Four New Masters of Wine Inducted

The Institute of Masters of Wine has welcomed four new Masters of Wine to its membership at an awards ceremony yesterday at Vintners’ Hall in London.

The ceremony celebrated the inauguration of the new MWs and recognized individual excellence in areas of the MW examination. Some Masters of Wine from around the globe attended the event to welcome the new ‘MW vintage’.

The four new MWs inaugurated at Vintners’ Hall included, Wojciech Bońkowski MW (Poland), Joshua Grainer MW (United States), Erin Jolley MW (United States) and Andrea Lonardi MW (Italy).

Cathy van Zyl MW, Chair of the IMW said: “The official welcome of new MWs into the Institute is the highlight of our calendar. Not only because it takes each MW back to the day they joined the Institute but because, as a community, we celebrate the commitment, enthusiasm and study it takes to pass the examination; recognized the achievement of our new MWs; and show our respect for their achievement. Congratulations to Wojciech, Joshua, Erin and Andrea.”

Julian Gore-Booth, Executive Director of the IMW said: “We are delighted to welcome four new members to the MW family. They represent the pinnacle of excellence and achievement in the wine world and we are proud to have them with us.”

There are currently 414 Masters of Wine based in 31 different countries.

2023 Michelangelo International Wine and Spirits Awards

I’m en route to Stellenbosch, South Africa to participate as a judge in the 2023 Michelangelo International Wine and Spirits Awards.  I look forward to meeting the esteemed panel of international judges for judging week which will be taking place from July 24th to 28th, 2023.

The judges are comprised of selected wine and spirits experts hailing from five different continents, in which we will be employing the internationally recognized 100-point system, and using the blind judging approach.

This year we will be judging at the stunning Lourensford Wine Estate, which is in the heart of the historical winelands of Somerset West. Spanning over 4,000 hectares of lush forest, fynbos, fruit orchards and sprawling vineyards, it is set against the stunning backdrop the Helderberg Mountains, caressed by breezes off the Atlantic Ocean.

 

Stay tuned for some more updates!

 

18th Edition of Radici del Sud – Results Announced [Part ll]

The award winners for the 18th Edition of Radici del Sud were announced at the award ceremonies this morning at Sannicandro di Bari. Over 350 wines [from Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Molise, Puglia, Sardinia and Sicily] were tasted and judged by four juries which were composed of International and Italian journalists, enologists, and buyers. In attendance was Giuseppe Giannone, the Mayor of Sannicandro di Bari (Italy), Nicola Campanile, President, Radici del Sud, the four panel chairs, the wine judges and the wineries or their representatives.

The four panel chairs who are well-known ad Italian wine experts include: Richard Baudains from @ass_enoteche_italiane_vinarius; Andrea Terraneo, President of @20italie; Luca Matarazzo from @decanter, and Maurizio Valerian from @vinodabere.

Here is a breakdown of the four groups:

International Jury Group 1:

Luca Matarazzo – Presidente di giuria- IT – 20Italie.com

Anais Cancino – Mexico – Wineteller

Liz Palmer – Canada – Wine Journalist, Author, and Influencer

Torge Thies – Germania – TRCT MEDIEN GmbH

Anthony Rose – Regno Unito – Decanter / Freelance wine journalist / Author

International Jury Group 2:

Richard Baudains – President of the Jury – United Kingdom – Decanter

Young Shi – United Kingdom – TS WINE www.tastespirit.com

Robert McNulty – USA – Wine Academy Italia

Jeff Barrows – USA – Food Wine Click!

