IWSC launches top blogger quest

The International Wine & Spirit Competition has opened nominations for this year’s Blogger of the Year award.

Sponsored by Gonzalez Byass, the prize is designed to recognise “an individual who has positively influenced public awareness and interest in wines and/or spirits in the last 12 months through a blog.”

Last year’s entries attracted a broad field of candidates, both from the UK and further afield, and with specialisms in various areas across the wine and spirits sector. The eventual winner for 2014 was Fiona Beckett, a UK columnist for the Guardian and author, whose blog focuses on matching food and wine.

Other previous winners include Jamie Goode and Madeline Puckette, who explained the credibility boost that this IWSC recognition gave to her own blog.

“It gives your best customers validation that they’re not the only ones who think you’re special,” she remarked. “After putting the IWSC award credit on the front page of our site we noticed Wine Folly followers began spreading our story more through word of mouth. I haven’t been able to get control of my email inbox ever since.”

Nominations for the 2015 award remain open until 6 May, when entries will be assessed by a judging panel on criteria including quality of engagement, blog reach, feedback generated and interaction, overall quality of content and the range of media used, from pictures to video and text.

The winner will be announced at the annual IWSC Awards Presentation and Banquet on Thursday 26 November at the Guildhall in London.

For more information or to keep up to date with the latest IWSC news and deadlines, visit www.iwsc.net.