Taiwan clinches 10 medals at French international wine competition

Taipei, May 8 (CNA) Taiwan won a total of 10 medals, including two grand gold medals, five gold medals, and three silver medals, at the "Concours Vinalies Internationales" held in France, the Agriculture and Food Agency under the Ministry of Agriculture announced Wednesday.

In a statement, the agency said that Taiwanese rural wineries submitted 23 entries and received 10 awards, meaning an award rate of over 40 percent, which is higher than average.

The agency added that a total of 32 countries participated and there were 2,927 entries this year. The award rate was 30 percent.

Regarding the awards received by Taiwan, two wines from the Wu-Feng Farmer's Association Distillery in Taichung received grand gold medals, with three other wines from the same distillery receiving gold and silver medals.

The agency highlighted that these five award-winning products were made using locally produced Yiquan fragrant rice (Tainung No. 71) from Wufeng.

This variety of rice possesses a unique aroma and is of excellent quality, making it popular as a daily dish and for use in wine production. It is playing a key role in developing a distinctive brewing industry and adding to the diverse applications of the rice, it said.

Meanwhile, in the international wine competition, three wines from the Puli Farmers' Association Distillery received gold medals.

The Xinyi Township Farmers' Association Winery in Nantou County and the Cang Jiu Winery in Yilan County also received silver medals for their products, the agency said.

It added that this demonstrates rural wineries using local agricultural products such as roses, passion fruit, strawberries, and jujubes to produce quality wines are highly regarded and recognized in domestic and international competitions.

The agency highlighted that these 10 award-winning wines employ different production methods in brewing, reprocessing, and distillation.

It added that this showcases domestic rural wineries use international-level brewing techniques.

The agency said it will continue supporting rural wineries to upgrade their equipment, refine their brewing techniques, and enhance their marketing techniques to boost the quality and reputation of Taiwanese rural wines as part of its strategy to boost Taiwan's agricultural development.