Ben Little – Ireland – Thenativegrapes.com

National Jury Group 1

Maurizio Valeriani – President of the Jury – IT – Vinodabere.it

Franco Santini – IT – Acquabuona.it

Luigi Salvo – IT – Vinup.it

Francesco Fortunato – IT (Enologist)

Salvatore Digiacomo – IT (Enologist)

National Jury Group 2

Andrea Terraneo – President of IT Jury – President Vinarius

Francesco Bonfio – IT – Presidente AEPI

Katarina Andersson – IT – Grapevine Adventures

Matteo Esposito – IT (Enologist)

Tiziana Micelli – IT (Enologist)

The full list of the “Award Winning Wines for 18th Edition of Radici del Sud”

AwardName of WineryRegionLabelVariety/VarietiesVintage
1st place
national jury
BRARONE G.R. MACRÌCALABRIACENTOCAMERE
BIANCO
MANTONICO 100%2019
2nd place

national jury

CAIAFFA VINIPUGLIAMYRIAFIANO 100%2022
1st place
international jury
CAIAFFA VINIPUGLIAMYRIAFIANO 100%2022
2nd place
international jury
GIOVANNI AIELLOPUGLIACHAKRA BLUVERDECA 100%2021
2nd place
international jury
ORIGINE & IDENTITÀCALABRIA20-18ZIBIBBO 100%2021
1st place national juryVITIVINICOLA PUDDUSARDEGNABALOICANNONAU 100%2022
2nd place national juryVIGNAIOLI PUGLIESIPUGLIABULLA AUFIDUS ROSÉNERO DI TROIA 100%2021
     
