Tio Pepe Challenge U.S. Winner Announced – The U.S. Representative will Head to Jerez to Compete in the 2019 International Final

May 6, 2019 by evebushman

CHICAGO (PRWEB) – The results are in and Javier Ortega Diaz from Libertine Social in Las Vegas, NV is heading to Jerez, Spain to compete on behalf of the U.S. in the Tío Pepe Challenge International Final. This is the second time that the Tío Pepe Challenge took place in the U.S.

The Tío Pepe Challenge was created by leading Sherry producer, González Byass, to inspire mixologists from around the world to create original, great tasting cocktails using Sherry as their principle ingredient. Javier competed against five other bartenders from around the U.S. on Tuesday, April 9 at Osamil Upstairs in New York City. The six competitors had to test their knowledge of Sherry through a blind tasting, showcase their use of a venencia (the tool traditionally used to extract Sherry from the barrel), and finally, to create a cocktail mixed with a González Byass Sherry.

The judges, which included González Byass Master Blender Antonio Flores, Tasting Panel writer Courtney Schiessel and González Byass Brand Ambassador Alvaro Plata, judged on all three aspects and selected Javier based on the creativity of using Tío Pepe in his cocktail and the knowledge and skill displayed.

Javier will go on to compete at the International Final, which will be held on May 15, 2019 during the world-famous Feria de Jerez. The top 15 bartenders from around the world, who have created the best Sherry cocktail recipes, will compete and battle it out live in front of a panel of renowned, international experts.

Due to the increased popularity behind the Sherry Revolution, pioneered by González Byass, one of the world’s leading Sherry producers, the Tío Pepe Challenge allows aspiring Sherry experts to test their knowledge about this wonderful fortified wine. The Challenge is designed to inform, educate and instruct on crucial aspects of Sherry.

In addition to Javier, the other five competitors in the 2019 U.S. Tío Pepe Challenge were: Tiana Dillard from Ford Fry Restaurants in Atlanta; Joshua Fossitt from Hospitality 201 in Chicago; Alexander Lazzari from Biltong Bar in Atlanta; Patrick McDonald from Chaval in Portland, ME; and Carlie Steiner from Himitsu in Washington, DC.

For more information about the competitions, please visit: http://www.tastingpanelmag.com/thetiopepechallenge.
@tiopepewine @gonzalezbyassusa #tiopepechallenge #tiopepechallengeUSA

Winning Cocktail:
Sophia by Javier Ortega Diaz from Libertine Social in Las Vegas, NV

2 oz. Tio Pepe Fino Sherry
¾ oz. Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur
½ oz. Freshly squeezed lime juice
½ oz. Homemade kumquat, rosemary and thyme syrup
1 oz. Homemade sparkling hibiscus water

Add all the ingredients together except the hibiscus water. Shake and double strain in to a wine glass fill with ice. Top with hibiscus sparkling water. Garnish with sliced kumquats, rosemary, thyme and edible flowers.

About González Byass USA
González Byass USA is a Chicago based importer for a strategically selected portfolio of fine wine and spirit brands from around the world including Spain, Chile, Italy, Austria and the US.

González Byass USA is the US subsidiary of González Byass headquartered in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. González Byass is a family-owned, collection of wineries founded in 1835 which spans across Spain’s most important wine producing regions. From its foundation, the González family have been dedicated to making fine Sherries and brandies in Jerez, Spain, creating such well-known brands as Tío Pepe Fino Sherry and Lepanto Brandy de Jerez.

Today the fifth generation of the family are the custodians of these exceptional brands having built the company into a family of wineries which produces wine in some of Spain’s most famous regions; Bodegas Beronia (Rioja and Rueda), Cavas Vilarnau (Barcelona), Finca Constancia (Vino de la Tierra de Castilla), Finca Moncloa (Vino de la Tierra de Cádiz), Viñas del Vero (Somontano) and Pazo de Lusco (Rías Baixas). In each of these regions the family strives to make the best possible quality wines respecting the local terroir and the environment. At the same time the company has also expanded its interests further in the premium spirits business and has created pioneering brands such as The London No.1 and Nomad Outland Whisky to compliment the Spanish brandies in the portfolio Soberano and Lepanto, as well as their Mexican brandies from Pedro Domecq: Presidente and Don Pedro.

