BWW 2018 – Best Wine Critics of World Have Been Selected – Jancis Robinson MW is the Winner!

February 6, 2019 by evebushman Leave a Comment

HELSINKI, PRNewswire — BWW-The Best Wine of the World-competition is by far the toughest wine competition on this planet. Unlike any other industry competition, only 1% of the wines involved will be awarded.

The BWW competition was held in the world’s largest wine information service – tastingbook.com. 18,477 wines received in total 2,354,989 votes from 416,000 wine professionals and wine lovers from 116 countries during the three months voting period.

After the voting period, only 100 most voted wines in six different categories remained in the Finals, organized in January 2019. The six main categories included red wine, white wine, rose wine, sparkling wine, fortified wine, champagne and Wine Critic.

In BWW Competition 2018, the Best Wine Critic of the World -title was awarded to Jancis Robinson MW.

“I feel extremely honoured to have been recognised by so many wine professionals around the world, particularly when the competition is so extremely strong. And I’m thrilled to see that my JancisRobinson.com colleague Julia Harding MW is also highly valued. I think all of us who write about wine know that, however enviable our work seems, it is increasingly demanding, even if always rewarding. Here’s to wine! And of course, to the organisers of this poll.” – Jancis Robinson MW

TOP 20 Best Wine Critics of the World are:

1. Jancis Robinson MW
2. Jeannie Cho Lee MW
3. James Suckling
4. Antonio Galloni
5. Neal Martin
6. Michel Bettane
7. Allen Meadows
8. Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW
9. Tim Atkin MW
10. Richard Juhlin
11. Andrew Caillard MW
12. Eric Asimov
13. Julia Harding MW
14. Markus Del Monego MW
15. René Gabriel
16. Jeff Leve
17. José Peñin
18. Christer Byklum
19. Jeremy Oliver
20. Robert Parker

Most voted wines of the main categories are:
Most voted Red Wine of the World: Winner: Hill of Grace 2013, Henschke, Australia
Most voted White Wine of the World: Winner: Montrachet 2009, Ramonet, France
Most voted Champagne of the World: Winner: Dom Pérignon 2008, France
Most voted Sparkling Wine of the World: Winner: Original Sparkling Shiraz Seppelt, Australia
Most voted Fortified Wine of the World: Winner: Graham’s Vintage Port 2016, Portugal
Most voted Rosé Wine of the World: Winner: Boat Shed Nebbiolo Rosé, Longview, Australia
Most voted Sweet Wine of the World: Winner: Château d’ Yquem 2011, France

The TOP 50 Wine Critics and 1000 Most voted wines -lists can be found at www.tastingbook.com

BWW is the largest wine competition in the world, whether measured by the number of wines, the number of consumers involved or the judges taking part.

BWW warmly welcomes all vineyards to enter their wine for the 2019 competition.

Registration is the easiest, fastest, and most affordable in the business.

Registration will begin on January 1st at www.bwwcompetition.com.

Newcomer ‘El Pandillo’ Rated The Number One Tequila Distillery by TasteTequila.com

December 12, 2018 by evebushman Leave a Comment

JESÚS MARÍA, Mexico /PRNewswire/ — TasteTequila recently ranked the El Pandillo distillery (http://g4tequila.life/) as number one in its exclusive tracking of all tequila producers. The designation was based on the ratings from over 41,800 different consumers and tequila judges using the Tequila Matchmaker mobile app. The family-owned distillery at El Pandillo placed at the head of over 129 active tequila distilleries currently operating in Mexico.

Makers of the premium G4 Tequila, El Pandillo recently launched distribution into the U.S. and the brand is the buzz of the tequila business nationwide. Owner and operator Felipe Camarena hails from a family line of great tequila makers, transforming his passion for making great tequila into an art. Camarena’s engineering background was strategically applied to perfecting his line of pure, luxury tequilas. The name G4 simply represents the 4^th generation of Felipe’s line of the Camarena family.

Camarena honored the traditions behind tequila making while adding his own unique twists: using harvested rainwater and specially modified copper stills, 100 percent pure Blue Agave from their own family farm, modified stone ovens, and an entirely unique mechanical alternative to the traditional stone tahona used to crush the cooked agave. Numerous proprietary processes eliminate any bitter notes in the flavor, producing a smooth, perfect taste.

The final result is bottled simply, though beautifully. As Camarena himself noted: “I’m not in the business of making fancy bottles, I’m in the business of making great tequila.”

