Wine Enthusiast Magazine takes great pleasure in announcing the 55 nominees for its 11th annual Wine Star Awards, and its exciting, new category, Restaurateur of the Year. The awards recognize excellence on all levels of the industry, from producing premium wines and spirits to marketing and distributing them. Profiles of these nominees will appear in the November issue of the magazine (published on October 5) while the winners of each category will be announced and presented in-depth in the December 15 issue (published early November).
All award recipients will be honored at the annual Wine Star Awards gala dinner on Monday, January 24, 2011 at the New York Public Library in New York City.
Person of the Year
Andrew Browne (Precept Brands)
Nicolás Catena (Catena Zapata, Argentina)
Bill Foley (Foley Estates)
Jerry Lohr (J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines)
Christian Moueix (Etablissements J.P Moueix)
American Winery of the Year
Barefoot (Modesto, CA)
Hermann J. Weimer (Finger Lakes, NY)
J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines (San José, CA)
Pacific Rim (Columbia Valley, WA)
Shafer Vineyards (Napa Valley, CA)
Winemaker of the Year
Frederic Bonnaffous and Guillaume Pouthier, Dourthe (France)
Bob Cabral, Williams Selyem (California)
Genevieve Janssens, Robert Mondavi Winery (California)
Zelma Long, Vilafonte, (South Africa)
Phillipe Melka, Melka Wines (California)
European Winery of the Year
Gérard Bertrand (France)
Louis Latour (France)
Mastroberardino (Italy)
Sogrape (Portugal)
Viña Sastre (Spain)
Wine Region of the Year
Rhône Valley (France)
Ribera Del Duero (Spain)
Russian River Valley (California)
Prosecco (Italy)
Willamette Valley (Oregon)
New World Winery of the Year
Achaval-Ferrer (Argentina)
Bodega Catena Zapata (Argentina)
Craggy Range (New Zeland)
DGB (South Africa)
Viña San Pedro (Chile)
Distiller of the Year
Beefeater Gin
Cooper Spirits (St-Germain)
Hangar One
Jack Daniel’s
MIlagro Tequila
Importer of the Year
Aveníu Brands
Fine Estates From Spain
Kermit Lynch
Preiss Imports
TGIC Importers
Retailer of the Year
Bounty Hunter (Napa Valley)
Sherry-Lehmann (New York)
Stew Leonard’s (NY, NJ, CT)
Trader Joe’s (nationwide)
Vino Volo (airports nationwide)
Innovator of the Year
Hall Winery (California)
Alain Juppé (France)
Libera Terra (Sicily)
Murphy-Goode (California)
The New Zealand Wine Industry
Restaurateur of the Year
Tom Colicchio (New York)
Tyler Florence (California)
Danny Meyer (New York)
Michael Mina (California and nationwide)
Gordon Ramsay (worldwide)
Special Lifetime Achievement Award
To be announced!
Adam Strum, Editor & Publisher of Wine Enthusiast Magazine, remarked on this year’s stellar list: “This year has been an exciting one in the world of wine and food. The new Wine Star Award category for Restaurateur of the Year reflects the nation’s growing interest in the culinary arts, and its relationship to wine. Wine Enthusiast is excited about our five talented nominees this year, and we take special pride in honoring our country’s best and brightest chefs at the Wine Star Awards. These restaurateurs are true innovators whose culinary creations delight and surprise us, but most importantly, make wine an accessible and integral part of the American dining experience.”
Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s Wine Star Awards Dinner began honoring achievements for the year 2000.
This past year the honorees were:
* INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR: Gary Vaynerchuk, Wine Library TV
* WINE REGION OF THE YEAR: Valpolicella, Franco Sartori
* NEW WORLD WINERY OF THE YEAR: Robert Hill Smith, owner, Yalumba, Australia
* AMERICAN WINERY OF THE YEAR: Roger Trinchero, CEO, Trinchero family Estates, California
* LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT: Harvey Chaplin, Chairman and CEO, Southern Wine & Spirits
* MAN OF THE YEAR: Ted Baseler, President/CEO, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Washington
* DISTILLER OF THE YEAR: Simon Hunt, President, Hendrick’s
* WINEMAKER OF THE YEAR: Scott McLeod, Rubicon Estate, California
* RESTAURATEUR OF THE DECADE: Alan Stillman, Founder, Fourth Wall Restaurants
* EUROPEAN WINERY OF THE YEAR: Claudio Rizzoli, Mezzacorona, Italy
* RETAILER OF THE YEAR: Joshua Wesson, Best Cellars at A&P
* IMPORTER OF THE YEAR: Leonardo LoCascio, Founder, Winebow
* MASTER OF CEREMONIES: Adam Strum, Chairman, Wine Enthusiast Companies, Editor & Publisher of Wine Enthusiast Magazine
For additional information about the
2010 Wine Star Awards Gala held on Jan. 24th, 2011 contact:
Joyce White, 914-345-9463
jwhite@wineenthusiast.net
Attendees of the Wine Star Awards should also note an important event on Tuesday, January 25, 2011, when The Wine Market Council will host a wine research presentation at the Museum of Modern Art. The Wine Market Council is a non-profit association of grape growers, wine producers, importers, wholesalers and other affiliated businesses and organizations.
About Wine Enthusiast Magazine
Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s mission is to educate and entertain discerning readers about wine and the wine lifestyle. Both authoritative and accessible, Wine Enthusiast provides readers with a resource for wine and spirits ratings and reviews as well as exciting features. The magazine and its highly developed digital platforms explore travel, dining, food, cocktails, home entertaining, wine collecting and personalities of interest to both the consumer and trade reader. In addition, Wine Enthusiast holds signature events for the wine and spirits trade and consumers, such as the Wine Star Awards gala dinner and Toast of the Town nationwide consumer tasting series. The magazine, Buying Guide and additional content can be found online, at WineMag.com.
About Wine Enthusiast Companies
For over 30 years, Wine Enthusiast Companies has been helping people experience and enjoy the wine lifestyle. The Wine Enthusiast Companies is the established leader in wine education, wine accessories, wine refrigeration and custom-built cellars. Wine Enthusiast products are available through catalog, online and various retailers nationwide. To find out more about The Wine Enthusiast, visit WineEnthusiast.com or call the company’s offices: 800-356-8466.
