Winners annouced in first WineStars competition at LIWF

Published: 24 May, 2012

A host of wineries have been offered multiple opportunities for listings in the UK on and off-trades after the first Winestars competition at the London International Wine Fair.

Organised by Catherine Monhan of Clink! Wines up to 200 wineries entered to win the chance of gaining a UK listing for the first time.

The panel of judges whittled the entries down to a final 20 which after initial meetings and tastings resulted in a live final where 10 wineries pitched in front of an audience of LIWF delegates to prospective on and off-trade players.

The panel included: Justin Howard-Sneyd of Direct Wines; Andrew Shaw and Anne Jones of Waitrose; Joan Torrents of Mitchells & Butler; Ben Stephenson of Hanging Ditch; Catherine Monahan, Clink Wines!; Robin Davis, Swig and Kevin Shaw of Stranger & Stranger.

Successful wineries included Blankbottle Wines form South Africa which received offers for listings from M&B, Swig, Hanging Ditch and Clink!

Brazil's leading winery, Co-operativa Vinicola Aurora received interest for listings from Direct Wines, Waitrose, and Clink, but further discussions need to take place around suitable labels for the UK.

Springvale Wines nearly got a clean sweep of offers with only Direct Wines not putting their hands up look at taking on their wines.

You can find a full list of winners and also have the chance of bidding to take on the wines from the 190 other wineries that entered the competition on www.wine-stars.com.

Joan Torrents of Mitchells & Butler told Harpers: "This has been a really interesting and fun thing to do and exactly what the Wine Fair needs. It is great to see people standing up talking with such great passion about their wines and telling their stories."

Robert Joseph, who help organise the event as well as chair the proceedings said great credit should go to Cathering Monahan for coming up with the idea and making it happen within six weeks from start to finish.

The final was held on the Access Zone, social media area of the LIWF organised by Ryan Opaz, Rob McIntosh and Varazon.

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