The Wine Travel Awards 2023–2024 announced the Winners of public voting
On April 1st, an essential phase of Wine Travel Award 2023–2024 — the public voting stage — concluded. We are thrilled to announce the winners and extend our congratulations to all participants! The next phase of our journey is the selection of the winners by our esteemed panel of judges, distinguished professionals in the wine and wine tourism industry. However, it is important to reiterate that in our community, prizes and diplomas are not the primary focus. What truly matters is participation and building connections.
As you peruse our community gathered this year, you will notice several exciting developments. The geographic diversity has expanded, with nominees hailing from countries like Australia, New Zealand, China, and Taiwan, alongside a notable increase in participants from the USA. Additionally, we have successfully brought together some of the world’s most prominent wine museums. Notably, both small, independent wineries and renowned Grand Châteaux have expressed interest in our project, highlighting the inclusive and welcoming nature of our community, which shares a passion for exploring wine routes.
This is precisely the vision we had for the WTA community — a diverse assembly of individuals and brands capable of making a positive impact on the world. Take the opportunity to acquaint yourself with the nominees, chosen by their supporters:
Ambassador
Persons representing wines, regions, enogastronomic routes, brands; associations, consortia, national wine bureaus, tourist offices, and tour operators.
Creative Strategy
- #172 — 637 votes — The Imeretian Wine Association
- #131 — 416 votes — Deschidem Vinul Romanesc
- #142 — 242 votes — Simone Roveda
- #179 — 217 votes — Országos Bortúra
- #85 — 203 votes — Visit Moldova
Ambassador of the Year
- #27 — 5095 votes — Vitaliy Kovach
- #29 — 4341 votes — Sonal Holland
- #183 — 2211 votes — Chien Hao Chen
- #120 — 1779 votes — Marinela Ardelean
- #162 — 659 votes — Cinzia Benzi
Wine & Food Influencer
Journalists, professional media, bloggers, photographers and videographers.
Author of the Year
- #174 — 1633 votes — Angelo Peretti
- #175 — 239 votes — Wine.Pop
- #39 — 139 votes — Professor Marianna Sigala
- #38 — 117 votes — Britt Karlsson & Per Karlsson
- #160 — 111 votes — Deibel Consultants GmbH / Jürgen Deibel
Expert Opinion
- #121 — 962 votes — Marinela Ardelean
- #158 — 622 votes — Teresa Colaço do Rosário
- #186 — 419 votes — Allison Levine
- #161 — 339 votes — Daniel Lopez Roca
- #155 — 325 votes — Chris Boiling
The Brightest Journey
- #49 — 1551 votes — Sofia Nikabadze
- #122 — 1494 votes — Marinela Ardelean
- #47 — 764 votes — Dr. Elizabeth Smith
- #48 — 551 votes — Daria Kholodilina
- #36 — 502 votes — Gwendolyn Alley
Education in Enotourism
Wine museums, wine institutes, tasting rooms, including those located on the premises of the wineries, academies of enogastronomy, wine schools participating in tourist projects, organizers of tours to exhibitions, etc.
Cultural Mission
- #56 — 2973 votes — SHUMI Winery
- #111 — 513 votes — The Cité des Climats et Vins de Bourgogne
- #166 — 470 votes — World of Wine (WOW)
- #189 — 407 votes — Vivanco Museum
- #58 — 304 votes — Schloss Esterházy
Unique Program
- #52 — 3496 votes — Vitaliy Kovach Sommelier School
- #51 — 2900 votes — Shumi Wine School
- #109 — 1939 votes — Kabistoni Wine School
- #89 — 555 votes — The Wine Tourism School of Catalonia
- #167 — 447 votes — The Wine School. World of Wine (WOW)
Wine Guide
Guides, guides-representatives of wine regions, tour operators, etc.
