The Australian Women in Wine Awards (AWIWA) and Wine Australia have partnered to host the 2019 awards in New York on 17 September – launching the USA Aussie Wine Month campaign.
The brand new style of awards event will take place at Union West in Chelsea, New York, with key media, trade and influencers in attendance. The event will coincide with a tasting to demonstrate the quality and diversity of Australian wines produced by women and celebrate their success.
The event will kick off the inaugural USA Aussie Wine Month, a campaign supported by the Australian Government’s $50 million Export and Regional Wine Support Package (the $50m Package), which will bring a contingent of Australian wineries across the globe for the largest Australian wine promotion ever held in the USA.
Entries for the 2019 awards open on 6 June in the following award categories:
- Winemaker of the Year – sponsored by Tonnellerie Saint Martin
- Viticulturist of the Year – sponsored by Wine Australia
- Researcher / Innovator of the Year – sponsored by Angove Family Winemakers
- Champion of Diversity and Equality – sponsored by Australian Grape & Wine
- Owner / Operator of the Year – sponsored by WineWorks Australia
- Woman of Inspiration – sponsored by Irvine Wines
- Marketer of the Year – sponsored by denomination
- Cellar Door Person of the Year – sponsored by Purple Giraffe
There will also be an additional special award, the Honorary Australian Woman in Wine Award – USA, which will go to a woman in the US who has been a long-time active advocate for Australian wine. This award is presented and sponsored by Wine Australia.
“The fact that the AWIWA has been chosen by Wine Australia to be one of the opening pieces of this exciting new campaign, clearly shows that telling the story about our women in wine and celebrating their achievements has global significance, as well as benefits for the entire industry as a whole,” said AWIWA founder and Chair, Jane Thomson.
Wine Australia Chief Executive Officer, Andreas Clark said, “This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the inspiring work of female wine producers in Australia and continue to encourage diversity and innovation in the Australian wine sector”.
Key Dates for AWIWA 2019:
- Entries (and nominations) Open – Thursday 6 June
- Entries Close – Thursday 1 August
- Finalists Announced – Thursday 15 August
- Awards Announced – evening of Tuesday 17 September in New York (Wednesday 18 September in Australia)
More information on the Australian Women in Wine Awards, now in their fifth year, can be found at www.WomeninWineAwards.com.au. The 2019 AWIWA board members are Jeni Port, Toni Carlino, Corrina Wright, Sami Gilligan, Sarah Collingwood, Rebekah Richardson and Jane Thomson (Chair).
The 2019 AWIWA Platinum Partner is Coles Liquor. Gold Partners are Pernod Ricard Winemakers, Wine Business Magazine and the Victoria State Government
About the AWIWA
The Australian Women in Wine Awards – which are owned and operated by The Fabulous Ladies’ Wine Society – celebrate and reward the work of women in the Australian wine community, and community leaders who champion equality and fairness for all sexes in the workplace. Previous winners include Prue Henschke (Viticulturist of the Year 2016), Virginia Willcock (Winemaker of the Year 2017), Sue Hodder (Woman of Inspiration 2017) and Iain Riggs (Champion of Change 2015). They are the only awards program for women in wine in the world.
About USA Aussie Wine Month
Wine Australia’s Aussie Wine Month will feature a six-city trade roadshow, educational seminars, the Australian Women in Wine Awards, media events, importer/distributor networking opportunities, in-store and online retail promotions and a multi-sensory immersive consumer activation. Aussie Wine Month is supported by the Australian Government’s $50 million Export and Regional Wine Support Package (the $50m Package).
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