González Byass USA also represents a number of international wineries in the US market including from Austria Domäne Wachau, from Italy Caldora, Cantine Cellaro, Vesevo, Vigneti Del Salento and Tenute Rossetti, and from the US Row Eleven. In addition, Harveys Bristol Cream and Fundador Brandy de Jerez were recently added to the portfolio.

Learn more at http://www.gonzalezbyassusa.com.

Chicago-Based Dustin Chabert Wins First-Ever “Best USA Sommelier” Title

March 20, 2019 by evebushman

KANSAS CITY, Mo., PRNewswire – On February 4 and 5, 2019, sommeliers and wine professionals from across the United States convened in Kansas City to battle for a coveted title – The Best USA Sommelier. After a challenging two-day competition, first place was awarded to Dustin Chabert, Illinois Market Manager for DNS Wines and Sommelier at Spiaggia.

Beyond being dubbed the best sommelier in the country at the inaugural 2019 competition, Chabert will be the first competition winner to compete as the U.S. delegate to the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) “Best Sommelier of the World 2019” competition taking place in Antwerp, Belgium, March 10-15, 2019.

Following a thorough first-round theory competition in January, the top four candidates were selected to compete in-person in Kansas City. Representing an array of hometowns and wine industry professionals, finalists included Chicago-based Jill Zimorski, MS; New York-based Maxime Blaise; and Seattle-based Paul Coker.

The final round was held in timed stages, during which competitors were tested on the traditional sommellerie disciplines of blind wine tasting and identification, food pairing and wine service, all in a second language. Judging was conducted by a panel of prominent U.S. sommeliers among whom included Doug Frost, MS, MW and Véronique Rivest, former finalist in the Best Sommelier of the World 2013 in Tokyo and winner of the Best Sommelier of the Americas contest in 2012. Second place was awarded to Jill Zimorski, MS.

“The rigors of testing and the amount of preparation required was incredibly extensive,” said Chabert. “I will proudly represent the U.S. in Belgium in March.”

The inaugural Best USA Sommelier competition served to recruit a U.S. representative for the global contest conducted by the ASI, bringing a U.S. candidate back to the major international stage after some years. “Perhaps more importantly, through this U.S. competition, ASI has become more active and visible in the U.S. to support the thriving sommelier community here,” said current ASI president Andres Rosberg. “We seek to promote the sommelier profession and provide an opportunity for American sommeliers compete internationally and grow their professional skills.”

The Best Sommelier of the World winner holds the title for three years, enjoys significant visibility and professional opportunities. The reigning Best Sommelier of the World, Arvid Rosengren of Legacy Records in New York, is a U.S.-based sommelier.

The ASI organization celebrates its 50^th anniversary this year, this year’s Best Sommelier of the World competition will include 66 candidates representing 63 countries across Europe, Asia and the Americas.

ABOUT ASI

Based in Paris, the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale is a non-profit organization founded in Reims in 1969. It brings together the national sommelier associations of sixty countries and represents a global community of thousands of sommeliers around the world. The organization seeks to encourage standardized global practices and guidelines for sommeliers, supports national organizations and promotes their founding in new countries.

ASI enhances sommellerie worldwide by increasing awareness about the profession, developing sommellerie where it doesn’t yet exist, improving the level of sommeliers where it does, and educating consumers and professionals alike. It defends the ethics of the profession and advocates for the consumption of alcoholic beverages in moderation. It is notably responsible for major international sommelier competitions, including three continental contests and the ASI Best Sommelier of the World competition held every three years since 1969. To learn more, visit www.asi.info or follow us via @asisomms_.

