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On Manhatta’s 60th floor, DFWE NYC poured 28 DWWA 2025 medal wines for more than 600 fine-wine drinkers.
The DWWA Winners’ Bar gave Decanter Fine Wine Encounter New York its collector’s pulse: 28 Decanter World Wine Awards 2025 medal winners, each at 95 points or above, poured 60 floors above Manhattan’s Financial District at Manhatta. The fifth edition drew record attendance, with more than 600 fine-wine enthusiasts joining 52 renowned producers for Decanter’s flagship New York tasting.
For anyone tasting with a cellar in mind, the bar offered a tightly edited flight of Gold, Platinum and Best in Show wines inside a room already anchored by serious global producers. You could move from landmark appellations to less familiar regions while staying within a high-scoring framework.
Why the DWWA Winners’ Bar Carried the Room
The bar poured 28 wines from Decanter World Wine Awards 2025, all awarded 95 points or more and spanning Gold, Platinum and Best in Show. Four of the competition’s 50 Best in Show winners appeared in the line-up, with Domaine Landrat-Guyollot, Gemme Océane, Pouilly-Fumé (Best in Show, 97 points) added to the white/sparkling list and Donnafugata relabelled as Best in Show among the bottles that drew particular attention from guests.
That filter matters in a walkaround tasting. Gold medals sat alongside Platinum bottlings and Best in Show selections, encouraging comparison across style, region and category rather than simple label recognition.
Awards never replace the glass, but they do give you a useful starting line. Here, the pleasure lay in testing the medal signal against texture, balance, structure and finish.
Manhatta Put the Encounter Above the Financial District
New York’s skyline set the frame, but the stronger asset was range: established classics from Italy, France and Spain alongside standout examples from South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, the United States and beyond.
A single day could move across continents and categories without the logistics of appellation-hopping or private appointments. For tasters building or refining a cellar, that compression had practical force.
The structure helped: producer tables for breadth, an awards bar for calibration, and masterclasses for depth. Abundance became a workable itinerary.
Three Sold-Out Masterclasses Added Scarcity
Seats were scarce for three sold-out masterclasses led by Salon & Delamotte Champagne, leading Super Tuscan producers and Heitz Cellar, the Napa Valley pioneer.
The walkaround tasting rewarded quick comparison; the seated sessions slowed the tempo and offered deeper insight into celebrated names. Champagne, Super Tuscan producers and Napa Valley heritage each received a more focused frame.
What the 95-Point Threshold Did for Collectors
A 95-point threshold is a filter, not a verdict. At the DWWA Winners’ Bar, it helped collectors taste outside their usual orbit while retaining a clear credential signal.
In a room full of competing claims on the palate, the framework made the exercise more deliberate: compare medal levels, revisit regions you know, and pause over appellations or grape varieties that rarely enter your regular buying rhythm.
The Bottles That Gave the Bar Its Range
Sparkling opened with Terre del Cima, Extra Dry, Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore, Veneto, Italy 2023, Gold, 95 points; No.1 Family Estate, Cuvée Methode Traditionelle, Marlborough, New Zealand NV, Gold, 95 points; and Barons de Rothschild, Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Champagne, France NV, Gold, 95 points.
The white wines stretched from Atlantic freshness to Alpine precision and New World texture: Adegas Valmiñor, Albariño, Rías Baixas, Spain 2024, Platinum, 97 points; Eudald Massana Noya, Avi Ton Organic Xarel·lo, Penedès, Spain 2021, Gold, 95 points; Rohe, Sauvignon Blanc, Rapaura, Marlborough, New Zealand 2024, Gold, 96 points; Sother, Château de Malessert 1er Grand Cru Chasselas, La Côte, Vaud, Switzerland 2022, Gold, 95 points; Early Mountain, Petit Manseng, Virginia, United States 2022, Gold, 95 points; Castelfeder, Family Reserve Kreuzweg Chardonnay, Alto Adige / Südtirol Riserva, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Italy 2021, Gold, 95 points; Ambar Estate, Lustral Chardonnay, Dundee Hills, Oregon, United States 2022, Gold, 95 points; and Vignaioli Contra' Soarda, Vignasilan, Breganze, Veneto, Italy 2017, Gold, 95 points.
