Stellar coverage from the LIWF
Posted by Ray O'Connor | Filed under IWC, Out and about, interviews
Finally getting around to pulling all the coverage reports together following the hectic 3 days at the LIWF and the just as hectic aftermath with hundreds of medal sticker requests rolling in. As promised, we announced the results of the 2010 International Wine Challenge on our stand at 11am and as usual there was a massive turn out for the highly anticipated event. You can catch the highlights of the moment here.
National newspapers such as The Guardian, The Independent and The Observer enjoyed hearing of the results and published details of the success of the two English Gold medal winning wines and the fantastic results from around the world. Regional,online and international press were just as enthusiastic about the announcement with Business Scoop NZ and South African Wine, amongst others, running with the IWC medal winners story.
I managed to grab a word with Cherie Spriggs of Nyetimber, West Sussex who picked up a Gold Medal for their Blanc de Blanc 2001. You can watch this clip on the right hand player or on the Wine Challenge You Tube Channel where you will also see me speaking with Sam & Bob Lindo of Camel Valley Vineyards, also Gold medal winners for their Brut Rosé.
Finally, BBC’s Watchdog show last week highlighted the success of the above home-grown talent as well as that of Ancre Hill Estate in Monmouthshire, Wales, apparently surprising even the likes of Anne Robinson. You can watch the clip on the BBC iPlayer until this Thursday, 27.05.10. Scroll forward to 48.10 in the timeline for the clip.
Tags: English wine, LIWF, Watchdog, Welsh wine
It’s a dirty job….
Posted by Ray O'Connor | Filed under IWC
Yesterday was one of those very ‘un-winey’ days when we, the IWC team, needed to tackle the oraganised chaos of all our gear in a warehouse near Gatwick. As the judging process at the Barbican is a finely tuned machine we need to keep all the parts in good nick for it to run smoothly. I won;’t bore you with the details of the inventory but it was mainly a matter of counting glasses, openers, bags, paper, sawdust (spittoons) and computers. Snazzy stuff eh? The icy, lashing rain wasn’t much fun either!
Personally I love when we move in to the Barbican. All the entries from all the producers you’ve been liasing with all year start to roll in and it really feels like something really exciting is about to take place. We strive to employ a good team of individuals to work in the Barbican to co-ordiante all the entries. Personality is a must and we are grateful for the hard work they put in to keeping all the wines in check. If you’ve already worked on the Wine Challenge or judged with us you will know how impressive the sea of bottles across the exhibition hall’s floor is.
The real buzz – just about rivaling Christmas Day – is when all the UK and international experts roll up on Day 1 to taste, spit and score. This is when the show really begins. I’m happy say that we are not met with any great egos to manage and everyone just gets on with the job in hand respecting one another’s opinion. After two weeks judging and a total of 6 weeks at the Barbican it’s like leaving your regular holiday haunt behind, knowing you have to go back to regular daily life, and the whirlwind of the London International Wine Fair!
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bathmate...