1st place international juryBRARONE G.R. MACRÌCALABRIACENTOCAMERE ROSATONERELLO MASCALESE 100%2019
2nd place international juryVITIVINICOLA PUDDUSARDEGNABALOICANNONAU 100%2022
1st place national juryAGNANUMCAMPANIAAGNUM FALANGHINAFALANGHINA 100%2021
2nd place national juryNATIVCAMPANIACUPA DEL PARADISOFALANGHINA 100%2022
1st place international juryALABASTRA
PINTORE & VALENTINO
CAMPANIAFALANGHINAFALANGHINA 100%2018
2nd place international juryCANTINE KANDEAPUGLIACOSTANZAFALANGHINA 100%2019
1st place national juryCANTINE KANDEAPUGLIAANAISGRECO 100%2019
2nd place national juryALABASTRA
PINTORE & VALENTINO
CAMPANIAGRECOGRECO 100%2018
1st place international juryDI PRISCOCAMPANIAGRECO DI TUFOGRECO 100%2020
2nd place international jurySAN SALVATORE 1988CAMPANIACALPAZIOGRECO 100%2022
1st place national juryCANTINE KANDEAPUGLIABIANCOFIOREFIANO 100%2021
2nd place national juryAGRI GIRARDIPUGLIACIMAGLIAFIANO 50% MALVASIA 50%2022
1st place international juryDI PRISCOCAMPANIAIRPINIA FIANOFIANO 100%2020
2nd place international jurySAN SALVATORE 1988CAMPANIAPIAN DI STIOFIANO 100%2022
1st place national jury- SiciliaIUPPASICILIALINDO ETNA BIANCO
SUPERIORE DOC
CARRICANTE 90%
CATARRATTO 10%
2020
1st place national jury- CalabriaCANTINE BENVENUTOCALABRIABENVENUTO ZIBIBBOZIBIBBO 100%2022
1st place national jury- CampaniaMARISA CUOMOCAMPANIAFURORE BIANCO
FIORDUVA
40% RIPOLI 30% FENILE
30% GINESTRA
2021
1st place national jury- Sardegna ex aequoCANTINA CAMBONI GIOVANNISARDEGNAGIOVANNI CAMBONIVERMENTINO 100%2022
1st place national jury- Sardegna ex aequoSIDDÙRASARDEGNAMAÌAVERMENTINO 100%2021
1st place national jury- AbruzzoOREFICE VINIABRUZZOCOCOCCIOLACOCOCCIOLA 100%2022
1st place national jury- BasilicataCANTINA DI VENOSABASILICATAVERBO MALVASIAMALVASIA100%2022
1st place national jury- PugliaVINI DI MONTEMARCUCCIOPUGLIAPRIMI FILARIVERDECA 100%2022
1st place international jury- CampaniaMARISA CUOMOCAMPANIAFURORE BIANCO
FIORDUVA
40% RIPOLI 30% FENILE
30% GINESTRA
2021
1st place international jury- CalabriaORIGINE & IDENTITÀCALABRIACENTODÍZIBIBBO100%2022
1st place international jury- SardegnaSIDDÙRASARDEGNAMAÌAVERMENTINO 100%2021
1st place international jury- SiciliaBAGLIO DEL CRISTO DI CAMPOBELLOSICILIALALÙCIGRILLO 100%2022
1st place international jury- AbruzzoPODERI D’AURIZIOABRUZZOD’AURI’PECORINO 100%2021
1st place international jury- PugliaVINI DI MONTEMARCUCCIOPUGLIAPRIMI FILARIVERDECA 100%2022
1st place national jury- PugliaCASA PRIMISPUGLIAMONROSENERO DI TROIA 100%2022
2nd place national jury- PugliaMICHELE BIANCARDI CANTINE E VIGNE DAUNEPUGLIAROSALIANERO DI TROIA 100%2022
1st place national jury- Abruzzo ex aequoBUZZARONE VIGNAIOLO IN CASTELFERRATOABRUZZORUGGITOMONTEPULCIANO 100%2022
1st place national jury- Abruzzo ex aequoCREA VINIABRUZZOAMARTI SEMPREMONTEPULCIANO 100%2022
1st place national jury- MoliseCAMPI VALERIOMOLISEPER UNA ROSATINTILIA 100%2022
1st place national jury- SardegnaSIDDURASARDEGNANUDOCANNONAU 100%2022
1st place national jury- SiciliaBAGLIO DEL CRISTO DI CAMPOBELLOSICILIAC’D’C’ CRISTO
DI CAMPOBELLO ROSATO
NERO D’AVOLA 100%2022
1st place national jury- CampaniaIFALCOCAMPANIAFA’ CRUCIAGLIANICO 100%2022
1st place national jury- CalabriaCANTINE STATTICALABRIAGRECO NEROGRECO NERO 100%2022
1st place international jury- PugliaMANDWINERY (FAMIGLIA MANDUANO)PUGLIABISCIÙNERO DI TROIA 100%2022
2nd place international jury- PugliaTORREVENTOPUGLIAPRIMARONANERO DI TROIA 100%2022
1st place international jury- AbruzzoBUZZARONE VIGNAIOLO IN CASTELFERRATOABRUZZORUGGITOMONTEPULCIANO 100%2022
1st place international jury- SardegnaSIDDURASARDEGNANUDOCANNONAU 100%2022
1st place international jury- SiciliaBAGLIO DEL CRISTO DI CAMPOBELLOSICILIAC’D’C’ CRISTO
DI CAMPOBELLO ROSATO
NERO D’AVOLA 100%2022
1st place international jury- CampaniaIFALCOCAMPANIAFA’ CRUCIAGLIANICO 100%2022
1st place international jury- CalabriaTENUTA DEL TRAVALECALABRIAEPICARMANERELLO CAPPUCCIO 100%2022
1st place national jury- SardegnaVITIVINICOLA
FULGHESU LE VIGNE
SARDEGNAKANTHARUMURISTELLU 35%
CANNONAU 30%
MONICA 25%
CAGNULARI 10%
2019
1st place national jury- SiciliaIUPPASICILIACLO ETNA ROSSONERELLO MASCALESE 85% –
NERELLO CAPPUCCIO 15%
2020
1st place national jury- CalabriaLIBRANDICALABRIADUCA SANFELICEGAGLIOPPO 100%2020
1st place national jury- CampaniaMARISA CUOMOCAMPANIAFUROREAGLIANICO 50%
PIEDIROSSO 50%
2019
1st place national jury- PugliaVINI DI MONTEMARCUCCIOPUGLIAELPÌSOTTAVIANELLO 100%2022
1st place national jury- MoliseCAMPI VALERIOMOLISEOPALIA TINTILIA
DEL MOLISE DOC 2019
TINTILIA 100%2019
1st place international jury- SardegnaVITIVINICOLA
FULGHESU LE VIGNE
SARDEGNASENTIDUCAGNULARI 100%2016
1st place international jury- SiciliaIUPPASICILIACLO ETNA ROSSONERELLO MASCALESE 85% –
NERELLO CAPPUCCIO 15%
2020
1st place international jury- CalabriaCANTINE CACCAMOCALABRIACAPARBIOCALABRESE 80%
NERELLO MASCALESE 20%
2020
1st place international jury- CampaniaMARISA CUOMOCAMPANIARAVELLOPIEDIROSSO 70%
AGLIANICO 30%
2019
1st place international jury- MoliseANGELO D’UVAMOLISELAGENATINTILIA 100%2020
1st place international jury- PugliaCooperativa AlterecoPUGLIAROSSO LIBEROBLEND UVE AUTOCTONE 100%2021
1st place
national jury
PODERI D’AURIZIOABRUZZOD’AURÌMONTEPULCIANO 100%2021
2nd place
national jury
DONVITANTONIO VINIABRUZZODONVITANTONIOMONTEPULCIANO 100 %2019
      