Reds traced the widest arc: Khachen Wines, Areni, Vayots Dzor, Armenia 2023, Gold, 95 points; Bodegas y Viñedos Verum, Ilusioverum Cdvin Garnacha, Rioja, Spain 2022, Gold, 95 points; Bodegas y Viñedos Luis Saenz, Ana Sáenz, Crianza, Rioja, Spain 2022, Gold, 95 points; Alvarez-Alfaro, Selección de Familia, Rioja, Spain 2020, Platinum, 97 points; Domaine Sarrabelle, In Vinum, Gaillac, Southwest France, France 2019, Platinum, 97 points; Hasher Family, Batrachella Pinotage, Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Walker Bay, South Africa 2022, Platinum, 97 points; Château Romanin, Le Coeur, Les Baux-de-Provence, Provence, France 2019, Gold, 95 points; Clos du Val, Cabernet Franc, Stags Leap District, California, United States 2022, Best in Show, 97 points; Echolands Winery, Blue Mountain Vineyard Cabernet Franc, Walla Walla Valley, Washington State, United States 2022, Platinum, 97 points; Diego Morra, Del Comune di Verduno, Barolo, Piedmont, Italy 2021, Best in Show, 97 points; Watermill, Hallowed Stones Syrah, Oregon, United States 2021, Gold, 95 points; Samā Cellars, Bhūmi Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, Washington State, United States 2022, Gold, 95 points; Ernie Els, Proprietor's Blend, Helderberg, Stellenbosch, South Africa 2022, Gold, 96 points; and Avinodos, Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District, California, United States 2019, Gold, 95 points.
Sweet and fortified wines gave the bar a serious final register: Donnafugata, Ben Ryé, Passito di Pantelleria, Sicily, Italy 2023, Best in Show, 97 points; Tenuta Roletto, Passito, Erbaluce di Caluso, Piedmont, Italy 2013, Gold, 95 points; and Curatolo Arini 1875, 10 Years Old, Marsala Superiore Riserva, Sicily, Italy NV, Gold, 96 points.
Champagne, Canapés and the Evening Reception
The day continued into an intimate VIP reception for producers and invited guests, with Laurent-Perrier Champagne served alongside canapés, charcuterie, artisan cheeses and dark chocolate truffles.
A lunch option added a pairing sponsored by Eola Amity Hills and Château Sideraut, extending the encounter beyond the tasting floor while keeping its fine-wine focus intact.
What the Fifth Edition Signals for Fine-Wine Travel
Decanter Fine Wine Encounter New York has become a serious stop on the fine-wine calendar: compact, international and built for tasters who want prestige and comparison in the same day.
For wine travellers, Manhattan offered a compelling counterpoint to the slower pleasures of vineyard roads and château visits. Soil, slope and cellar air still have their place. When the goal is to benchmark producers, appellations and award-winning cuvées in one sitting, a high room above the Financial District makes a persuasive case.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWWA Winners’ Bar at Decanter Fine Wine Encounter New York?
The DWWA Winners’ Bar is an awards-focused tasting feature built around Decanter World Wine Awards medal winners, with Gold, Platinum and Best in Show wines poured at Manhatta in New York.
How many wines were poured at the DWWA Winners’ Bar in New York?
The DWWA Winners’ Bar poured 28 wines from the 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards. Four were among the competition’s 50 Best in Show winners.
Where was Decanter Fine Wine Encounter New York 2025 held?
Decanter Fine Wine Encounter New York was held at Manhatta on the 60th floor in Manhattan’s Financial District.
Which masterclasses sold out at DFWE NYC?
The sold-out masterclasses were led by Salon & Delamotte Champagne, leading Super Tuscan producers and Heitz Cellar.
What was served at the evening VIP reception?
Laurent-Perrier Champagne was served with canapés, charcuterie, artisan cheeses and dark chocolate truffles for producers and invited guests.
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