ABOUT ASI COMPETITIONS

The World’s Best Sommelier Competition has been in existence since 1969. The competition facilitates exchanges between numerous hotel and restaurant professionals, encourages healthy competition between entrants, encourages increased skill level of sommeliers by motivating them to perfect their abilities, and helps widen knowledge of the sommelier profession in the public at large. The competition takes place every three years in one of the ASI member countries that has been authorized to host the event by the ASI.

Each delegation participating in the competition represents either an ASI member country or an observer country. Each official delegation includes a candidate, a journalist and the president of the National Association. More than 1,000 entrants have taken part in the latest events. To enter the competition, candidates must work in restaurants, wine-bars, with wine merchants or in the oenogastronomy business. To learn more, visit www.bestworldsomm.com.

Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout Wins Gold at Tastings.com World Beer Championships

December 6, 2018 by evebushman

FORT BRAGG, Calif. (PRWEB) – North Coast Brewing Company, an independent craft brewery producing exceptional, high-quality beers, is excited to announce that its Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout has been awarded a gold medal at the Tastings.com World Beer Championships.

Tastings.com judges described Old Rasputin as “a craveable hoppy imperial stout that is superbly balanced,” rewarding it with a ranking of 94 points and a gold medal at the Tastings.com World Beer Championships.

Internationally recognized, the Tastings.com World Beer Championships is America’s oldest annual international beer competition, dating back to 1994. The World Beer Championships reviews a different beer category each month, using feedback provided from an exceptional panel of judges with expertise in categories such as beer retail, production, distribution and taste. Beers are blind tasted and judged on a 100-point scale, providing the highest level of control to guarantee beer fans with top quality reviews.

“North Coast Brewing Company is thrilled that our Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout received a 94-point score from the Tastings.com World Beer Championships,” said North Coast Brewing Company Brewmaster, Chuck Martins. “Old Rasputin is a fan favorite and it’s an honor to be recognized with one of the highest ranking scores.”

Rooted in history, Old Rasputin is one of North Coast Brewing’s most famous brews, nationally recognized within the craft beer industry. Featuring a remarkable mix of rich flavor elements and a warming finish, Old Rasputin is a timeless take on an imperial stout.

Old Rasputin is an internationally distributed beer and can be found locally using North Coast Brewing Company’s beer locator.

About North Coast Brewing Company:
Founded in 1988, North Coast Brewing Company is an independent craft brewery producing exceptional, award-winning beers in Fort Bragg, CA. North Coast Brewing crafts a wide range of beers, including barrel-aged ales and popular seasonal offerings, including a Berliner Weisse series, to 48 U.S. states and internationally. A pioneer in the brewing community, North Coast Brewing Company is focused on sustainability and is a Certified B Corporation, California Benefit Corporation and Best for the World 2018 Changemaker honoree. For more information on North Coast Brewing, please visit: https://northcoastbrewing.com/.

One Bottle Post: 2000 CHÂTEAU DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU

September 14, 2018 by evebushman

So this just happened. My husband Eddie told me that we have at least six bottles of 2000 Bordeaux that he was pulling from our cellar to drink. Oh boy, one more reason I made the best choice ever in marrying this guy. Anyway, being the anal compulsive that I am I logged into my Wine Spectator account to see if these wines were ready to drink, in their opinion.

Photo: WineBuyers.com

To me, anything over ten years old is plenty of age on a Bordeaux, and it’s hard to wait longer anyway! I looked up all six and each had not only maintained a 90+ score, five had doubled in price when sold at auction. All were noted to drink from 2010 to 2023. Now sounded good to me. These are the six:

CHÂTEAU DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU

CHÂTEAU PICHON LONGUEVILLE LALANDE

CHÂTEAU RAUZAN-GASSIES

CHÂTEAU MARGAUX

CHÂTEAU MONTROSE

CHÂTEAU PONTET-CANET

Now this could be a six-part series of one-bottle posts, if I can drink them with a notepad, pen and little distraction. Chances are some will be served at dinner parties when I’ll only be able to simply enjoy. You just have to check back to see…

And now to start, we opened our first:

2000 CHÂTEAU DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU

Tasting Notes

Color: Beautiful garnet color stretching out to show a bit of brown (due to age) on the edge.

