Wines of Argentina, the organisation responsible for the image of Vino Argentino around the world presents the Argentina Wine Awards (AWA) 2015: "The Empowerment of Women in wine".
Designed and planned to evaluate and reward quality and progress in the Argentine wine industry, this competition has established itself as the most important event in the local calendar.
The ninth edition of the AWA was held from 8 to 13 February 2015 in the province of Mendoza and emphasised women’s empowerment and the role played by women in the industry.
This year, the competition has both an international and national jury made up of women, all related to the wine industry. The purpose is to recognise the role exerted by women in a traditionally male world, bringing their creativity and insight to the industry in all its aspects and also to find out what the leading women in wine think about Argentine wines.
The 2015 edition features a luxury jury headed by Jancis Robinson MW (UK), Christy Canterbury MW (USA), Susan Kostrzewa (USA), Barbara Philip MW (Canada), Sara D’Amato (Canada), Annette Scarfe MW (Singapore / HK), Megumi Nishida (Japan), Felicity Carter (Germany), Essi Avellan MW (Finland), Cecilia Torres Salinas (Chile) and Suzana Barelli (Brazil) and Shari Mogk Edwards (Canada).
Today, women hold positions in all stages of the production of wine, such as winemakers, export managers, consumers and especially sommeliers, where the feminine sense of smell experiences aromas with more intensity, and finds the names which identify them more naturally. These feminine skills, combined on a jury that features the most important figures in the world of wine, made the AWA 2015 an unforgettable experience.
Organised by Wines of Argentina and Wine Corporation Argentina (COVIAR), the Argentina Wine Awards (AWA) is an iconic event that allows local wineries to show the world what their wines can deliver, by submitting their samples in a contest that takes place behind closed doors and has a jury of outstanding professionals in their field.
The criteria used for tasting is based on the classification of all samples by type, variety and price, performed in a blind tasting. It also takes into account various details to ensure that the participating brands are available for both the domestic and external markets, and are not simply tank / barrels samples – meaning that the brand exists, the wine is fractionated and labelled, and a minimum number of bottles exist.
Also, in order to encourage the participation of wineries from all regions – Northern Argentina, Cuyo and Patagonia – for the second time, a special trophy is to be awarded to each region.
As always, the competition stands for excellence and transparency and was organised by the English consultants Hunt & Coady, who have been working with the AWA since 2007.
Written by Wines of Argentina
