There will be celebrations taking place in all parts of the world today as the IWSC’s wine and spirit trophy winners are announced. If you missed the premiere, you can catch up on all the action here.
Wine producers and distillers the world over don’t spend their year crafting their products and carefully releasing them into the market just in the hope they are going to pick up an award at the end of it. Seeing them successfully selling and going down well their target audiences in their key markets is ultimately what producing and selling drinks is all about.
But it’s also mighty nice if at the end of the year – and they don’t get much harder and difficult than 2020 – your much loved and cared for brand also happens to pick up a glittering prize or two – or in the case of the IWSC awards the accolade of winning one of just 20 trophies it has to hand out.
This year’s awards, like so much of our lives, had to take place online as it was simply not possible to hold a live event. But that takes nothing away from the prestige, pride and much deserved congratulations that all the medal and trophy winners deserve.
Online awards
David Kermode and Joel Harrison welcoming everyone to the awards ceremony with a screengrab from the awards presentation
It’s also why earlier this evening, UK time, so much of the international and wine and spirits world was logging on to the IWSC’s special YouTube Premieres channel to watch the presentation of this year’s awards. They were greeted with a potentially award winning presentation in itself with a pre-recorded film made at the Ridgeview Wine Estate, produced and directed by leading film director and music documentary maker Matt Longfellow, who has worked with the likes of Pink Floyd, the Sex Pistols and Blur in his career. In front of the camera to co-host the awards were spirits writer, Joel Harrison, and wine writer, and former TV producer, David Kermode. Both of whom were also involved in this year’s judging process.
Ridgeview was a particularly appropriate setting for the awards as it was run by chief executive Tamara Roberts, who is this year’s IWSC president.
The IWSC’s chief executive, Christelle Guibert, has said it was a difficult decision to take the awards online, but once it was made every effort was made to make it as unique as possible. As she explains: “This event is an occasion to celebrate, reward and recognise the great achievements made by all, both socially and commercially.”
Top Trophies
Of the 20 trophies awarded special mention must to go to Morris Wines in Australia Wines, winners of the Outstanding Wine Producer trophy. The Outstanding Spirits Producer trophy was awarded to Bellonnie & Bourdillon Successeurs of Martinique, for its range of premium rums.
This year the IWSC decided not to give out actual physical trophies and instead donate the equivalent money to help support The Drinks Trust, and individuals in the wine and spirits sectors most affected by the impact of Covid-19.
Here is a rundown of all the awards presented:
Wine Trophies
Morris Wines in Rutherglen won the Outstanding Wine Producer category
- Sparkling Wine Producer: Langham Wine Estates, England
- White Wine Producer: La Cave des Vignerons de Pfaffenheim, France
- Red Wine Producer: Wolf Blass Wines, Australia
- Sweet Wine Producer: Peller Estates, Canada
- Fortified Wine Producer: Morris Wines, Australia
- Outstanding Wine Producer: Morris Wines, Australia
Spirits Trophies
Outstanding Spirits Producer Bellonnie & Bourdillon Successeurs, Martinique
- Liqueur Producer: Mozart Distillery, Austria
- Brandy Producer: Château de Pellehaut, France
- UK Gin Producer, sponsored by The Gin Guild: 58 Gin, England
- International Gin Producer, sponsored by The Gin Guild: Four Pillars Distillery, Australia
- Vodka Producer, sponsored by Double Dutch: Stalinskaya, Romania
- Rum Producer, sponsored by William Grant & Sons: Bellonnie & Bourdillon Successeurs, Martinique
- Worldwide Whiskey Producer: Teerenpeli Brewery & Distillery, Finland
- Scotch Whisky Producer: William Grant & Sons, Scotland
- Outstanding Spirit Producer, sponsored by Forsyths: Bellonnie & Bourdillon Successeurs, Martinique
Lockdown Legends
- Lockdown Legend for Wine, sponsored by Waitrose: Berkmann Wine Cellars Cellars
- Lockdown Legend for Spirits: The Whisky Exchange
- Lockdown Legend for Hospitality, sponsored by Conzorzio Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobiadenne Superiore: 67 Pall Mall
Communicators of the Year
- Spirits Communicator, sponsored by Chivas Brothers: Becky Paskin
Becky Paskin has been a leading voice in the whisky and spirits industry, primarily for years as editor of Scotchwhisky.com and most recently for campaigning and raising the issue of inclusion and diversity in the whisky sector
- Wine Communicator, sponsored by Vinitaly: Elaine Chukan Brown
Elaine Chukan Brown has had a very successful 2020 hosting a series of weekly online interviews, debates, seminars and tastings for California Wine Institute that has created a worldwide audience
- Just as the dust settles on one year the entry process for the IWSC 2021 competition opens on November 24. You can go to the IWSC website for more details.
- If you missed the awards ceremony broadcast you can catch up with it here.
