…and the Nominees are…
Posted by Daniel Stewart on January 20th, 2012
In a huge awards ceremony in New York at the end of January a select group of hopefuls will find out if they have made it from the shortlist to the Grand Prize at The Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Awards.
Amongst those shortlisted are some of O’Briens’ most important exclusive imports.
Gérard at Château L'Hospitalet
Up for European Winery of the Year is Languedoc superstar Gérard Bertrand.
“Both landowner and partner of the best winegrowers in the South of France, Gérard Bertrand manages over 325 hectares of vineyards across varying Languedoc terroirs. He fully understands the movement toward expressive, well-balanced and elegant wines that remain accessible and affordable.” Wine Enthusiast
Gérards best loved wines here are Château Remaury, Pic St. Loup, Fitou Cascastel and his home estate Domaine de Villemajou.
Another major prize is up for grabs with Bodegas Norton shortlisted for New World Winery of the Year - no doubt their flagship Norton Privada and stunning Reserva range has a lot to do with that.
“Owned since 1989 by the Austrian family that runs Swarovski Crystal, Bodega Norton is one of the grand names in Argentinean wine. Under the management of Michael Halstrick, Norton exports to more than 60 countries” Wine Enthusiast
Alvaro Espinoza
and finally Alvaro Espinoza is in for Winemaker of the Year and with the like of Etnico, Coyam and G and the new Chono range serving as his credentials he stands a pretty good chance of winning.
“As Chile’s most sought-after winemaking consultant, Espinoza’s clients include Emiliana and Pérez Cruz in Chile and Cruz Andina in Argentina. A staunch proponent of organic and biodynamic viticulture, he runs his own wine labels, Antiyal and Kuyen, and is a founding partner in Geo Wines.” Wine Enthusiast
Good luck to all three and we hope we’ll be celebrating the winners on the 30th of January.