Bouquet: Right off the bat we found the wine more “multi-dimensional” and “complex” than a younger Bordeaux, stateside or import. I noted aromas of plum, blackberry, blueberry, toasted French bread, dried leaves, dark chocolate, green peppercorn and chocolate-covered biscuit.

Flavor: A perfect balance of fruit and spice. Starting with a fresh bowl of red, blue and black fruit, smoke, char and medium tannins that provided a lengthy finish. My husband remarked that there were no bitter qualities and that the mouthfeel was velvety. We lingered over the bottle and noted that after 15 minutes in the glass the bouquet and flavor had developed even further with darker deeper notes, more earth and that same tannin backing off a bit quicker – still doing the job – but allowing for a even longer finish.

96 Eve pts.

From Wine Spectator (online)

St.-Julien 2000

Score: 94

Release Price $105

Current Auction Price $204

Country France

Region Bordeaux

Issue Web Only – 2016

Tasting Note: This has mature hints, but there’s great focus as the cedar, bay and leather notes race along with, rather than pull away from, the core of fig and blackberry fruit flavors. The long, bittersweet cocoa—dusted finish provides a solid bass line.–Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2023. –JM

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Wine Tasting US Open Championship Announces 2018 Team USA

September 13, 2018 by evebushman

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.,- PRNewswire – Wine tasting enthusiasts from around the state competed in the US Open Blind Wine Tasting Competition to become Team USA at the upcoming World Wine Tasting Championship being held on October 13, 2018 in Chateau Saint-Pierre de Serjac, Languedoc, France.

On August 11, 2018, 8 teams of 2 converged at the Marina Del Rey Hotel in Los Angeles, CA in hopes of taking home the championship. Each team blind tasted 6 white and 6 red wines from around the world gaining points by identifying its primary grape, country & region of origin, vintage, and producer. In the end two teams emerged as the victors and will be heading to France as Team USA in October.

The winners of the US Open Blind Wine Tasting competition:
1^st place:	Kristin Shubert and Lisa Stoll achieving an impressive 124 points.
2^nd place:	Gina Cook and Christine Tanaka took second with a strong 91 points.

These two teams will now form the first ever all female Team USA Wine.

Presented by Wine Acuity, LLC, the Wine Tasting US Open offers wine experts and enthusiasts a chance to compete for the opportunity to represent the US in the World Wine Tasting Competition. Winning this competition isn’t easy. Two of the more challenging wines in the competition confounded all teams for a grand total of zero points scored.

Wine Acuity CEO, John Vilja, says “Kristen and Lisa, did a remarkable job. A score of 124 points would have put them in top ranks at the World Championship. In fact, they would have been the champions in 2017 with that score.” Mr. Vilja continues, “They not only identified seven varietals properly, they also named one of the producers correctly, something that is nearly impossible to do.” Mr. Vilja believes the combined skills of the two teams makes them world class competitors and looks forward to seeing them compete, and hopefully take home the victory, at the world championship.

For information on the Wine Tasting U.S. Open and the World Wine Tasting Championship visit: https://wineacuity.com

About Wine Acuity

Formed in 2018 to organize the U.S. Open Wine Tasting Championship and determine the members of Team USA to compete in the World Wine Tasting Championships. Our goal is to promote blind wine tasting in the United States.

Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association: 3rd Annual People’s Choice Blind Tasting and Awards Celebration

September 12, 2018 by evebushman

TEMECULA, Calif. (PRWEB) – The Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association (TVWA), has announced the third annual People’s Choice Blind Tasting and Awards, taking place on Sunday, October 28 from 1:00-7:00 PM. This year’s event will be held at Fazeli Cellars, and include a walk around “blind” tasting, followed by an awards celebration featuring last year’s winning wines, culinary creations from Fazeli’s in-house chef Anthony Bartolotta, and an awards program with live entertainment. Photos of last year’s sold out event can be found HERE.

