Our Sponsors
Michael Cox – Wines of Chile
“Recognition of success in this competitive environment is important and as many awards in the wine trade are for wines or wineries, the drinks business awards are very welcome.
There was an air of eager anticipation and excitement at ExCel last year, everyone likes a winner. And the awards have grown in stature and are becoming a benchmark for excellence. There were very strong candidates in all categories given that 2004 was the first one, the standard has improved and the competition fierce.
More than ever before, wine is being made with more creativity and flair, its nice to see more innovation in the marketing departments. The judges this year sought out to reward those that represented focus and the ability to target their consumers carefully. It’s not the size of the budget that’s important, it’s what you do with it!â€
Paul Symington – The Symington Family Port Companies
Partner Content
“We are pleased to continue our support for these important awards that recognise excellence and innovation in the wine and spirits trade.
The Symingtons have been Port producers since the 19th century and today the fourth generation of the family own seven leading Port houses.These include Warre’s, founded in 1670, the first of the great British Port companies; Dow’s, founded in 1798, which has been in the family’s hands since the early 1900s; and Graham’s which was acquired in 1970. In addition, the family also owns three specialist Port houses: Smith Woodhouse, Gould Campbell and Quarles Harris. The legendary Quinta do Vesuvio, one of Portugal’s greatest estates, completes the Symington family’s group of top quality Port companies. Seven members of the Symington family manage all aspects of winemaking from the vineyard to the final bottling of the wines. Together they have pioneered some of the Douro’s most modern viticultural developments and winemaking techniques, including the unique robotic lagares.â€
James Murray – Brintex
“The awards are of an impressive standard this year with a lot more entries. They are all about business excellence, which fits perfectly with what the London International Wine and Spirit Fair is all about, and we are delighted to be involved at an integral level. The awards really are first class, the content, thought and preparation were all impressive. In particular the mix of entries was very good, ranging from big budget campaigns to niche product launches. The judging sessions require concrete results and some of the achievements were exceptional. Entering awards is hard work, but it’s worth it. I think the overall impression of the entry makes a real impression.â€
