Lotte Department Store Launches Wine Celebrating 'Seoul's Judgment' Victory

The Nation's Largest Blind Wine Tasting Event
Limited Sale of 2,500 Bottles Each of Red and Sparkling Winning Wines

Lotte Department Store announced on the 16th that it will exclusively launch the wine that won the largest blind wine tasting event in Korea, 'Seoul's Judgment,' on the 21st.

'Seoul's Judgment' was a wine blind contest held last October in collaboration between Lotte Department Store and the International Sommelier Association. It is the Korean version of the blind tasting event 'Judgment of Paris,' which took place in Paris, France, in 1976. Famous domestic wine YouTubers and the siblings Agi Tadashi (pen name), the author of the popular wine-themed comic 'Drops of God,' participated.

Models holding two types of winning wines of the 'Seoul's Judge'. Provided by Lotte Department Store.

The red wine that received the highest score and won was the American 'Bonterra Estate Collection Cabernet Sauvignon.' This wine is produced at a winery located near a river in Mendocino County, California, USA. It is made from organic grapes and aged in French oak, characterized by high density and fresh fruit flavors.

The sparkling wine that ranked first was 'Brown Brothers Premium Cuvee NV.' This product is a blend of Australian Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier grape varieties. It is produced using a fermentation method in the wine bottle like Champagne, rather than tank fermentation, enhancing the fruity aroma and brioche yeast flavor.

Starting from the 21st, Lotte Department Store will sell a limited quantity of 5,000 bottles in total, with 2,500 bottles each of the winning red wine (Bonterra Estate Collection Cabernet Sauvignon, 55,000 KRW) and sparkling wine (Brown Brothers Premium Cuvee NV, 45,000 KRW) at all stores. The two winning wines from Seoul's Judgment, along with autographs from four domestic sommelier champions, will be included in the 'Winner Edition' gift set, which will be sold in a limited quantity of 3,500 sets as part of the 2025 Lunar New Year gift sets in January next year.

Kyung Min-seok, sommelier at Lotte Department Store, said, "We are pleased to exclusively launch the wine that ranked first in the blind tasting event Seoul's Judgment, which involved famous domestic and international wine experts including the author of Drops of God," adding, "We will continue to strengthen differentiated wine content that can bring new vitality to the wine market."