1st place international juryOREFICE VINIABRUZZO1932MONTEPULCIANO 100%2015
2nd place international juryL’ ARDITO AZIENDA AGRICOLAPUGLIADON FELICEMONTEPULCIANO 100%2021
1st place
national jury
CANTINE EMERA
DI CLAUDIO QUARTA VIGNAIOLO
PUGLIAANIMA DI NEGROAMARO
LIZZANO NEGROAMARO
DOP SUPERIORE
NEGROAMARO 100%2019
2 place
national jury
LE VIGNE DI SAMMARCOPUGLIAORMANERA SALICE SALENTINO DOP RISERVANEGROAMARO 100%2016
2 place
national jury
FABIANA WINESPUGLIAKALEMA
NEGROAMARO SALENTO
NEGROAMARO 100%2020
1st place international juryCANTINE PAOLO LEOPUGLIAORFEONEGROAMARO 100%2021
2nd place international juryFABIANA WINESPUGLIAKALEMA
NEGROAMARO SALENTO
NEGROAMARO 100%2020
     
1st place
national jury
FATALONE ORGANIC WINESPUGLIAFATALONE RISERVAPRIMITIVO 100%2020
2nd place
national jury
MASSERIA MITAPUGLIAIMPERATRICEPRIMITIVO 70%
NEGROAMARO 30%
2018
      
1st place international juryCANTINE DUE PALMEPUGLIASANGAETANOPRIMITIVO 100%2022
2nd place international juryFATALONE ORGANIC WINESPUGLIAFATALONE RISERVAPRIMITIVO 100%2020
     
1st place
national jury
TORREVENTOPUGLIATORRE DEL FALCONERO DI TROIA 100%2021
2nd place
national jury
PIARULLI VINI ED OLIOPUGLIANERO DI TROIANERO DI TROIA 100%2021
2nd place
national jury
CAIAFFA VINIPUGLIAVIBRANSNERO DI TROIA 100%2019
     
1st place international juryCRIFOPUGLIAAUGUSTALENERO DI TROIA 100%2017
2nd place international juryCAIAFFA VINIPUGLIAVIBRANSNERO DI TROIA 100%2019
     
1st place
national jury
FAMIGLIA DEMELASSARDEGNAGIOGUCANNONAU 100%2021
2nd place
national jury
VITIVINICOLA PUDDUSARDEGNACARROSCANNONAU 100%2019
     