The secrets that go into crafting Camarena’s G4 are many, but expert tasters agree that a combination of multi-generation wisdom and innovative new distilling technologies, plus captured rainwater and the highest of the highland’s agave are a winning combination. G4 has already received top accolades this year:

Spirits Competition Awards

Number One Distillery in the World: TasteTequila.com.
Gold Medals from the Beverly Hills Spirits Competition.
Best in Category and Best Agave Spirit at Spirits of Mexico.
Best in Show at the WSWA industry event in Las Vegas.
Platinum Medals and Best in Show by Tequila Aficionado.

Learn more about the El Pandillo distillery here.

About G4 Tequila

The pinnacle of craftsmanship, G4 Tequila is the premium product of four generations of tequila mastery. Producers of the eponymous G4 Tequila, the distillery is well known for meticulous craftsmanship and attention to excellence. Previously unavailable in the U.S., G4 has begun distributing in an impressive 30-state rollout over 2018. Learn more about G4 at: www.G4Tequila.life.

Hengshui Laobaigan is the First Chinese Liquor to Win the Global Spirit Awards

September 17, 2018 by evebushman 2 Comments

NEW YORK (PRWEB) – The Chinese baijiu, Hengshui Laobaigan received top honors at the recent Global Spirit Awards Competition held in Las Vegas, Nevada. Judges for the competition sampled the world’s best liquors from several categories including vodka, tequila, rum, bourbon, scotch whisky, liqueur and Chinese liquor. The Laobaigan 1915 was awarded the prestigious Best in Category award. In addition, The Laobaigan 5 Star and Laobaigan 1915 were each named Double Gold Winners by the panel of judges.

The jury for the 2018 Global Spirit Awards Competition was comprised of 18 experienced spirits masters with a strong background in spirits production and bartending. They included Steve Beal, founder of the San Francisco world spirits contest and one of America’s top distilling experts. The judging process for the specialty spirit categories began with a 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.

Americans can be hesitant to try Chinese baijiu (the term, “baijiu” means “clear liquor”) due to its exotic taste. As far back as 1915, Hengshui Laobaigan won the Panama World Exposition top prize and marked the product’s entrance into the US market. Today’s multiple prizes from the Global Spirits Awards continues the tradition of Hengshui Laobaigan’s baijiu earning recognition and respect from western judges.

The Secret of Hengshui Laobaigan’s Brewing: The Mysterious Underground Urn
There are many types of Chinese liquor, which can be challenging for the uninitiated. In China, baijiu is often used to accompany meals and is paired to match the taste of Chinese food. Most Chinese baijiu have a strong and distinct flavor, which can cause many American drinkers to choose more familiar liquors.

But the fact that Hengshui Laobaigan 1915 was recognized by the Global Spirit Awards suggests that not all Chinese spirits are the same. The liquor’s distinct taste is known as “Lao Bai Gan Xiang Xing,” which comes from its unique underground Urn brewing method.

Unlike the western custom of using oak barrels or sherry barrels for storage, Hengshui Laobaigan produces their liquors in ceramic tanks buried in the ground.

A study from the China Academy of Food and Fermentation showed that Hengshui Laobaigan’s dry ground cylinder fermentation process can effectively isolate impurities and harmful microbial pollution, the impurity content is less than one-tenth of China’s national standard, creating a more mellow and clean flavor.

The process, which has been used for thousands of years, produces a great tasting liquor without a needlessly high alcohol content.

Chinese scientists have also conducted microbiological research on the Laobaigan underground cylinder brewing technology. The Microorganism and Applied Enzyme Laboratory of Jiangnan University collaborated with Hengshui Laobaigan to produce a study entitled, “Environmental Microbiota Drives Microbial Processes and Metabolic Profiles for Chinese Liquor” published by Dr. Xueshan Wang. The study was selected as the cover article by Applied and Environmental Microbiology, an authoritative publication founded by the American Society for Microbiology.

This Mystery Liquor Conquered America a Hundred Years Ago
In 1915, The 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition Was Held In San Francisco. Hengshui Laobaigan’s Predecessor, Zhili Kaoliang Liquor, was submitted to the panel of judges. With its mellow and sweet taste and transparent color, Zhili Kaoliang won the “First Class Medallion” of the Panama Pacific International Exposition.

To commemorate this milestone in the company’s history, the manufacturer introduced “Laobaigan 1915” to the marketplace. The product’s recent award at the Global Spirit Awards proves that Chinese liquor can be adapted to American tastes.

Today, with western liquors such as whiskey and vodka consumed within the Chinese market, the makers of Laobaigan seek to foster a reciprocal appreciation for Chinese baijiu. With its award-wining taste and thousand-year history, Laobaigan deserves a place in every American liquor cabinet.

