Home Industry News Releases Winners Announced for the 10th Annual International Women’s Wine Competition

Winners Announced for the 10th Annual International Women’s Wine Competition

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Santa Rosa, Calif., June 21, 2017. Results are in for the 2017 International Women’s Wine Competition (IWWC), a contest judged solely by leading wine industry professional women.  This year’s choice for top honors was given to the 2014 Tribute, Red Bordeaux from Benziger Family Vineyards.

Women Wine Makers of the Year went to both Melanie Natoli, Cana Vineyards and Winery, Middleburg, Virginia and Aimee Sunseri, Nichelini Family Vineyards and New Clairvaux, Napa, California. Runner-up was Diane Wilson of Wilson Winery in Healdsburg, California.

Owned and operated by Wine Competitions Management & Productions, the judging took place June 20-21, 2017 in Sonoma County, California. More than 1,150 wines were entered in the competition. Judges awarded a total of 6 Best of Show awards, 54 Best of Class designations, and 137 gold medals. 

Why produce a women’s wine competition?  Event founder and president, Debra Del Fiorentino says, “It gives women their own ‘voice’, so to speak and makes them feel part of something uniquely their own in an industry that’s still largely male oriented.  The judges recognize not only the best wines submitted, but also the wines they feel would appeal most to women wine buyers and consumers.”

Del Fiorentino credits its success not just to its niche appeal, but a superbly organized backroom operation and a host of top-notch judges.  She adds, “Here the women judges just talk about the wine they’re tasting.  They’re very focused. They get down to business and get the job done!  They’ve worked hard to get where they are and they bring a level of professionalism with them when they judge.  The results speak for themselves.”

Best of Show winners are listed as follows:

  • Red Wine:   2014 Tribute, Red Bordeaux, Benziger Family Vineyards
  • White Wine:  2016 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, Cliff Family Winery
  • Rosé Wine:  2016 Rose of Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Nichelini Family Winery
  • Sparkling Wine: 2009 Royal Cuvee, Carneros, Gloria Ferrer Caves and Vineyard 
  • Dessert Wine/Late Harvest:  NV Sweet Vermouth, Virginia, Cana Vineyards
  • Fruit Wine:  2015 Razzle Dazzle, New York, Coyote Moon Vineyards

All medal winners will be posted at winecompetitions.com and EnofileOnline.com.

About Wine Competitions Management & Production (WCMP)

This organization owns and operates six different competitions including West Coast Wine Competition, International Eastern Wine Competition, East Meets West, International Women’s Wine Competition, Harvest Challenge 2017, and the Craft Distillers Spirits Competition.  It also manages, The Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge, and Dan Berger’s International Wine Competition.

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1 COMMENT

  1. How surprising is it that the majority of the awards go to winemakers in two counties when the overwhelming majority of the judges live either inside of or very close two these same two counties. Please note, I love and respect all of the judges. It’s the representative origin that’s problematical.

    Surely, this competition is a good indicator as to which of the winemakers in these two counties are highly in tune with the palates of wine experts who live and work nearby. We need to call it what it is, rather than to explode its significance. Calling this an international competition is wrong. It’s not even very much of a national competition for those makers whose wines are not calibrated to those of the local judges.

    We need to stop fooling ourselves.

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