Jan 26: Uncertainty surrounding the future development of the current health crisis due to Covid-19 has prompted the organising committee of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles to postpone the event CMB 2021 originally slated to take place in Yinchuan in Ningxia till next year. The decision was reached by mutual agreement with the competition’s Chinese partner, according to a Press Release today
Ten years after the Brussels-based Vinopres organised the travelling international wine competition in 2011, the organisers have announced the change in venue due to the state of flux due to CoronaVirus and shifted the venue from the original Ningxia in Yinchuan, China to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg from 21-23 May 2021.
The professionalism and warm welcome by the hosts and visits to vineyards alongside the Moselle and special tasting sessions were quite memorable and bring back good memories, says Subhash Arora who had visited the competition for the third time then and has been invited for all the events since, except he had to cancel the last one in Brno, Czech Republic last year due to CoronaVirus.
The interesting thing is that this is perhaps the only international competition that has not so far changed the original dates scheduled for 21-23 May, 2021. The tastings will take place in the LuxExpo convention and exhibition centre located in the business district of Luxembourg City-same as the last time. However, the organisers have clarified that the health situation and government guidelines could change between now and then, and the event could be reviewed and changed.
Also read : BRWSC 2019: Visiting Ningxia Wineries in Helan Mountain East in China
‘We thank the host country for offering us a venue that is particularly well suited to our event and for the invitation to visit the vineyards of the Moselle and discover the diversity of the country’s five wine regions. The lack of international exhibitions and trade conventions makes the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles a rare opportunity for producers to stand out from their peers. It was therefore essential that the competition go ahead on the dates initially planned to provide them with a unique chance to promote their wines and tap into new markets’, says Baudouin Havaux, Chairman of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles.
Luxembourg-where small is beautiful
The hillside vineyards of Luxembourg stretch over a 42-kilometre strip along River Moselle, facing Germany (where it is named as Mosel). The fact that Moselle Valley, the Grand Duchy Luxembourg’s main wine region, is one of the country’s leading tourist destinations is not by accident.
The Moselle wine route, and its spectacular meandering vineyard landscapes lining the banks of the river, make this a unique location and wine tourism hotspot. From Schengen in the South to Wasserbillig in the North, nearly 340 winegrowers cultivate vines in appx. 1,280 hAs. 90% of the production is white wines including sparkling wines which are made in the style of Champagne but with its own terroir, making them cheerful and not cheap.
Also read : 3RD Edition of BRWSC highlights Ningxia as Top Wine Region of China
The judges will be able to rediscover Luxembourg’s vinous treasures during visits that will of course, fully comply with the requisite safety measures
Interestingly, the sparkling wines from the well-known sparkling producer in the Moselle Valley- Bernhard Massard are being imported by Hema Connoisseurs in India and are available from Rs. 3,500-4,500 in Delhi and at more reasonable prices starting from Rs. 2200 in the adjoining Gurgaon for the 3 variants available currently.
About the competition
The Concours Mondial de Bruxelles is an international competition with over 9,000 wines entered by producers which are subsequently tasted and judged by a panel of experts. The wine experts taste the wines with a single-minded objective of selecting wines of irreproachable quality, unmindful of their label or the prestige of their Appellation. The Concours is one of the largest international events of its kind. After Switzerland in 2019 and the Czech Republic in 2020, the tastings will be held in Luxembourg in 2021.
Also read : Wines from Grand Duchy of Luxembourg make Grand Entry in India
The Concours Mondial de Bruxelles is perhaps the only international competition, started in 1994 in Brussels but taking it to different countries as the tasting venue every year, starting with Lisbon in Portugal in 2006, followed by Maastricht, Bordeaux, Valencia and Palermo in 2010 where Luxembourg was announced as this year’s choice. About 9,000 wines are expected to be entered from over 50 countries, going by the past record.
Change of venue makes each edition of Concours Mondial de Bruxelles a unique event. This year 2021, it was initially planned in Yinchuan (Ningxia), the fastest upcoming wine region of China where another competition Belt & Road Wine and Spirits Competition (BRWSC) was organised by Vinopres in September 2019.
Also read : Mondial Wines Congregate for Concours at Luxembourg
Subhash Arora
If you Like this article please click on the Like button