The event will kick off with an afternoon walk-around blind tasting of the wines Temecula Valley wineries believe to be their “best” bottles. Participants will be asked to submit ratings of each wine, which will be tallied to determine the region’s top three whites and reds. Results of the blind tasting will be announced at a winemaker reception and awards presentation the same evening, recognizing the winning wines and broadly attended by Temecula Valley winemakers. Tickets are $45-$85 and can be purchased at http://www.temeculawines.org/events/. There are limited pre-sale tickets available through September 7, 2018.

“Since 2018 is also the 50th Anniversary of Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country, for this year’s event we wanted to get back to what makes Temecula Valley so special – our wines and the people who make them,” said TVWA Executive Director Krista Chaich. “We are excited to once again invite consumers to come taste through our best, and then spend an evening celebrating alongside Temecula Valley winemakers – our rock stars.”

For more information about the People’s Choice Blind Tasting and Awards, visit https://www.temeculawines.org/events/

For sponsorship and media inquiries, contact Devin Parr at prmarketing@temeculawines.org.

ABOUT THE TEMECULA VALLEY WINEGROWERS ASSOCIATION

Temecula Valley is the largest and most commercially successful winegrowing region in the South Coast AVA, the viticultural zone spanning more than 2 million acres from Riverside County to the San Diego border. The Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association has long served as a steward of the Southern California wine community. Comprising 36 wineries and more than 60 winegrowers, the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association is a nonprofit regional organization dedicated to increasing awareness of the quality wines and wine grapes grown in the Temecula Valley and South Coast Appellations. Established in 1984, the Temecula AVA consists of 33,000 acres, of which approximately 1,300 acres are currently planted to commercial vineyards. Known as Southern California’s wine country, the Temecula Valley is located in Riverside County just one hour from San Diego, Orange County and Palm Springs and 90 minutes from Los Angeles.

Global Spirit Awards Announces the 2nd Annual 2018 Winners

August 19, 2018 by evebushman

LAS VEGAS – PRNewswire – The 2nd Annual 2018 Global Spirit Awards was hosted July 10-13 at Palace Station in Las Vegas. The competition featured a judges panel (https://www.globalspiritawards.com/judging/) of industry experts with extensive diverse spirits, and mixology backgrounds to determine each of the spirits’ quality.

The judging process for the specialty spirit categories began with a 100% double blind tasting preliminary round, with the best spirits advancing to the Sweepstakes Rounds, where the Double Gold and The Best of Show Categories were awarded. During the competition, all the spirits in their respective and specific sub-categories are sampled together as flights, carefully evaluated from color to finish, and scored by each one of our spirits judges in the flight.

The Award-Winning Spirits include: (For a complete list of all the Gold, Silver and Bronze winners, visit https://www.globalspiritawards.co/awards/)

Overall Best in Category winners are:
- Best Vodka: Cape May Distillery, Sandcastle Vodka
- Best Tequila: Casa Noble, Casa Noble’s Anejo
- Best Rum: Kimberly Rum Company, Canefire Rum, Cane Fire 14
- Best Bourbon: Crooked Water Spirits, Old Hell Roaring Bourbon
- Best Whiskey: Omsons Marketing Pvt. Ltd., Star Walker Whiskey
- Best Liqueur: NCCGA of CT, Vincenzi Arancia
- Best Baijiu – TIE – Lao Bai Gan, 1915 and Yu Tan, Shang Pin

“Our 2018 Global Spirit Judges and I are pleased to recognize and salute the superior craftsmanship, quality, and taste of some of the very finest spirits in the world,” said Eddie Rivkin, CEO/Executive Director of Global Spirit Awards.