Global Spirit Awards Announces the 2nd Annual 2018 Winners

August 19, 2018 by evebushman Leave a Comment

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 Leave a Comment

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 Leave a Comment

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

At 89, Maurice Kanbar Launches Blue Angel® Vodka to Fuel Philanthropy

July 11, 2018 by evebushman Leave a Comment

SAN FRANCISCO (PRWEB) – Blue Angel vodka, a new spirits brand, has recently been launched by its founder Maurice Kanbar, who will donate its proceeds to benefit charitable causes. Maurice Kanbar, a spirits-industry legend, created one of world’s best-selling premium vodka brands and sold it in 2002. Since then, he’s given away tens of millions of dollars to charitable causes. Now, at 89 years old, he wants to do it one more time.

Kanbar, a lifelong martini lover and serial inventor, is launching his most refined, best-tasting vodka yet with a singular goal of funding more philanthropic generosity. Blue Angel vodka has already won a 2017 Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

“Most of us at his age would be happy to simply sit outside and enjoy the sunshine. But, not Maurice. Even at 89, he wants to keep giving back in a meaningful way that benefits mankind,” says Tsach Gilboa, COO of Blue Angel Spirits. “It’s amazing that he has the energy and vision to create a new brand when most people nearing 90 are kicking back. Maurice’s sole purpose is to grow Blue Angel fast and donate the proceeds to charity. I’m humbled to be a part of it.”

Blue Angel vodka, made from all-American corn and gluten free, goes through a 6X distillation process to filter out impurities (congeners). The water used from Fairfield, California is further filtrated through deionization and reverse osmosis to remove more impurities at a molecular level.

“I’ve got a nice place to live here in San Francisco, a ten-year-old Lexus and I get to have lunch with friends nearly every day. At my age, I don’t need any more money, but a lot of great causes do,” says Kanbar. “This idea of selling a whole lot of great vodka and giving away money might not get me into heaven, but it will be fun trying. And, I’m sure we’ll be able to do a lot of good.”

Kanbar’s past philanthropic donations have centered on education, healthcare and the arts including $21 million donated to Philadelphia University, his alma mater, where he earned a chemistry degree, $5 million to NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and $1 million to the Osher Center endowment campaign to help conduct research and train the next generation of doctors, nurses and pharmacists at UCSF’s world-class medical school. He’s also donated money to create the Kanbar Cardiac Center at the California Pacific Medical Center and has provided financial backing for KQED’s “ImageMakers” series of independent films.

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, the nation’s largest wine and spirits distributor, is rolling out Blue Angel vodka in the San Francisco Bay Area first. The ultra-premium vodka will be aggressively priced at $19.99 MSRP for a 750ML bottle to encourage faster trial and adoption.

About Blue Angel® Vodka
Maurice Kanbar, a legend in the spirits industry, sold his first vodka company in 2002 which allowed him to give away tens of millions of dollars to charity. Now, at 89, he’s doing it again with the launch of Blue Angel vodka. Distilled and bottled in the San Francisco Bay Area, Blue Angel is an ultra-premium vodka made from all-American corn, distilled six times, and uses reverse osmosis and deionization to ensure that it’s pure and clean tasting. For more information, visit: http://www.blueangelvodka.com

Blue Angel vodka’s social media channels include:

Instagram: @blueangelvodka
Facebook: BlueAngelVodkaSF
Twitter: @blueangelvodka

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

July 9, 2018 by evebushman Leave a Comment

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

Global Wine Awards 2018: Prep Work and Prep Fun?

June 29, 2018 by evebushman Leave a Comment

So this happened. THIS. What my footer of every article cries out for… has served as a judge…in the hopes that someone might notice and hire me again. They did. They being Mark Norman (a LinkedIn connection) and Eddie Rivkin (CEO and Exec. Director of the Global Wine and Spirit Awards).

Hello Eve,

Both the Craft Beverage Corporation (my company) and the Craft Beverage Expo (Kellie Shevlin) have agreed to work with Edward Rivkin (CEO and Exec. Dir. of the Global Wine Awards company) to grow the first annual awards event into a world-class competition. What will be unique about this event will be that as well as a long list of typical awards this competition will have matching awards for craft (wineries under 5,000 cases) and micro production wine (wines produced in quantities under 1,000 cases).