1st place international juryVITIVINICOLA F
ULGHESU LE VIGNE
SARDEGNAAMPSICORACANNONAU 100%2020
2nd place international jurySEBASTIANO POLINASSARDEGNAPOLINASCANNONAU 100%2020
     
1st place
national jury
LIBRANDICALABRIAMEGONIOMAGLIOCCO 100%2021
1st place
national jury
TENUTE PACELLICALABRIATERRA ROSSAMAGLIOCCO 100%2020
2nd place
national jury
CASA COMERCICALABRIA‘ABATIAMAGLIOCCO CANINO 100%2021
     
1st place international juryCASA COMERCICALABRIA‘ABATIAMAGLIOCCO CANINO 100%2021
2nd place international juryLIBRANDICALABRIAMEGONIOMAGLIOCCO 100%2021
1st place
national jury
CANTINE DELITECAMPANIAGENEROSOAGLIANICO 100%2013
2nd place
national jury
AZIENDA AGRICOLA
ANTONIO COVUCCIA
CAMPANIA1931AGLIANICO 100%2021
1st place international juryCONTRADAMITOCAMPANIADUNSOGNOAGLIANICO 100%2016
2nd place international jury2VITECAMPANIA2VITEAGLIANICO 70%
PIEDIROSSO 30%
2020
2nd place international juryAZIENDA AGRICOLA BOCCELLACAMPANIAIRPINIA CAMPI TAURASINIAGLIANICO 100%2020
2nd place international juryANTICO CASTELLOCAMPANIAMAGISAGLIANICO 100%2016
1st place
national jury
AMARANOCAMPANIALAGONESSAAGLIANICO 100%2014
2nd place
national jury
CONTRADAMITOCAMPANIAAMATOAGLIANICO 100%2016
1st place international juryCONTRADAMITOCAMPANIAAMATOAGLIANICO 100%2016
2nd place international juryAZIENDA AGRICOLA BOCCELLACAMPANIASANT’EUSTACHIOAGLIANICO 100%2018
      
1st place
national jury
CANTINE DEL NOTAIOBASILICATAL’AUTENTICAMOSCATO 70% MALVASIA 30%2021
2nd place
national jury
BOTROMAGNO –
PODERI D’AGOSTINO
PUGLIAGRAVISANOMALVASIA BIANCA 100%2015

 

Tasting the wines was exciting and very representative of their territories of origin. It was also interesting to see more blends and rare varieties being representative.

Radici del Sud is an event of great importance. Not only does it celebrate and reward the best wine excellences in the south of Italy, it also brings international visibility to Southern Italian viticulture, which is a fascinating world to discover!

Coravin Launches Single-Serve Vinitas System

Coravin, a global wine technology company, revolutionized the way wine is consumed 10 years ago with the launch of its preservation system that pours wine without removing the cork.

Coravin is now disrupting the category again with the launch of its next industry-changing device, Coravin Vinitas™, designed to help businesses share preserved tastings of wine with “try before you buy” while boosting interest in wine education.

Coravin Vinitas™ System

Coravin Vinitas™ is a revolutionary small-footprint device that transfers wine into smaller consumables with up to 12 months of preservation.

“Until now, there has not been a scalable automated product that creates single-serve formats and maintains the quality of the wine inside for months, as opposed to weeks,” said Greg Lambrecht, Coravin founder and inventor. “With Coravin Vinitas™, companies, hospitality services, and trade can sample and fractionalize any bottle, any time, on-site, ensuring the highest quality experience for businesses and consumers, no more needlessly shipping full-size bottles where only a taste is needed.”

“During the early days of the pandemic, we spotted a gap in the market for this type of self-use fractionalization device that would allow our customers to send samples, preserved for months, to their trade customers and consumers,” said Chris Ladd, Coravin CEO. “Since then, we have continued to see the wine industry struggle to connect with a younger consumer audience who have far more options to choose from than previous generations. Coravin Vinitas™ addresses this need and is primed to change the way the world consumes wine.”

