Category: Wine Awards

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!

Radici del Sud 2023 – That’s a wrap – Part I

Radici del Sud 2023

I was part of the International Jury – Group 1, which was chaired by Luca Matarazzo (20italie.com), and includes Anais Cancino (Wineteller, Mexico), Liz Palmer (wine journalist, author and influencer, Canada), Torge Thies (TRCT MEDIEN GmbH, Germany), and Anthony Rose (Decanter, freelance wine journalist and author, UK).

Our group just finished two intense days of blind tasting sparkling, rose, white and red wines of southern Italy at the beautiful medieval castle  Sannicandro di Bari. I’m happy to report that there were a lot of exciting wines this year.

Radici Del Sud is a two-day multi-event dedicated to wines in southern Italy which includes the wine competition, and B2B meetings between buyers and international importers [10-11 June].

Part II to follow

“Star Wine List” celebrates top wine lists in New York

“Star Wine List of the Year” is a celebration of the great wine lists in the world and the teams behind them. There are eight categories for the top wine lists in New York, and the category winners will qualify for the International Final in June 2023. The jury for the very first “Star Wine List of the Year New York” includes four highly respected sommeliers and wine professionals: Veronique Rivest, Best sommelier of Canada and the Americas, Doug Frost MS MW, Rajat Parr and Christy Canterbury MW.

“We are truly excited to come to Vinexpo America and reward the great wine lists of New York for the first time, and we are thrilled to see so many high-caliber entries!” says Krister Bengtsson, Star Wine List’s founder and publisher.

Star Wine List is the guide to great wine bars and wine restaurants, with recommendations made by top sommeliers and wine professionals. Since its start in Sweden in 2017, Star Wine List has grown to cover 36 countries on all continents. On starwinelist.com and the app, wine lovers can find over 2500 recommended wine bars, wine restaurants and wine lists.

The winners will be announced at Vinexpo America on 8 March at 3:30 PM.

For further details: www.starwinelist.com.

#starwinelist #bestwinelist #bestwinelistnyc #wine #vino #vin #winelist #somm #sommelier #nyc #newyorkcity #winelovers #VinexpoAmerica #winebars #restaurants

Rioja to host the 2023 World’s Best Vineyards

“The World’s Best Vineyards” list is back in 2023 and will be hosted by Rioja, Spain.  Showcasing the best of wine tourism across the globe, the annual “World’s Best Vineyards” list will be revealed at a special live event in July.

As well as its celebrated wineries, charming towns and quaint villages, Rioja is home to Mediterranean forests full of wildlife with high mountain areas to explore and stunning lunar landscapes to discover. The region offers a vast range of fun and memorable outdoor activities for all, including mountain horseback riding, 4×4 driving routes and hot-air ballooning across and over the rolling hills. Known as the gastronomic heartland of Spain, Rioja offers guests delicious culinary experiences from pincho tours to haute cuisine, fine dining and everything in between.

Situated in the north of Spain on the banks of the River Ebro, Rioja is surrounded by the majestic Sierra de Cantabria and Sierra de la Demanda Mountain ranges resulting in a breath-taking and picturesque landscape. It is most well-known for its wide variety of grapes, rich soils, climates, and stunning wineries that never cease to amaze visitors. The region spans 65,000 hectares and is home to more than 600 wineries from world-famous, award-winning destinations with avant-garde architecture to small family-run historical establishments. Preserved generation after generation, each one has something unique to offer guests making it the perfect destination to celebrate this year’s World’s Best Vineyards.

The World’s Best Vineyards annual list highlights the top vineyards to visit globally and aims to promote wine tourism around the world. Each year the list showcases unique vineyards with unrivalled visitor experiences, from modern architectural wonders, UNESCO-protected ancient cellars, and Michelin-starred restaurants to family-run wineries with intimate tours. The Voting Academy consists of over 500 leading wine experts, sommeliers and travel experts and they submit their nominations based on the different criteria that make the best destination vineyard, including quality of the overall experience, ambiance, cuisine, activities, views, staff, and value for money. The results are then collated and converted into the annual World’s Best Vineyards list.

Fernando Ezquerro, President of Denominacion de  stats: “It is an honour to host the prestigious World’s Best Vineyards 2023 event and a great opportunity to show the world why Rioja is Spain’s finest wine region. Rioja’s history and traditions have led it to establish itself not only as the leading winemaking region in Spain, but also as the country’s go-to destination for wine tourism, which has had a driving effect on the recovery and diversification of tourism in Spain. Our passion for hospitality and wine making makes Rioja such a special place to visit.”

#WorldsBestVineyards #WorldsBestVineyards2023 #wbv #Riojawine #travelling #wine #vineyards #winelovers #winenews #vino #spanishwine #spanishwinelovers #winetourism #SoakUpTheView #BottleList #VinoVisa #WineTraveller #WineTravel #spainsfinest #RiojaEsElOrigen @WorldsBestVineyards @rioja