In the fifth Best of Wine Tourism Awards presented by the Great Wine Capitals Global Network, the jury was once again impressed by the quality of the candidates’ applications.
During the exciting deliberations directed by 2013 jury chairman District Administrator Claus Schick, all applications for the seven awards categories were given a close inspection. The newest member of the jury is the Mayor of Mainz, Michael Ebling, who is also currently serving as President of the Great Wine Capitals network.
The prize for the category Wine Tourism Services was awarded to the Louis Guntrum Estate in Nierstein, which scored big with its new Guntrum´s Weingarten am Rhein concept. During the entire summer season, visitors can enjoy the estate’s range of products in its unique location on the Rhine, overlooking the Worms-Mainz cycle path and directly next to the Rhine ferry landing. The special treat: Visitors can choose from the Rheinhessen delicacies on the menu or bring their own picnic basket – a relaxed and easy way of enjoying wine for everyone.
guntrum.de
The jury was impressed by one of the most innovative impulses – the Rheinhessen Walker. This network offers a regular series of Nordic walking tours through some of the loveliest landscapes in Rheinhessen. It is a first-class winner in the category Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences, offering a unique combination of fitness and enjoying wine.
Rheinhessen-walker.de
The Kleines Rheinhessen wine bar at the Alte Schmiede Estate in Siefersheim excelled in the category Wine Tourism Restaurants with its fine home-made cuisine and selected home-made wines, all from sustainable, organic production. They describe their approach as “relaxed and stylish enjoyment”. The rustic, country-style family run operation also offers event facilities of up to 65 seats, in a matching, beautiful ambiance.
kleines-rheinhessen.de
Art, music, theater and literary readings enliven the former residence of the Baron Dalberg, Herrnsheim Palace (now Château Schembs), in Herrnsheim near Worms, under the direction of Arno Schembs. The Forester’s Building, the impressive former residence of the Baron Dalberg’s head forestry official, an outstanding example of renovation in the Baroque park setting, offers one or more cultural events every month accompanied by wines from the estate. More than enough reason to grand the Art and Culture Award to the candidate from Worms-Herrnsheim.
chateau-schembs.de
Along with the recent Host of the Year Award from Rheinland-Pfalz Tourismus GmbH, the Atrium Hotel in Mainz can rightly be proud for receiving the award in the Accommodation Category. Wine plays a leading role both in the in-house wine bar and gourmet restaurant Andante in the four-star Superior Hotel with 150 tastefully appointed rooms. Along with premium wines from Rheinhessen, guests can enjoy the wines from international GWC Mainz and Rheinhessen partner regions.
atrium-mainz.de
Wasems Kloster Engelthal in Ingelheim receives the 2013 Award in the category Architecture and Landscape. The architecturally listed former Cistercian cloister ensemble dating back to 1290 now houses a modern tasting room and wine bar. But not only that: The sunlit wine garden, the Rheinhessen wine tavern and a wine restaurant for fine dining in the barrel vaulted cellar are original and unique settings for parties, meetings or simply wine enjoyment, all offering an outstanding experience for all the senses
klosterengelthal.de
The Grünewald und Schnell Estate in Worms wins the prize for sustainable practices in the vineyard, the winery and cellar. Their brilliantly refined concept is expressed once again clearly in the estate’s second sustainability report – one which is completely innovative in German winemaking. Vintner Richard Grünewald was the jury’s choice for the Best of Award in Sustainable Wine Tourism Practice.
gruenewald-schnell.de
As always, the Best of Awards 2013 will be presented in all nine international Great Wine Capitals. National award winners will automatically qualify for the international Best Of Awards in Florence in early November.
About the Great Wine Capitals Global Network:
Founded in 1999, the Great Wine Capitals Global Network is an alliance of nine internationally renowned wine regions – Bordeaux, France; Cape Town, South Africa; Christchurch|South Island, New Zealand; Florence, Italy; Mainz|Rheinhessen, Germany; Mendoza, Argentina; Porto, Portugal; Bilbao|Rioja, Spain and San Francisco|Napa Valley, USA. The Best Of Wine Tourism awards serve as an industry benchmark for excellence and recognize leading wineries and wine-tourism related businesses within each Great Wine Capital that have distinguished themselves in areas such as innovation, service and sustainable practices.
For more information visit greatwinecapitals.com.
Written by Decanter
