Unknown wine steals the show once labels are revealed

"We have saved the reveal of the red wine No. 1 for last. Please uncover the label."

As the black wrapping and cloth were peeled away from the bottle, cheers and applause erupted. The winner was "Force & Grace Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon 2023," submitted by Naracellar — a wine from Paso Robles, a California winery region little known in South Korea. It received the highest score of any red or white wine in the blind tasting.

Like the 'Judgment of Paris' 50 years ago — 11 judges on stage: The Blind 2026 was held the afternoon of June 5 on the 76th floor of Signiel Seoul in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Now in its third year, the event is a blind wine tasting competition organized by Lotte Department Store. Eight domestic importers — Kumyang, Ahyoung FBC, Lotte Chilsung, Naracellar, Kooksoondang, Shindong Wine, Enoteca Korea and Shinsegae L&B — submitted 50 wines not yet available in South Korea. After a preliminary round, 16 wines advanced to the finals: eight reds and eight whites.

The Blind drew its inspiration from the legendary 1976 blind tasting competition known as the "Judgment of Paris." This year, marking the 50th anniversary of that event, 11 judges took the stage. They included four Lotte Department Store sommeliers — Gyeong Min-seok, Kim Min-jae, Choi Jun-seon and Han Hee-su — among them winners of the Asia Best Sommelier competition and the national team competition; chefs Kim Hee-eun and Yoon Dae-hyeon of Michelin one-star restaurant Soul; rapper Han Hae, who holds a WSET Level 3 wine certification; food and beverage brand marketing expert Ahn Dong-gyun; Byeon Yong-jin, deputy chief of Wine21; influencer Bitterfan; and Lee Ji-min, CEO of Daedong Yeojudo. The panel evaluated each wine solely on taste and aroma, with labels fully concealed, focusing on selecting wines that everyday consumers — not just enthusiasts — could enjoy.

A win for American and German wines — 'New World's standing on full display': The red wine judging was by far the highlight of the competition. By the time the seventh wine had been scored, four entries had already averaged in the 86-point range. With rankings potentially separated by as little as 0.1 point, the eighth and final wine pulled ahead with an average score of 88.4 — the highest of any entry across both red and white categories.

Sommelier Han Hee-su said the result felt like a tribute to the Judgment of Paris, noting that "New World wines have once again stirred a fresh wave." She added that tasting blind made it impossible to tell Old World from New World, "the quality gap has disappeared to that extent."

The white wine winner, Kumyang International's "Selbach Riesling Kabinett Feinherb Tradition 2024," averaged 88.3 points. Kim Seung-young, head of Lotte Department Store's wine and spirits team, said everyone was surprised that a German Riesling — a variety that accounts for only a tiny share of total wine imports — had taken first place over more established white wines such as New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

Judge Han Hae said the panel had reached similar impressions without consulting one another, adding, "That tells you just how competitive and high-quality the wine is." Chef Yoon Dae-hyeon said he hoped the event would help undiscovered wines find their moment in the spotlight.

Lotte Department Store exclusive sale in September — previous showings sold out a cumulative 20,000 bottles: The winning wines will go on exclusive sale at Lotte Department Store in September. The red will be priced below 100,000 won (about $65) and the white below 50,000 won. Winners from the first and second showings sold out entirely, with a cumulative 20,000 bottles cleared. Given demand from chuseok gift shoppers and other buyers, a complete sellout this year appears likely as well.

The Blind has been building a mainstream following since it launched to rekindle consumer attention for a wine market that slumped after the COVID-19 pandemic. Some 300 people attended the June 5 event through advance registration, which sold out within two days.