Balinese Wine Wins International Award

Jakarta, March 1 (Antara) - Balinese Sababay Winery bagged the silver medal in "The AWC Vienna International Wine Challenge 2015," the world's biggest competition followed by 1,800 participants from 40 countries, through its featured products, White Velvet and Moscato d'Bali. Earlier, Sababay Moscato d'Bali had won a silver award from "Singaporean Wine&Spirit," an Asian-level competition followed by wine producers from across the world that uses the blind testing scoring system. "These awards have proved that Indonesia is one of the high-quality wine producers in the world," Marketing Director of Sababay Winery Manpalagupta Sitorus noted in a written statement received by Antara here on Tuesday. Sitorus pointed out that the vines could grow well in Indonesia where the climate had a tendency to remain dry, with the evening temperature being cold. "With the selected locations and appropriate grape varieties, grape cultivation in Indonesia could yield excellent results both for the farmers and the local wine producers," Sitorus explained. Sababay receives its supply for wine production from the Buleleng local farmers in Bali through the concept of corporate farming, which has facilitated them to build a partnership with the farmers for the exclusive sale of wines at reasonable prices. Such a system was claimed to create a sustainable production cycle and crops as well as a stable quality of yield. The combination of a sophisticated temperature control system, good irrigation technique, and meticulous selection of rootstock have successfully transformed the wine into "a diamond in a bottle," a new horizon for the national wine industry. Over the past few years, the northern region of Bali has been developed into a center for vineyards and wine production. The launch of the "New Latitude" wine series by Sababay has demonstrated the suitability and potential of the Alphonse Lavallée grape variety in this tropical area. Similar to diamonds, the quality of wine is determined by the land in which the grapes were grown and a rigorous production process to improve the quality of the end product, which accentuates on its quality and charm. CEO of Sababay Winery Evy Gozaly stated that the company was aware of the increase in wine production in Asia, especially Bali, which has emerged as the hub for activities related to the creative economy to provide added value to winery products. "Therefore, we aim to be the spearhead in carrying out integrated farming, which aims to improve the welfare of the local grape farmers," she stated. ***3*** Reported by Yashinta Difa P.