Decanter contributor and Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) judge Amanda Barnes has been awarded the Debut Drink Book award in the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards 2022 for her The South America Wine Guide book.
The annual Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards, now in its 10th year, champions the achievements of the UK’s current and emerging writers, editors, publishers, photographers, broadcasters and personalities who ‘encourage us to enjoy, explore, experiment and discover more about food and drink through their work’.
Tom Athron, CEO of Fortnum & Mason, said: ‘For over three centuries Fortnum & Mason has remained an essential destination for extraordinary food and exceptional service, so it’s no surprise that we want to shine a spotlight on the current and emerging talent who bring the joy we find in food and drink to life.’
The South America Wine Guide (£35 from the author’s website), for which Barnes was also awarded the John Avery Award earlier this year, is the result of a decade of research conducted by the author while travelling the continent. It details the wine regions, wines and producers of Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia and Peru, highlighting over 70 wine regions and mapping out 40 in detail.
Barnes said she was ‘thrilled and honoured’ with the award. ‘It means a lot to me to not only have the recognition for the book, but also the growing interest in South American wine.
‘When I first started planning the book in 2019 a few publishers told me it was too niche and that there wasn’t enough interest in South American wine to warrant such a book, which is why I self published The South America Wine Guide. This award is a great acknowledgement that there is space on the bookshelf for South American wine, and I’m particularly proud to see The South America Wine Guide now on the book shelves of Fortnum & Mason.’
The Philosophy of Whisky (£6.99 from Amazon UK | $9.55 from Amazon US) by Billy Abbott was shortlisted for the Debut Drink Book award.
Jonny Garrett, a London-based beer writer, filmmaker and creator of YouTube’s Craft Beer Channel won the Drink Book category for A Year in Beer: The Beer Lover’s Guide to the Seasons (kindle edition: £4.99 from Amazon UK | $6.26 from Amazon US), with The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails (£29.50 from Amazon UK | $50.48 from Amazon US) shortlisted for the award.
The full list of winners can be found here.
Barnes attended last night’s Fortnum & Mason Food and drink Awards ceremony fresh from the this year’s DWWA judging, which took place in London from Sunday 24th April to 7th May. Already the world’s largest wine competition, the 2022 awards saw more wines judged than any other year with around 18,500 wines entered from 56 countries.
