Awards

Aguas de Mondariz: Internationally renowned as one of the best water in the world

This year, Aguas de Mondariz was yet again among the winners of the Superior Taste Award 2011 from the International Taste & Quality Institute (iTQi). This year, Aguas de Mondariz has taken the “Crystal Taste Award 2011”, the very highest international recognition that certifies that the product has been rated as “Exceptional”, according to the blind evaluation by 3 different judging panels 3 years in a row. Aguas de Mondariz has thus become the first Spanish bottled water brand to receive with international award.

The International Taste & Quality Institute (iTQi) jury selected Aguas de Mondariz for the “Crystal Taste Award 2011”, which is the very highest recognition for consistent proof of excellence, which is only granted to those products that were rated as “Exceptional”, according to the evaluation by 3 different panels of judges over the last 3 years.

Since 1873, Aguas de Mondariz has been known for its beneficial mineral and health benefits and is now an international benchmark in terms of its quality and purity. The special natural enrichment of the Aguas de Mondariz water is due to its being filtered at great depth over 150 years through the characteristic granite rocks of this sub-soil.

Brussels International Taste and Quality Institute

The Brussels iTQi (International Taste and Quality Institute) is an independent Chef- and Sommelier-based organisation from different countries dedicated to testing, judging and promoting the best food and drink from around the world. The Institute therefore showcases the best flavours with its annual awards.

This year, 906 products for 53 countries, which were judged by a jury of 140 chefs and sommeliers, were entered for the prestigious Superior Taste Awards. The Judges are selected from the 12 most prestigious European culinary and sommeliers association, such as the Maîtres Cuisiniers of France and Belgium, Academy of Culinary Arts, la Federación de Asociaciones de Cocineros, Académie Culinaire de Francia, Asociaciones de Cocineros de España, Jeunes Restaurateurs d´Europe, Federazione dei Cuochi Italiana, Hellenic Chef´s Association, Verband der Köche Deutschlands, Euro-Toques and the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI).

Each of the members of the jury are chosen for their unanimously recognised talents as Chefs or Sommeliers by guides such as Michelin or Gault Millau, their extended practice in tasting, their capacity to describe the flavour features of the products and ability to suggest potential improvements within the sensory analysis framework. During the judging process, the products are tested blind, without packaging and without any kind of identification by renowned chefs and sommeliers - flavour analysis opinion leaders - from the most prestigious European culinary and sommelier associations. Each judge performs a sensory analysis of the product and assigns a score that reflects the overall feeling of hedonic pleasure, which has the most important weight in the final mark), along with other criteria such as the look, smell, texture and flavour and taste in the mouth.

Furthermore, and in order to ensure maximum objectively of the evaluations, the iTQI organises tasting session with the elimination of the interactions among the jury members, the unanimous and blind.