BAROSSA GRAPE & WINE ASSOCIATION AWARDED WINE COMMUNICATOR OF THE YEAR.

Barossa Grape & Wine Association (BGWA), the regional body representing Barossa’s grape growers and winemakers, won three times at the 2019 Wine Communicator Awards last night.

Barossa’s technical website, barossawine.com was awarded Best Wine Website or App while Best Wine PR Campaign went to the 2019 Barossa Wine Auction campaign.

BGWA was also awarded the prestigious Wine Communicator of the Year Award.  The overall Wine Communicator of the Year is chosen by the WCA Board from the category winners. Previous winners have included Max Allen, Gourmet Traveller WINE, Tyson Stelzer, Gill Gordon-Smith, Jeni Port, Huon Hooke, Jane Ferrari, James Halliday and Campbell Mattinson.

Judges comments regarding the application from BGWA were united with resoundingly positive feedback, highlighting that “both the BGWA website and public relations campaign were impressively well planned, fully integrated maximising all facets of the marketing mix and benefited the wider Barossa community.”

“BGWA are extremely worthy of their honour and are a true reflection of the current success of the wine sector in the Barossa” said WCA Chair Toni Carlino.

It is the first time that a regional body has won in the widely respected awards program’s history.

Now in its tenth year, the annual WCA Wine Communicator Awards recognise outstanding contributions to, and excellence in, wine communication in all its forms.

Barossawine.com was awarded for being one of the most comprehensive and accessible collections of regional wine data in the world, including detailed Barossa vintage reports for every year since 1947.

Certified Barossa, Rioja and Sherry Educator, Margaux Burgess (DipWSET) said “The Barossa Wine website is an excellent resource as an educator, wine buyer and wine lover… I wish more wine regions had such comprehensive and well-organised websites!”

The Barossa Wine Auction has been an integral part of the Barossa Vintage Festival since 1965.  After partnering with Langton’s Fine Wine Auction House in 2015 the auction has evolved to become a truly hallmark wine on a global scale.

The 2019 Barossa Wine Auction campaign was awarded for its collaborative approach, harnessing the powers of key partners including Langton’s, Jane Thomson, founder of the Australian Women in Wine Awards and The Fabulous Ladies’ Wine Society, Hatching Media and publications; Gourmet Traveller Wine, Women’s Agenda and Halliday Wine Companion. Equally important was the buy-in and collective promotion from the 60+ Barossa wineries participating in the auction.

BGWA Chief Executive James March said of the win “We are delighted to see the efforts of our region’s wineries recognised in such a way.  It is a fantastic acknowledgement of the community spirit of Barossa, coming together in collaboration rather than competition.”

Acting as the ‘Mistress of Ceremonies’ for the Barossa Wine Live Auction and Lunch, Jane Thomson said: “Women have long played a vital role in the exciting and diverse Barossa wine landscape. It’s thrilling to see their impact showcased on a global scale throughout the Barossa Wine Auction campaign.”

WCA Chairman Toni Carlino said, “The WCA Awards continue to grow from strength to strength, each year we continue to gain more and more entries over each category. Yet again the caliber of the 2019 nominations were of an incredibly high standard, making the judges job a difficult process. It is encouraging to see that the Australia wine community has such a high standard of talent.”

BGWA would also like to thank Wine Communicators Australia and Award Sponsors Handpicked Wines, and Purple Giraffe for their support.