Tasting at Nazca XIX Pisco Producers Meeting "Pisco Contest 2021".
Cocktail Magazine edition No. 42, grateful for the opportunity.
On Saturday, June 29th, we attended the XIX Pisco Producers Meeting 2021 in Nazca, the first contest held after the terrible pandemic we have had to live through. The pisco industry has been affected, as well as viticulture. In addition, the weather has not been favorable. Remember that many vine growers live annually from advances for their harvest. If there's no harvest, the loans cannot be paid off. In some cases, if the situation does not improve, they have to sell or auction off their land to be able to meet their payments. Others change crops, killing their vines. My best wishes go out to all of them, because this too shall pass.
Looking through my files, I noticed that I have participated in the Nazca meetings since 2011, all impeccably organized by Alan Watkin and the Pisco producers with the sponsorship of private companies. They told us an anecdote about the recommendation not to use the word "contest" to avoid confusion with national and regional contests, so it was decided to call it the Nazca Pisco Producers Meeting.
In 2011, we evaluated 27 samples, and this time there were 120 from three Pisco regions: Arequipa, Ica, and Lima. Also, ten tasters had the honor of participating in the tasting of our national drink and Cultural Heritage of the Nation. It's important to indicate that the event conforms to the OIV standard for international wine and spirit contests of viticultural origin. These events allow us to reunite with winemaker friends, agronomists, master distillers, engineers, sommeliers, producers, and tasters. We had not seen each other since 2019. It was a very pleasant moment in which we shared experiences and memories.
The tasting director was engineer José Carlos Falconí. I participated with two colleagues at table number 2. We were responsible for tasting aromatic piscos, my favorites. We evaluated 40 samples, although the maximum allowed is 30 daily samples. In the absence of tasters (not the first time this has happened), the 120 samples were distributed among three tables. We started our work from the least aromatic to the most aromatic: albilla, moscatel, torontel, and italia. I found piscos of very good quality, showing me that, despite setbacks, the producers have done their job. Congratulations!
It's in these evaluations that we sharpen our senses and put our tasting exercises, knowledge, and experience into practice. Of all the piscos evaluated, the best received medals.
These events need to be held again; they are a great support for the pisco industry. They allow producers to know how their piscos are doing, what the consumer trends are. In addition, at all these events, there are festivals where the producer offers their medal-winning piscos.
I'm sure that as the months go by and the situation improves, these spaces where pisco is the protagonist will open again. I want to thank the organizers of the event in Nazca. Everything was extraordinary. God willing, we will see each other in 2022. Remember: always with responsibility.
Cheers!
By Livio Pastorino Wagner
Sommelier, Specialist, and Pisco Taster
Registration: CRDO-PISCO 2020 RCO-034-2011
@elmagozurdo
Results of the XIX Meeting of Pisco Producers and Contest
Cocktail Magazine No. 42, july 07, 2021.
Cocktail magazine (spanish) in issuu
Pisco & music
July 2021
Where pisco is the only protagonist!
#lapiscoteca #piscosour #winelover #pisco #pasionporlacata #bar #elpiscoesdelperu #vino #vinosdelperu #pisco #piscolover #Lima #Peru #Moquegua #Tacna #Arequipa #Ica
All rights reserved. Total or partial reproduction is authorized as long as proper credit is given to the author and active links to the source are provided."