Double Gold Winners (Listed by: Company, Brand, Spirit Name):

Arizona Craft Beverage, Arizona Craft Beverage, Regalo de Vida Gran Rum
Cape May Distillery, Cape May Distillery, Sandcastle Vodka
China Liquor Sales LLC, Lang, Qinghua, Lang 20
China Liquor Sales LLC, Lao Bai Gan, 1915
China Liquor Sales LLC, Lao Bai Gan, 5 Star
China Liquor Sales LLC, Yu Tan, Shang Pin
Compass Distillers, Compass Distillers, Gin
Crooked Water Spirits, Crooked Water Spirits, Abyss Gin
Crooked Water Spirits, Crooked Water Spirits, Old Hell Roaring Bourbon
Destilaria Serralles, Don Q Rum, Don Q Double Aged Vermouth
D & S Distillers LLC, D&S Distilling Company, Delgado White Rum
E & J Gallo, New Amsterdam, Lemon Vodka
Enemigo Ltd, Tequila Enemigo, Enemigo 00 Extra
Kimberley Rum Company Pty Ltd, Canefire Rum, Canefire No. 14
LeVecke, Jesse James Spiced, American Whiskey
LeVecke, Spiced Rum Conciere, Rum & Cachaca
NCCGA of CT, Vincenzi, Arancia
Neptune Rum, Neptune Rum Barbados Gold, Neptune Gold Rum
Nevada Distilling Co, LLC, Smoke Wagon, Uncut Unfiltered Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Omsons Marketing Pvt. Ltd./ Star Walker Whiskey
Rhino Global Enterprises, Dos Ron, 16 Anos Solera
ROK Drinks, Bandero Tequila, Blanco Tequila
Casa Noble, Casa Noble’s Anejo
Rock N Roll Tequila, Rock N Roll Tequila, Cristalino

The 2018 Global Spirit Awards prestigious judges panel include (https://globalspiritawards.com/judging/):

Chairman of the Judges Panel, Steve Beal, renowned whiskey expert with over 20 years’ experience judging competitions around the world, and judges, Mia Mastroianni, Damian Cross, Dänny Ronen, Anthony Alba, Heather Manley, Robert Gonzales, and Tim McDonald.
For more information and a complete list of judge’s bios, photos and winners, visit the website at https://www.globalspiritawards.co/awards/

About Global Wine Awards & Global Spirit Awards
Eddie Rivkin CEO/Executive Director of Global Wine Awards and Global Spirit Awards hosts the events from the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information visit: https://www.globalspiritawards.com

The Winners of the 2018 Global Wine Awards, Nine Judges (including yours truly) Select Best in Show and Highest Awards Winners

August 3, 2018 by evebushman

Las Vegas, Nev. – The inaugural 2018 Global Wine Awards was hosted June 18- 20 at the Tropicana Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The competition featured nine world class judges with a panel of the finest palates including, Master Sommeliers, Masters of Wine, wine educators and industry experts.

Bottom Row: Cami Sisk MS, Chairwoman of the Judges Panel Deborah Parker Wong, Eve Bushman, Stacie Hunt. Top Row: Danny Ronen, Paul Ellis, Cassandra Brown, David Glancy MS, Roger Bohmrich MW

L to R Top Row: Danny Ronen, Paul Ellis, Cassandra Brown, David Glancy MS, Roger Bohmrich MW. L to R Bottom Row: Cami Sisk MS, Chairwoman of the Judges Panel Deborah Parker Wong, Eve Bushman, Stacie Hunt.

The 3-day judging process for the diverse and specific wine categories began with a 100% blind tasting preliminary round, with the best wines advancing to the Sweepstakes Rounds, where the Double Gold and The Best of Show Categories were awarded.

Featured Award Winning Wines: ( For a complete list of all the Gold, Silver and Bronze winners, visit GlobalWineAwards.co/)

• Overall Best in Show and Best in Show, Red Wine:
o Martellotto Wine Productions, 2016 Il Cappocia Riserva (Barrel Aged)

• The Best in Show, White Wine:
o Frank Family Vineyards, Late Harvest Chardonnay

“Our expert judges are pleased to announce the 2018 Global Wine Awards winners who all represent excellence in winemaking skills and superior presentation from all around the world. The wines were judged based on varietal expression, uniqueness in character and approachability” said Eddie Rivkin, CEO/Executive Director of Global Wine Awards. “Las Vegas is an entertainment destination known globally for its vibrant wine culture, its fine-dining restaurants and celebrity chefs. It was the perfect paring to our first annual event.” he said.