I would like to personally invite you to join the judging panel for the 2018 Global Wine Awards being held June 17th -20th 2018 at The Tropicana Hotel, in Las Vegas. As a judge for the event, The Global Wine Awards will…

Best wishes

Mark

You can bet I replied to Norman and Rivkin in record time and confirmed that I definitely wanted in. Rivkin telephoned me a few days later, to get to know more about me, and being me I made sure he knew that though I knew a bit about wine I wasn’t in the same ranks as the other judges. He knew. He said he wanted a group of wine people that could each bring something different, as they say, to the proverbial table. It was a new competition, so part of the proverbial table covered getting the word out about the competition so more wineries would want to be a part of it. One of the tag lines on social media being used, which would attract my attention if I were a winemaker was: #ISO100pts

The judges were Deborah Parker Wong, David Glancy, Stacie Hunt, Roger Bohmrich, Paul R. Ellis, Dänny Ronen, Cameron Sisk, Cassandra Brown and little old me. Now, I had met Wong, in fact sat right next to her, when I was asked to be a guest judge for L.A. International Wine Competition. She was a pleasure to taste with and learn from, and she made me feel right at home. (It was my first experience as a judge, later I would be invited to judge the Long Beach Grand Cru.)

I also knew Stacie Hunt, in fact I had suggested Rivkin hire her as well to fill out our panel. Hunt had been one of my educators with the North American Sommelier Association (NASA) when I took my American Wine Specialist ® certification classes. I had met her several times at different tastings as well. I knew I would be in good company.

The other judges that I hadn’t met before, well, after reading their full bios on the Global Wine Awards website, I knew just enough about them to realize one thing: they had far more wine education and certifications under their belt than I did. I wasn’t too intimated though as being a judge twice I was always treated respectfully, even when being shown the ropes. I was really starting to look forward to rolling up my sleeves. And about those sleeves:

Can you all please reply with what size lab coat you think you would wear? My plan was to surprise everyone with a really cool embroidered judge’s coat. Then I realized I can’t pull off the surprise without knowing your sizes. Poof there goes the surprise! I will only ask that you wear the lab coats for the part of the session(s) that will be photographed.

#ohboy – you know I forwarded this email to lots of family and friends! A lab coat! Embroidered! With my NAME on it? The amount of social media and press I could get (send out) was blowing my little blond brain up.

Now all I had to worry about would soon be really happening again: how many wines were we to sample? Would I be able to keep up with the other judges in our speed tastings? Would we agree on scores, or as I’ve experienced in the past, will there be discussions at times to see the same attributes or flaws others saw? How many green olives and gray beef would I have to consume to cleanse my palate? Etc. etc. etc.

That ends part one of my little adventure. Look for my next installment where I will tell you how the judging process went, and then in a final installment I hope to share all of the medal winners!

Website: https://globalwineawards.co/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Global-Wine-Awards-1833717633611628/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/globalwineawardslv/

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. 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

CO-FOUNDERS OF FORMER ROSÉ TODAY ANNOUNCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THEIR NEW BRAND: EXPERIENCE ROSÉ

March 24, 2018 by evebushman Leave a Comment

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Craig Palmer and Allen Habel, co-founders of the former Rosé Today, are pleased to announce the launch of their new Experience Rosé brand, which aims to celebrate all things rosé. The new brand will host an array of events in 2018, all honoring the lauded “pink drink,” with the Experience Rosé: The 2018 Competition kicking things off in the Spring. Focusing exclusively on domestic and international rosé wines and directed by globally-renowned wine expert and educator Debra Del Fiorentino, the competition will take place on Wednesday, April 18 at Soda Rock Winery in Healdsburg. The Experience Rosé brand will offer a collection of curated consumer events beyond the competition as well, including The Great Rosé Pairing for Summer, to be held on Saturday, June 16, at The CIA at Copia in Napa, and The Great Rosé Pairing for Thanksgiving, which will take place Friday, October 19, at Jaxon Keys Winery and Distillery in Hopland.

“Experience Rosé is all about providing extraordinary experiences for everyone who revels in our passion for rosé and its infinite possibilities all year-long – foodie to newbie, winemaker to chef,” says Palmer. “Our dedication to excellence begins with the Competition, and continues with the two consumer events we’ll be hosting in June and October.”

Celebrating a wide range of rosé winemaking styles and taking place on Wed, Apr 18 at Soda Rock Winery in Healdsburg, Experience Rose: The 2018 Competition will showcase the best of the best from both domestic and international producers in dry, sparkling and sweet categories.

Esteemed Wine Competition Director Debra Del Fiorentino has recruited a top tier panel of esteemed judges for the competition including: Dan Berger, Jacques Brix, Bernadette Byrne, Traci Dutton, Renata Franzia, Barry Herbst, Erik Miller, David Sandri, Chris Sawyer and Cathy Vicini.

