Beyond the Scores
Placeres Magazine, edition 04, grateful for the opportunity.
We have resumed the blind tastings of Tasting Nights with Pisco belonging to the Peruvian Association of Tasters (ASPERCAT). Since 2008, we have conducted this activity, with over 1000 piscos tasted to date, and we are nearing Tasting No. 300. This time, we evaluated Italia piscos, noting that after the Quebranta grape, it is one of the most produced and used in pisco production.
This brings to mind a business talk I participated in some time ago. A well-known official approached me and said, "It’s not necessary to mention all the grape varieties we have for making pisco. Remember that the most produced are Quebranta and Italia." It’s true. However, I hope that with the rise of wines made from native grapes—also called heritage grapes—many will be encouraged to plant all the pisco grape varieties, benefiting both wine and pisco.
Returning to the Italia pisco tasting, out of the 12 samples tasted in my personal evaluation, 6 piscos from 5 regions—including one more from the Lima region—received the highest scores. Of these 6, the pisco Virtuoso from Bodega Vicente Guerra in Cañete was the best, scoring 89 points according to my evaluation and receiving a gold medal. Additionally, in the overall evaluation by the group of tasting judges, this pisco received 85.93 points with an OIV standard deviation of 3.93. Personally, I gave it a higher score. On the other hand, the pisco Arunta from Tacna stood out with the highest score of the night, reaching 87.58 points (my score was 88 points), with an OIV standard deviation of 2.2, the lowest among the awarded piscos of that session.
Appreciation Scheme
International Organization of Vine and Wine OIV 2022
2022
100-point scale
Great Gold: at least 92 points
Gold: at least 85 points
Silver: at least 82 points
Bronze: at least 80 points
There is much debate about the fact that some tasting judges in the National Pisco Competitions give very low scores and that in all major competitions we do not award gold medals. Tasting is hedonistic and subjective. There are no absolutes; everything is debatable, and in my opinion, that’s what makes it fascinating.
We are told that we should look at international competitions, where judges tend to give higher scores and thus more medals. However, those competitions are mostly held by private companies where producers pay to participate. This is not the case with our national pisco competitions, which are organized by the National Pisco Commission (CONAPISCO) or the Regulatory Council of the Pisco Denomination of Origin (CRDO-PISCO). In my opinion, it’s an issue that will be resolved as new judges come in to evaluate our flagship distilled spirit in competitions. Enjoy pisco responsibly.
By Livio Pastorino Wagner
Sommelier, Specialist, and Pisco Taster
Registration: CRDO-PISCO 2020 RCO-034-2011
@elmagozurdo
Placeres Magazine, No. 04 june 05, 2024
Pisco & music
June 2024
Where pisco is the only protagonist!
#lapiscoteca #piscosour #winelover #pisco #pasionporlacata #bar #elpiscoesdelperu #vino #vinosdelperu #pisco #piscolover #Lima #Peru #Moquegua #Tacna #Arequipa #Ica
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