The closing date for entries into the first UK Wine List Awards is January 31, so restaurants, buyers or suppliers looking to nominate outlets into the competition should send a copy of the list, details of the restaurant, pub or bar and contact details to info@starwinelist.com.
Can you tell us why you are keen to be a partner of the new UK Wine List Awards?
New Zealand Winegrowers is delighted to support the new UK Wine List Awards from Star Wine List and The Buyer. Traditionally the on-trade have been very supportive of New Zealand wines and we are pleased to recognise that by sponsoring the Best New Zealand List category.
New Zealand wines are very versatile and stylistically fit well on wine lists and match with a wide range of cuisines from around the world and we hope that restaurants entering this category are able to showcase the diversity New Zealand offers.
What trends have you seen in terms of the New Zealand wines being listed and sold in the on-trade?
Vagabond Wines’ has had good success listing more expensive and premium New Zealand wines
The on-trade is an important showcase for New Zealand wines and provides an opportunity to display the wide range of styles available, allowing more consumers to explore the depth of New Zealand wines. Before the pandemic struck, New Zealand was performing well in this channel, and we had seen a growing interest in New Zealand’s sustainability and organic wines plus New Zealand’s lighter wine styles.
While the on-trade has been effectively shuttered for the past year, we have seen much growth in take home sales of New Zealand wines. Our hope is that this growing awareness and popularity will bring opportunities for the on trade to take advantage of New Zealand wine in this sector.
Where in particular do you think New Zealand still has a chance to grow and gain more listings of certain styles in the on-trade?
New Zealand is, of course, very well known for Sauvignon Blanc, but there are so many other different varieties planted across the country. We have exciting aromatic varieties and rosé is a growing category in its own right – and not just seen as a summer drink any more. These styles of wine are also very food friendly.
The New Zealand lighter wine category is also an area that suits the on-trade well, while New Zealand Chardonnay offers great versatility across a wide range of styles.
When it comes to the reds, Pinot Noir from New Zealand is highly sought after, delivers great quality and value so would be a great addition to any list. Whilst in the warmer regions there are elegant and intense red blends and Syrah plantings are increasing rapidly as they attract increasing attention on a global stage.
How have you looked to work with the UK on-trade during the months of lockdown?
The first of what were four New Zealand Wine Diaries held across 2020…here Jane Skilton MW hosts the first one with Master Sommeliers John Szabo, David Keck and Ronan Sayburn
It has been very difficult for the on-trade throughout the past year and we have tried to play our part. We ran a conversational series of webinars with three Master Sommeliers from the UK, US and Canada – the New Zealand Wine Diaries – to discuss important themes and trends for New Zealand wine to help restaurants and sommeliers understand the opportunity that New Zealand wine can offer.
What plans do you have for 2021 in terms of working with the on-trade when you can?
New Zealand’s Virtual Week offers a wide range of tastings, webinars and seminars
Education is vitally important and when we can run events again, we will look to restart our on-trade focussed education programme. In the meantime, we invite any on-trade professional to tune in to our Virtual Wine Week that starts on February 8, and is our replacement for what would normally be our annual trade tasting as this time of the year. We know sommeliers have a thirst for knowledge and are always eager to learn so we hope they will enjoy the wide ranging programme of online activity including tastings, discussions, and webinars.
These events will provide some great content about our New Zealand wine story and provide viewers the opportunity to participate in live discussions with leading wine professionals from around the world. It is available for anyone to participate in and learn more about New Zealand wine. To find out more and sign up for the activities click here.
You also run the Sommit event for sommeliers – can you explain how that works and what plans you have for it?
New Zealand’s Sommit event has proved hugely popular around the world with places highly sought after
The New Zealand Wine Sommelier Scholarship provides engaged wine professionals from all over the world with the opportunity to take part in an unforgettable wine experience, discovering the regions, varieties, landscapes and personalities that make New Zealand wine so distinctly New Zealand. Open to working sommeliers, the programme brings together 20 sommeliers from across the world in an all-encompassing celebration of the lesser known aspects of New Zealand wine, with particular emphasis on the facets that resonate with the sommelier community.
Due to the global impact of Covid-19, and the implications for the international on-premise community, the New Zealand Wine Sommelier Scholarship had to be postponed this year, but as soon as the situation changes we hope to open up applications again for the next edition.
But we did create a Virtual Sommit reunion with all the sommeliers who have taken part in the Sommit events in New Zealand since its inception. This was a chance to bring them all together, online, and reconnect in what has been a very tough time. We asked them all to post a memory from their experience and tag a fellow sommelier from their trip.
Any final thoughts on how you see the trade bouncing back in 2021 and the role you can play in that?
There is no doubt the on-trade will bounce back strongly when it can. It has gone through a tough time, but I really think the general public will be looking forward to getting out and enjoying the dining out experience again. I hope on-trade buyers and restaurants will look for opportunities where they can deliver value to their customers, and I think the popularity of New Zealand wine is certainly an area where they could benefit.
UK Wine List Awards
The UK Wine List Awards is a joint collaboration between The Buyer and Star Wine List which also runs other wine list competition in other countries around the world. This is the first time there is a UK event.
The awards are open now to both self nomination and also for importers to recommend customers. The closing date is January 31.
The Categories
Each competition around the world has a number of categories that are the same – to help determine the global winners – but are also open to their own individual awards to reflect the tastes and styles of wines being sold in that particular country or city.
Global categories
Grand Prix (best overall wine list), partnered by Austrian Wine
Best Austrian Wine List, presented by Austrian Wine
By the Glass
Special Jury Price, sponsored by SOWINE, the drinks marketing and communication consultancy.
Best Short list
UK categories
- By The Glass, sponsored by Fine Wines Direct UK
- California Wine List of the Year category, backed by The California Wine Institute.
- German Wine List of the Year, sponsored by Wines of Germany.
- New Zealand Wine List of the Year, sponsored by New Zealand Wine.
- Lockdown Wine List – sponsored by Bibendum
Judging
What potentially sets these awards apart is the fact they are judged by some of the world’s most awarded and respected sommeliers, including a number of former past Best Sommeliers in the World. The panel is chaired by UK ambassador for Star Wine List, Ruth Spivey.
Yang Lu MS joins the panel of sommelier judges who will be picking out the finalists and winners in the inaugural UK Wine List of the Year Awards
- Arvid Rosengren, 2016 Best Sommelier of the World
- Paz Levinson, Best Sommelier of Argentina and the Americas
- Pascaline Lepeltier, 2018 Best Sommelier of France
- Marc Almert, 2019 Best Sommelier of the World
- Lu Yang MS, Best Sommelier of China.
The closing date for entries into the first UK Wine List Awards is January 31, so restaurants, buyers or suppliers looking to nominate outlets into the competition should send a copy of the list, details of the restaurant, pub or bar and contact details to info@starwinelist.com.
Awards Ceremony
The awards will be handed out during an online ceremony hosted by The Buyer’s Richard Siddle and Ruth Spivey at 6pm February 22. The event will be streamed live on Star Wine List’s Facebook, sign up for the event at: facebook.com/events/853845398740676