The new competition will offer several incentives to entrants: 1) Gold-and-above winning wines will be featured at an exclusive Experience Rosé Media Day**, to be held at Soda Rock Winery the day after the competition, on Thu, Apr 19; 2) The judge’s tasting notes will be shared with all gold-and-above winning wines post-competition; and 3) Winning wines will be invited to pour at the two Great Rose Pairing consumer events in June and October.

“We’re excited to introduce these new elements around the Wine Competition,” states Del Fiorentino. “Our goal is to create an event that is beneficial to both our wine competition entrants and the attendees to the two consumer events, as we want everyone to have the best experience possible.”

Experience Rosé: The 2018 Competition is currently accepting entries. Winemakers can register by visiting www.enofileonline.com. The deadline for registration is Monday, April 16, 2018.

** At the Media Day on Thursday, April 19, results from the competition will be announced and the opportunity to taste wines that score gold-and-above will be extended to select media and wine industry VIPs.

The Brand will also introduce two new wine events to the general public. On Saturday, June 16, 2018, Experience Rosé will debut The Great Rosé Pairing for Summer, to be held at The CIA at Copia in Napa. Event-goers will have the opportunity to sip winning wines paired with gourmet bites inspired by cuisine from the four major rosé producing regions (France, Italy, Spain and the United States/California). The bites will be prepared by teams of CIA students directed by Lars Kronmark, Professor of Culinary Arts at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa Valley. This curated event will also include special arts programming and Experience Rosé Talks – an educational series featuring presentations, panel discussions and pairings.

Ticket costs for The Great Rosé Pairing for Summer:

VIP Patio: $125 in advance; $130 at the door
Regular admission: $85 in advance; $90 at the door
Designated driver: $40 in advance; $45 at the door

On Friday, October 19, Jaxon Keys Winery and Distillery in Hopland (Mendocino County) will host The Great Rosé Pairing for Thanksgiving. Nicholas Petti, Culinary Arts Instructor at Mendocino College, along with his talented students, will create a selection of seasonally-inspired bites to showcase perfect rosé pairings for holiday dinners and celebrations. This event will showcase rosés produced by producers in the Hopland and Redwood Valley regions of inland Mendocino County.

Ticket costs for The Great Rosé Pairing for Thanksgiving:

Regular admission: $95 in advance; $105 at the door

Tickets for both The Great Rosé Pairing for Summer and The Great Rosé Pairing for Thanksgiving can be purchased by visiting: www.experiencerose.com.

About Experience Rosé
“Because every day pairs better with rosé” is our theme. With the burgeoning passion for the colorful array of rose’ wines, Experience Rose’ showcases excellence in international winemaking, connecting wine lovers with singular adventures and curated resources that are spirited, expansive and revelatory. For more information on Experience Rosé please visit, www.experiencerose.com.

Like Experience Rosé on Facebook: http://fb.me/experiencerosewine
Follow Experience Rosé on Twitter: https://twitter.com/experience_rose

About Soda Rock Winery
Nestled in Sonoma County’s scenic Alexander Valley, Soda Rock Winery offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy an eclectic mix of wine-country experiences. Sip a delicious array of wines with a focus on Bordeaux varietals. View the splendid surroundings and appreciate the historical buildings that have been beautifully restored using green building and recycling practices. Soda Rock is the original site of the Alexander Valley general store and post office, and was once the central hub of activity for the valley. Historic records provide evidence of the first bonded winery on this property in 1880. With a large line-up of Cabernet Sauvignons and Bordeaux varietals, Soda Rock wines are big & bold, just like its historic past.

About The CIA at Copia
The Culinary Institute of America’s newest location in downtown Napa, the CIA at Copia, offers food and wine experiences to the public, including hands-on cooking and beverage classes, culinary demonstrations, shopping, dining, community events, private events, and more. It is the first public-facing facility for the college.

About Jaxon Keys Winery & Distillery
Jaxon Keys, a 1250-acre estate winery, continues a historic legacy in Mendocino County with their long-term commitment to fine wine and brandy. Formerly Jepson Winery, the estate’s new name, Jaxon Keys, is a tribute to family ancestors Jack Wilson and Cecil Keys—honoring the past and heralding a new era. They offer many varietals grown on their ranch for tasting at their 1880’s Farmhouse Tasting Room. Enjoy a leisurely wine tasting at the antique bar, spend some time out on the covered veranda, drink in the views, the flavors and the old-fashioned hospitality served up Mendocino style. Jaxon Keys makes a wine for every taste — Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, white & red blends, Grenache, Zinfandel, Primitivo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Sirah, a port-style wine and Alambic pot-still brandy.