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IWC announces new Cellar Door of the Year Award in partnership with VisitEngland

Published:  13 April, 2016

A new award has been set up at the world's largest wine competition to discover and celebrate England's best vineyard experience.

The International Wine Challenge (IWC) has teamed up with VisitEngland at the National Tourist Board to award the most successful cellar door attractions throughout England.

The IWC Cellar Door of the Year Award is a brand new category that will assess the overall customer service and touristic value delivered by English wine producers.

This new category is the first of its kind at an internationally recognised competition.

Chris Ashton, events director of the IWC said: "The IWC Cellar Door of the Year Award is about showcasing and celebrating some of the amazing experiences offered by our home-grown producers. We felt it was time the industry recognised the commitment to customer service demonstrated by our English winemakers. We are thrilled to be partnering with VisitEngland on this endeavour as their seal of approval is worth its weight in gold."

Entrants will be visited by an accredited VisitEngland quality assessor posing as a regular consumer, and scored against set criteria.

VisitEngland will then provide all entrants with a detailed report of its findings, as well as offering advice and support on areas for improvement.

Winners can expect a number of benefits, including consumer and trade awareness through a national and international PR campaign and new marketing opportunities.

Winners and shortlisted companies will also be able to use the relevant IWC English Cellar Door of the Year logos on their website and marketing materials as a "seal of quality" for consumers to look out for.

Pam Foden, head of industry development at VisitEngland said: "Our extensive experience in quality assessment of visitor experiences makes us perfectly placed to offer valuable feedback, share best practice and highlight areas of excellence with the vineyard operators following each unannounced visit. We look forward to learning more about this expanding new sector of the tourism industry".

Julia Trustram Eve, marketing director at English Wine Producers added: "Wine tourism is popular the world over and it's great to see it growing so much in the UK. The IWC initiative will undoubtedly highlight the many fantastic facilities that visitors can enjoy in English vineyards."

The competition is now open for entries. Visit www.iwcmerchantawards.com/uk for more information.

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