VINARIUM 2022 took place at the Constanta Exhibition Pavilion, in the wine-growing and historical region of Dobrogea.

  • There were 1299 samples from 16 countries: Albania, Argentina, Bulgaria, Chile, Czech Republic, Hungary, France, Germany, India, Italy, Republic Moldova, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey.
  • 194 operators have registered samples, of which 187 producers and 7 importers/ traders/ producers’ representatives.
  • Still wines, sparkling wines and spirtuos beverages of vitivinicultural orgin were registered in the competition
  • 40% of all samples were from outside Romania – the organising country.
  • Judging was carried out with 10 commissions of 5 judges / commission. Each commission was lead by a head of panel.

The total number of judges was 47 (17 international jurors and 30 Romanian jurors), coming from 12 countries: Bulgaria, Chile, Cyprus, Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, United States.

The official observers present in Dobrogea were:

– Mr. Fernando GURUCHARRI, Spain, President VINOFED

– Mr. Richard PFISTER, Switzerland, OIV Observer

– Mrs. Anne MEGLIOLI, Italy, Secretary General FIJEV

  • The consensual average of each sample was calculated as an arithmetic average of the scores given by al jurors, after eliminating the extreme scores (i.e. the lowest and the highest scores were eliminated).
  • The new Judging Sheets proposed by the OIV were tested.
  • VINARIUM 2022 adopted the new scoring system developed by OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine). The competition is among the first in the world to “run” this new system. Basically, the novelty lies in raising the thresholds for awarding medals.

Thus, 385 medals were awarded under the new OIV scoring system:

o 8 Grand Gold Medals (scores between 93-100)

o 309 Gold Medals (scores between 89-92.9)

o 68 Silver Medals (scores between 85-88.9)

Even though the minimum score for the Silver Medal, according to the OIV Regulations, is of 85 points, due to the restriction according to which only 30% of the total number of samples can receive and award, the last score for the Silver Medal was 88.33.

  • 84.3% of all the samples entered in the competition scored 85 points or more.

  • 107 producers from Romania entered 752 samples in the competition
  • Romania obtained 222 medals (29.5% of the total Romanian samples entered were awarded medals):

o 3 Grand Gold Medals (37.5% of total Grand Gold Medals)

o 180 Gold Medals (55.3% of total Gold Medals)

o 39 Silver Medals (57.4% of total Silver Medals)

  • 641 Romanian wines obtained medal points (at least 85 points), representing 85% of the total samples entered by Romanian producers. 

VINARIUM 2022 will award VINOFED, FIJEV, CORTEVA and TEHNO ART INOX prizes.

The full list of VINARIUM 2022 results here.

At the 19th edition of VINARIUM extensive research on brain activity during tasting was developed. Neurofeedback.

In 2022, the first experiments for neurofeedback monitored judging were conducted.

The XIX edition of VINARIUM, held in Dobrogea Region, invites you to anticipation through an experiment of cerebral activity monitoring, during the process of tasting. Neurofeedback.

Research of the Wine Institute is trialling the evaluation of wines through uncensored measuring of brain activity, completed in parallel with traditional judging, through conscious act, derived mainly from cultural construct.

VINARIUM is the first contest in the world which takes the responsibility of this innovative process, in pushing forward its mission of laying the foundation of the most objective techniques for high-quality wines’ hierarchization.

VINARIUM neurofeedback

  • verifies the correlation between consciously expressed jury judgment (with all the baggage of the cultural construct) and neurocerebral activity, measuring the degree of satisfaction non-intermediate by conscious
  • checks the similarities – differences in satisfaction between professional tasters and novices (uninitiated in tasting technique)
  • anticipates a new (alternative) way of judging – with strong hints of objectivity

In Romania, wine consumption in 2020 was 3.9 million hectolitres, which represents 1.7% of world consumption.

With a per capita consumption of 23.5 l, Romania was the 13th largest wine consuming country in the world in 2020.

Congratulations to all the winners and makers of good wines!

The VINARIUM Team gratitude also goes to all the Partners of the contest, who supported this year`s edition.