Artisans of Australian Wine crowned Trade Drinks Event of the Year
Wine Australia is very pleased to announce its Artisans of Australian Wine tasting has won Trade Drinks Event of the Year in the Drinks Business Awards 2017.
Unveiled every year at the London Wine Fair, The Drinks Business Awards recognise and reward top performers across the international drinks industry. The competition, now in its 15th year, covers all sectors of the drinks trade including retail, distribution, logistics and marketing.
Winners were announced at an awards ceremony on Tuesday 23 May at the Olympia exhibition centre in west London. Hosted by Patrick Schmitt MW, Editor-in-Chief at trade publication The Drinks Business, the event was attended by the industry’s most influential figures.
Wine Australia won the trophy ‘Trade Drinks Event of the Year’ for its Artisans of Australian Wine event, held in London in September 2016. The first UK trade tasting to focus solely on new-wave Australian craft winemakers, the event took a completely different approach to normal trade tastings. A nightclub in London’s trendy Shoreditch and 23 artisan winemakers ensured that perceptions about Australian wine were challenged and diversity and difference were celebrated.
Winning Trade Drinks Event of the Year for our Artisans tasting is an incredible achievement and very rewarding as it reflects our efforts in promoting Australian wine. By creating a different, disruptive event, we demonstrated that Australia is a modern, relevant category for the trade and a country that offers very diverse and exciting craft wines. Big thanks to the Aussie winemakers that came over and helped make this event a success.
Laura Jewell MW, Wine Australia Head of Market EMEA
Swapping the typical tasting venues for a nightclub in Shoreditch, it was clear from the offset that Wine Australia had wanted to offer the trade something a bit different. The event highlighted what the country’s “young guns” are up to and it succeeded in attracting a new crowd to the Australian wine category. Judges praised the team for going out of its way to give the tasting an “edgy” feel, which appealed to the trade and also the “cool kids”, offering new wineries an effective platform into the market.
Patrick Schmitt MW, Editor-in-Chief at The Drinks Business
Read more about the Artisans of Australian Wine event here.
Wine Australia’s next event in the UK is the Alternative Varieties Tasting on Wednesday 28 June 2017 at Australia House, The Strand, London. Registration is open for the wine trade here.
For media enquiries please contact
Emma Baumann
PR and Communications Manager, Wine Australia
Phone: +44 (0)207 438 4669
Mobile: +44 (0)759 083 4514
About Wine Australia
Wine Australia supports a competitive wine sector by investing in research, development and extension (RD&E), growing domestic and international markets and protecting the reputation of Australian wine.
Wine Australia is funded by grape growers and winemakers through levies and user-pays charges and the Australian Government, which provides matching funding for RD&E investments.
Wine Australia is the trading name of the Australian Grape and Wine Authority, a Commonwealth statutory authority established under the Australian Grape and Wine Authority Act 2013.
About Artisans of Australian Wine event
Wine Australia’s Artisans of Australian Wine took place in Cargo, a nightclub in London’s trendy Shoreditch, on 20 September 2016. From the Basket Ranges of the Adelaide Hills to the micro-vineyards of the Yarra Valley and Barossa, the event showcased what many are calling the ‘new wave of Oz’. Cool climates, distinct terroirs, alternative grape varieties and natural and minimalist winemaking were in the spotlight. Participating artisans included Jamsheed, Mac Forbes, Jauma, Gembrook Hill, L.A.S. Vino, Vinteloper, Adelina, Massena, Ministry of Clouds and CRFT.