Double Gold Winners (Listed by: Winery, Wine Name, Wine Type, Vintage, Score):

Martellotto Wine Productions, Martellotto, Il Capoccia Riserva, 2016, 97
Frank Family Vineyards, Frank Family Vineyards, Late Harvest Chardonnay, NV, 97
Wines Of Greece, VOURVOUKELI ESTATE MALAGOUZIA, Malagouzia, 2017, 97

2Hawk Vineyard & Winery, 2Hawk Winery, Viognier, 2016, 96
Penrose Hill, Cantharos, Grenache, 2014, 96
Cellardoor Winery, Cellardoor Winery, Petite Sirah, 2013, 96
Wines of Greece, HELEXO WINERY RETSINA White, RETSINA white, 2016, 96The prestigious judges, encompassing years of expertise, passion and credibility in the wine industry, featured: Deborah Parker Wong, Global Wine Chairwoman and Editor for SOMM Journal and The Tasting; David Glancy, Master Sommelier & CWE, Founder & CEO of San Francisco Wine School, the largest wine school in the USA; Cameron Sisk, Master Sommelier, with thirty-five years in restaurants; Cassandra M. Brown, Certified Sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers, and Certified Specialist of Wine from the Society of Wine Educators; Stacie Hunt, Certified Silver Pin Sommelier /North American Sommelier Association and Vice President of the Board of the National Association of Wine Retailers; Paul R. Ellis, Sommelier at Rao’s, Caesars Palace; Eve Bushman, Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA); Roger Bohmrich, Master of Wine, independent consultant, writer, and educator; and Dänny Ronen, educator in spirit and cocktail development.
During the awards competition, all the wines, in their respective and specific sub-categories, were sampled together as flights, carefully evaluated in all aspects, and scored by each one of the skilled judges. All winners received industry acknowledgment and a distinguished medal of recognition.

The scoring ranges are: Bronze – 80-84
Silver – 85-89
Gold – 90-95

Double Gold – 96-100

About Global Wine Awards & Global Spirits Awards

Eddie Rivkin CEO/Executive Director of Global Wine Awards and Global Spirits Awards hosts the events from the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information and a complete list of judges bios, photos and winners, visit the website at www.GlobalWineAwards.co. Follow on Instagram at Globalwineawardslv.

How Did We Judge the First Global Wine Awards?

July 13, 2018 by evebushman

Nine judges in total, one Executive Director, a local restaurant sommelier, professional photographer and attentive servers = our first meeting in Cohiba Room three at the Tropicana Las Vegas, while avoiding rooms one and two as they held all of the wine that we were very anxious to judge…blind.

Donning my first wine judge lab coat!

Welcome to the inaugural Global Wine Awards in Las Vegas!

Deborah Parker Wong (Tasting Panel, Somm Journal and the Clever Root. See all of the judges bios here) was consulted by Exec. Dir. Eddie Rivkin and then had our entire preliminary round set up to begin the first day. On the second day we would do the “sweepstakes” round, where we would decide which of the Gold medal awarded wines would be our choice for any Double Golds, Best of Show and Judge’s Choice of best overall.

But let me back up to explain how we chose which wines to medal to begin with, and then I’ll return to our judging and sweepstakes.

For nine judges it was decided that we would begin with three panels of three. Within those panels we would select a leader and a note taker. Wines were served to us in “flights” with corresponding sheets that read titles such as Domestic Merlot, Spanish Reds or Wine Made From Fruit – no price points were given. On these sheets each wine was given a four-digit number instead of a name that corresponded with a number written on each glass. We would do one or more flights at a time, as some flights only had less than six or so wines while others had nearly a dozen.

