HARPERS BASKS IN GLORY AT LANSON AWARDS

Published: 23 July, 2008

Tim Atkin MW, Harpers' editorial director, scooped the UK's top wine writing award for the third time in five years last week. Atkin collected The Lanson Wine Writer of the Year (the Black Label) for work in Harpers and The Observer. The judges described Atkin as one of a select crew who see the wine world as a whole'. His submissions, they added, were entertaining and controversial, distilling complex issues with immense knowledge'. Harpers contributor Andrew Jefford also had a good week, winning an unprecedented three awards at the 2003 Glenfiddich Food and Drink Awards and one at Le Prix du Champagne Lanson, including Glenfiddich Drink Writer of the Year for work in Harpers and Decanter. Jefford also won the Glenfiddich Wine Writer of the Year, The Glenfiddich Trophy for overall excellence in the field of food and drink writing, and The Lanson Wine Book of the Year for The New France (Mitchell Beazley). Speaking at the Glenfiddich awards, he said of Harpers: It's a wonderful publication, because it lets you have a good rant. I have been lucky in my career to have been blessed to work with good editors who let you write.' Another of Harpers' regular contributors, Giles Fallowfield, won the Lanson Champagne Writer of the Year Award for articles across a number of titles, including Harpers. From next year a new award will be given at Le Prix du Champagne Lanson: the Lanson Specialist Wine Writer of the Year (the Noble Cuve, Blanc de Blancs Award), for work in regional newspapers and non-wine specialist magazines. The full list of Le Prix du Lanson winners is: Tim Atkin MW (Wine Writer of the Year); Andrew Jefford (Wine Book of the Year); Giles Fallowfield (Champagne Writer of the Year); Hamish Marett-Crosby (Audio/Visual Work); and Susy Atkins and Susan Keevil for the Which? Wine Guide 2003 (Annual Wine Guide of the Year). Glenfiddich winners include: Jon and Erica Platter for their book Africa Uncorked; Richard Ehrlich (Bar Writer of the Year); Jamie Oliver, for TV programme Jamie's Kitchen; and Tracey MacLeod, restaurant critic (The Independent Magazine).

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