Coravin spent more than eighteen months building and testing the Coravin Vinitas™ with wineries, retailers, and wine schools around the world including Napa Valley Wine Academy, Langton’s, Ceretto, Château Montelena, ONX, Alkina, Stéphane Derenoncourt of Domaine de l’A, Château Haut Bailly, Tooth & Nail Wine Co., Benom, Clos Solene, Claudio Martins Wine Advisor, Justin Leone, and more.

To learn more CoravinVinitas.com.

The World Premier of wine documentary Eastbound Westbound – A Winemaker’s Story (from Bordeaux and California) launches on APPLE TV+ May 12, 2023

E Studioz, and PMG Productions, co-producers of the documentary, offer a thrilling investigation, plunging the viewer into the heart of the history and culture of wine.

Bordeaux independent film producer, E Studioz, is launching on APPLE TV+ May 12 an original wine documentary that traces and demonstrates the historical and unwavering links between the United States and Bordeaux and their wines – Eastbound Westbound – A Winemaker’s Story. This modern and fast-paced cinematic documentary was conceived from an original idea by Gerard Spatafora and Frédéric Lot, co-written by Jeffrey Davies, and directed by Julien Couson, founder of PMG Productions.

An investigation like no other Eastbound Westbound lets the viewer understand how this Franco-American friendship around Bordeaux wines had its starting point in the 18th century around the greatest connoisseur of fine wines and lover of Bordeaux, Thomas Jefferson, US Ambassador to Paris, and the third President of the United States.

To better demonstrate Thomas Jefferson’s legacy, this intimate relationship between the two wine-growing continents is illustrated through interlinked portraits of distinguished wine families, from varied backgrounds, all sharing passion for wine. Leading players in their field, they produce some of the best wines in the world. These endearing and outstanding women and men are introduced in a more contemporary section by American wine merchant and former wine journalist Jeffrey Davies, an expert on the terroirs and winemaking fabric in Bordeaux and on the other side of the Atlantic. Jeffrey will meet and exchange about this relationship with the worldwide famous critic Robert Parker.

Commenced in 2020, this project was made possible through the support of four great and charismatic Bordeaux wine families, the main actors in this film, appearing as themselves in this opus. HRH Prince Robert of Luxembourg (Château Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion in Pessac-Léognan, and Quintus in Saint-Émilion), Alfred, Justine and Noé Tesseron (Château Pontet-Canet in Pauillac and Pym-Rae in Napa Valley), Claire and Gonzague Lurton (Château Haut-Bages Liberal in Pauillac, Château Dufort-Vivens in Margaux and Acaibo in Sonoma) and Denise Adams (Château Fonplégade in Saint-Émilion and Adamus in Napa Valley) are the cornerstones of this first episode. These charismatic families, all major wine producers, were drawn by the spirit of entrepreneurship while taking risks to taste the “California dream” Other well-known American names have taken the opposite path by investing in the Bordeaux vineyard, the true epicenter – in reputation as well as in know-how – of world viticulture.

Awards Received
April 2023 – the film received three awards by The Annual TASTE AWARDS, Hollywood, California. Often called “The Oscars of Food, Fashion and Lifestyle Media”, The Annual TASTE AWARDS are the original awards for the Lifestyle Entertainment Industry, and the highest awards for creators, producers, hosts, and directors of Lifestyle Programs, Series, Shows & Cinema.

Eastbound Westbound – A Winemaker’s Story, received the following awards :

  • Special Achievement Honoree Award Winners – Spotlight Award;
  • Film Category Taste Award Nominee Best Feature-Length Film or Documentary; and
  • Best Director Craft Awards Nominee.

Eastbound Westbound Website: https://eastboundwestbound.wine/
Watch the Trailer: https://eastboundwestbound.wine/watch-the-trailer/