FORTH WORTH, Texas (PRWEB) – Come join the competition! The Botanical Research Institute of Texas and FIVS are pleased to announce the start of their 2020 sustainable winegrowing competition. Competition applications can be downloaded from BRIT’s web site at http://www.brit.org/wineaward and from the FIVS website http://www.fivs.org. The submission deadline for applications is September 30, 2019.
This is the first BRIT/FIVS co-branded and co-managed competition since the event began in 2010. The new partnership engages FIVS’s global membership of regional wine associations, wine producers and distributors to support and promote the competition.
The award attracts progressive and passionate wine organizations from around the world that are taking a leading role in “ground to glass” sustainable programs. The competition is based on the continuous improvement of the three tenets of sustainability – environment, economic, and social – and wine flavor.
The competition application consists of 20 high-level self-assessment questions in which applicants describe their organization’s conservation efforts in the vineyard and in operations. Examples include how waste is avoided, how it is reclaimed, and how the winery extends conservation efforts to its customers. Practices established to maintain environmentally sound, socially responsible, and economically feasible winemaking principles are detailed. Two bottles of wine must also be provided for a tasting by the judging committee. The competition has an entry fee of $50 USD.
International entrants may use their US distributors to forward their wine samples to BRIT or may use BRIT’s consignee, La Cigale Wines of Fort Worth, Texas, to clear shipments and provide COLA Waivers. If wishing to use La Cigale Wines, please contact Edward Proctor, La Cigale Wines, at (817) 923-6747 or email, ed@lacigalewines.com before shipping.
Previous platinum award recipients include: Casa Ferreirinha, 2019, Alexander Valley Vineyards (2018), Yealands Family Wines, (2017), Buzet (2016), LangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyards (2014), Yalumba (2013), Trefethen Family Vineyards (2012), Parducci Wine Cellars (2011), and HALL Wines (2010).
The competition begins May 1, 2019 with a submission deadline of September 30, 2019. Winners will be announced in November. Platinum, gold, silver, and bronze-level medals are awarded to top-placing entries.
The competition’s overall winner will be presented with BRIT/FIVS International Sustainable Winegrowing glass sculpture in Fort Worth in January 2020, during BRIT’s Vine to Table award presentation and dinner.
The valley walked away from 2018 with more awards to add to its repertoire. The highlights for the year included Alara Cellars, who took home Best of Show, Best White Wine, Best of Class and a Double Gold for their 2017 Grenache Blanc. Sarah’s Vineyard received Top Pinot of 2018 by Wine Spectacular for its Pinot Noir.
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.
2013 Mystic Hills Vineyard Monterey County Rosé
AVV is one of an elite group of wineries recognized as a Bay Area Green Business. They became a member of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Program in 2006 and achieved vineyard certification in 2014. AVV bottled their first wine produced from organic certified grapes in 2008, today the family organically farms over 30 acres and offers two wines from 100% California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) grapes. A second family vineyard will receive CCOF certification in June 2018. Other AVV sustainable initiatives include solar arrays that supply about half of the winery’s power; cover crop plantings to minimize pesticide use and control erosion; drip irrigation for precise water management; 25,000 square feet of underground, naturally cooled caves that reduce the winery’s carbon footprint; and installation of variable speed drives on all winery equipment to decrease energy waste.
For the third year in a row, Les Dauphins has been named Rhône Winery of the Year, at the 7th Annual New York International Wine Competition. Les Dauphins’ wines were among the 1,300 submitted to the competition from over 23 countries around the world.