Top Guide
- #61 — 820 votes — Miguel Leal
- #145 — 390 votes — Anna Alekseyeva
- #63 — 233 votes — Britt Karlsson
- #62 — 219 votes — Einat Klein
- #64 — 131 votes — Wines of Armenia
Travel Operator of the Year
- #70 — 758 votes — Ways Travel
- #114 — 509 votes — WildChina Travel
- #181 — 260 votes — BKWine Tours
- #169 — 198 votes — SweetEasy Wine Tours
- #68 — 175 votes — Wine Paths
Enogastronomic Events
Festivals, wine days and local products days, exhibitions, promotion programs.
Magnet of the Region
- #178 — 4546 votes — Yerevan Wine Days
- #71 — 3750 votes — SHUMI Winery
- #106 — 470 votes — ProWine Shanghai
- #73 — 429 votes — VieVinum – International Wine Festival
- #72 — 334 votes — The National Wine Day of Moldova
Event of the Year
- #139 — 1916 votes — Charitable Gastro Dinners
- #177 — 1374 votes — Yerevan Gastronomic Days
- #140 — 689 votes — Imeretian Wine Competition
- #101 — 582 votes — Wine Future Conference
- #79 — 552 votes — “VinOPERA” Castel Mimi
The Visiting Card of the Country
Destinations, wineries, national brands, establishments with a wine program: hotels, local food restaurants, bars, museums of wines and specialties, tasting rooms.
Region of the year
- #119 — 906 votes — Wines of Romania
- #141 — 665 votes — Imereti
- #25 — 320 votes — Piemont and Consorzio Asti DOCG
- #24 — 274 votes — Moscato Wine Route
- #23 — 265 votes — Austria
Art & History Object
- #16 — 2700 votes — SHUMI Winery
- #115 — 1039votes — Bethlen-Haller Castle
- #99 — 425 votes — Cathiard Vineyard
- #44 — 396 votes — Château Angelus
- #147 — 356 votes — Dry Martini by Javier de las Muelas The bar. Madrid
Progressive Approach
- #82 — 2859 votes — SHUMI Winery
- #136 — 1603 votes — Tenuta Manoylo
- #128 — 744 votes — Castle Bethlen-Haller
- #11 — 526 votes — Ijevan Wine-Brandy Factory
- #132 — 522 votes — Château Pape Clément
Brand – the Visiting Card of the Country
- #8 — 3095 votes — SHUMI Winery
- #113 — 2067 votes — Kabis Toni Winery
- #110 — 1330 votes — Armenia Wine
- #87 — 1031 votes — TM Fayna Guralnya
- #93 — 474 votes — Cloudy Bay
Must Visit
- #2 — 2901 votes — SHUMI Winery
- #129 — 1006 votes — Jidvei
- #112 — 785 votes — KSV House of Wine
- #103 — 764 votes — Azienda Agricola Arrighi
- #32 — 659 votes — Winery Khareba
The nominees enlisted the big support of their friends, loyal audience and caught wine lovers’ eye, so that it yielded the results. Being charismatic and active on social media plays a crucial role in public voting. And we can see these features among our winners — famous chateaux, renowned experts and wine schools, attractive wine events and interesting wine authors and ambassadors.
The top five nominees from each category move on to the professional jury round. Their businesses will be reviewed by twelve industry-leading experts from the fields of winemaking, gastronomic tourism, marketing, and journalism. The selection takes place within a 10-point system according to the unified Wine Travel Awards protocols.
The WTA winners will be announced at the main WTA event — the WTA Ceremony scheduled to take place at the London Wine Fair on May 21 st , 2024 from 10.30—12.30.
The Wine Travel Awards Ceremony will highlight the results of the 2023—2024 campaign, where the winners of both public voting and professional jury selection will be appraised to that moment and new and prosperous names in the wine tourism business will be revealed.
The 2-hour program agenda includes:
- a speech “Wine Tourism: Benefits and Challenges” by Robert Joseph, the WTA jury member, a prominent author in the world of wine and wine tourism, pioneering wine expert, wine creator and industry innovator;
- a presentation of the WTA Sponsors and Partners;
- an announcement of the winners and WTA discoveries;a walk-around tasting of wines of the WTA community members.