On the 9th, the winners of the wine category at the 2025 Korea Wine & Spirits Awards EXPO, “Best of 2025,” were announced.
The 2025 Korea Wine & Spirits Awards EXPO is the 12th edition of the representative liquor tasting competition in South Korea. It has been held annually by ChosunBiz since 2014 with the goal of “discovering good local liquor, promoting it widely, and supporting the formation of a sound liquor culture.”
This year saw the results reflect the diverse wine preferences of Korean consumers, ranging from natural wines to rare port wines aged for 25 years.
◇ Red wine old world institutional sector: Coto de Imaz Gran Reserva
This wine, imported by Vino H, represents the Rioja region of Spain. Rioja is known for producing world-class wines due to its mild climate and limestone soils. This wine is made with 90% Tempranillo, a Spanish native grape, blended with a small amount of Graciano.
A representative of Vino H noted, “This wine offers a rich and robust sensation on the palate with a diverse array of fruit notes, allowing it to age for up to 30 years.”
◇ Red wine new world institutional sector: Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon
This USDA-certified organic wine was imported by Ayoung FBC. It is a flagship product of the “Bonterra” line that does not use any chemical fertilizers or synthetic pesticides. It embodies the organic cultivation philosophy started by the Fetzer family in the 1980s.
It uses Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown across California. Experts said it pairs well with Korean spicy gochujang dishes and grilled Jeju black pork due to its distinct fruit flavors and balanced acidity.
◇ Sparkling wine institutional sector: Bonvalet Blanc De Blanc
This famous champagne from the Champagne region of France was imported by Nihonshu Korea. Guillaume Bonvalet, the 37-year-old winemaker who established Bonvalet, is a business graduate of a Paris business school.
After graduation, he worked at a prestigious champagne house with the determination to establish a champagne house named after himself. After learning the champagne-making process, he took out a bank loan to establish Bonvalet.
Bonvalet ranked first in a blind test conducted by the Republican Guard, which protects the presidential palace, to select an official champagne in 2020.
◇ Fortified wine institutional sector: Rare Tawny 25 Years
This wine was imported by Hansan W&B from Angove Winery in Australia. Angove is a fifth-generation family-owned company producing wine in southern Australia and is one of the large wine corporations in the country.
Rare Tawny 25 Years is a deep amber color and has a very harmonious aroma of walnuts, toffee, honey, and dried figs. It has a distinct richness that flows smoothly in the mouth.
◇ White wine old world institutional sector: Cantina Tramin Sauvignon
This white wine from northern Italy's Alto Adige region was imported by NARA CELLAR. It uses Sauvignon Blanc grapes grown in a cool climate at altitudes above 500 meters, influenced by the northern Alps. The flavor features a harmonious blend of fresh lime, tropical fruit, and herb aromas.
Cantina Tramin is a famous wine cooperative established in 1898. Currently, over 260 families jointly manage more than 900,000 pyeong of vineyards. This wine pairs wonderfully with seafood dishes or spring wild vegetables.
◇ White wine new world institutional sector: Renmark Creek Chardonnay
This white wine from southern Australia was imported by Colico. Adelaide Hills is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in Australia.
Renmark Creek Winery opened its doors in 1976. Renmark means “red clay” in the indigenous Australian language. It is currently a family-owned winery that uses sustainable farming practices.
This wine has a bright straw-yellow color, with aromas of well-ripened tropical fruits, melon, and tangerine zest, creating a refreshing acidity.
◇ Rosé institutional sector: Terra Vineda Merlot Rose
This rosé wine from the Etulia region of Moldova was imported by HwaGang Liquor. Terra Vineda is produced by Bostavan Winery, which belongs to the largest winery in Moldova, Purcari.
This rosé wine is made using 100% Merlot grapes. The grape skins are soaked for a short time to achieve a beautiful salmon color. This wine is refreshing and rich in fruitiness, starting with red fruit aromas like strawberries, raspberries, pomegranates, and watermelons, followed by scents of roses and herbs.
◇ Natural wine institutional sector: Geschickt Le Schlouk
This natural wine from the Alsace region of France was imported by Vino Paradise. Located on the border between France and Germany, Alsace enjoys a dry climate thanks to the protective Vosges mountains and is renowned for producing aromatic white wines.
Domaine Geschickt has been practicing naturalist winemaking using strict biodynamic methods since 1998. 'Le Schlouk' means 'a sip' in the Alsatian dialect.
This wine blends the two representative Alsace varieties, Gewürztraminer and Riesling. It undergoes natural fermentation without the use of artificial yeasts or additives, and is bottled unfiltered, ungrafted, and unadded. No sulfur dioxide (SO2) or preservatives are added, preserving the grapes' unique characteristics.
The Korea Wine & Spirits Awards is the 12th edition of the representative liquor tasting competition in South Korea. It has been held annually by ChosunBiz since 2014 with the goal of “discovering good local liquor, promoting it widely, and supporting the formation of a sound liquor culture.”
This year’s event saw 236 companies present a total of 1,008 brands, making it the largest domestic tasting competition covering all kinds of liquor. Among these, 431 brands received the grand award. Of these award-winning products, 25 brands, which received the highest scores in their respective categories, were selected as the “Best of Best 2025.”