Every judge is different in how they then proceed. Most will sniff each one in the flight and then go back to the start for a sample, spit and make some notes. I didn’t feel confident in being able to recall a sample 12 or so glasses before so I opted to do each at once: sniff, swirl, sniff again, note what I liked in the aroma, sample, hold in my mouth long enough to get the general gist of the wine, expectorate, make some slight notes and select a medal.

This was the cheat sheet (most) of us kept at hand in deciding on a medal:

Anything less than 80 would be a “no medal” wine and usually had a fatal flaw.

80-84 for Bronze

85-89 for Silver

90-95 Gold

96-100 Double Gold

After your panel is done with the flight they then, each taking a turn to start, announce the medal. You may have three people that completely agree, or as is most often the case, don’t. So while I may say Silver minus (which borders on Bronze) the other panelists may say Silver plus and Gold. In one panel the person with the highest medal would then try to convince the others to raise their scores based on the merits they found. Roger Bohmrich MW, one of the judges, puts it this way: “With a panel of qualified tasters, it’s somewhat rare to have one judge say Gold and another No Medal, though it can happen. The more common challenge is to decide whether to elevate a Silver plus into Gold territory.” On another panel the three scores were just averaged out and a numerical score was calculated. (We were rotated to a different panel halfway through.) Most times, in either instance we would taste again. Have I lost you yet? LOL. Hang in there.

By the end of the first day, we had each sampled 90-100 wines. We were then invited out by Exec. Director Eddie Rivkin for a lovely meal at Marche Bacchus. And prepare ourselves for the next day, which would be sweepstakes:

In sweeps all of the wine judges would have an opportunity to sample all of the wines we had nominated for Gold medals. We would then note our favorites, and by a showing of hands, decide which the majority agreed would be awarded with Double Golds and then narrow down again to award, which were Best of Show. Instead of breaking into our panels we sit together for sweeps.

Stay tuned, the next time I write about the Global Wine Awards I hope to be able to disclose the medal winners!

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Aberlour A’Bunadh Wins Whisky of The Year at The 2018 International Whisky Competition®

July 9, 2018 by evebushman

LAS VEGAS, NV – Graeme Cruickshank, Master Distiller at Aberlour Distillery becomes Master Distiller of the Year for crafting the Whisky of the Year 2018 and will receive the coveted Golden Barrel Trophy.

The International Whisky Competition just released its results for this year’s most respected blind tasting judging event. The top recognition, Whisky of the Year, was awarded to Aberlour A’Bunadh (60.5% ABV) which scored 97.4 points, the highest scoring whisky of the competition.

Official results: www.whiskycompetition.com/2018-results

The 9th edition of the International Whisky Competition took place in Las Vegas over three days, from May 15 to 17 and received whiskies from the world over. A world-class tasting panel made of whisky, spirit, beer and wine experts blind tasted each whisky on an individual basis (8 minutes per whisky).

Each whisky was scored using a comprehensive 100-point scale system developed by Sebastien Gavillet, IWC Head of Tasting Panel. This process and the fact that only three medals are awarded in any category make the International Whisky Competition the most followed whisky competition and one of the most professional competitions of its kind in the world.

We warmly congratulate Graeme Cruickshank, Master Distiller at Aberlour, as well as his team, for creating such a complex, rich and perfectly balanced whisky.

Aberlour Distillery will receive the Golden Barrel Trophy for winning the Whisky of the Year during a ceremony to be held this summer in Aberlour, Scotland.

The International Whisky Competition is the most followed Whisky Competition on Social Media and brings whiskies from around the world to be blind tasted and rated by a professional tasting panel using the most comprehensive tasting method available. 15 criteria are required to produce the tasting notes as well as aroma and flavor profiles for the International Whisky Guide. Unlike other competitions, the judges are presented with one whisky at a time, to ensure each whisky gets the proper attention. It’s the only competition in the spirits world to deliver unique medals designed to promote each of the winning whiskies. Only 3 medals (Gold, Silver & Bronze) are awarded per category. The Whisky of the Year (highest score during the competition) gets rewarded with the Golden Barrel Trophy.

For more information about the International Whisky Competition, please visit whiskycompetition.com