEYARDS: Apulia

GRAPE VARIETY: Different varieties of red grape authorized by the production disciplinary

ALCOHOL 14,50%

Vine training system: Spurred cordon.

Soil: Red land rich in organic substances.

Winemaking and maturation: Harvest of the slightly dried grapes on the plant, fermentation with maceration at a controlled temperature, then maturation in steel.

Sensory analysis: Intense deep ruby red. Wild berries on the nose, red flowers,

aromatic herbs, humus and eucalyptus. Very fruity in the

mouth, well-balanced, mouth-filling, with great persistence.

Alcohol: 14,50%.

Serving temperature: 16/18° C.

Food matches: First courses with meat sauce, polenta, grilled meat, buffalo

stews and medium-aged cheeses.

Here are all the highlights from the first annual Paris Wine Cup that was held in Paris in the first week of July.

Wine Of The Year: 2017 Gran Appasso Rosso Passito IGP

Winery Of The Year: FEMAR VINI SRL

Best Wine by Quality: 2016 Monopole Mother Vine Shiraz

Best Wine By Value: 2017 Gran Appasso Rosso Passito IGP

Best Wine By Package: 2011 L'ODE À LA JOIE - Champagne Pointillart Leroy

Click here to see the full results

There were 22 gold winners which scored above 90 points and 1 double gold winner in the first edition of Paris Wine Cup.

Wines from all over the world entered with Italy, France, Australia, Germany and the United States stealing the show.