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The
première of the World Spirits Awards & Festival in Bad Kleinkirchheim set
new standards within the world of spirits. After a pause for thought ‚Destillata’
inventor Wolfram Ortner has developed a comprehensive marketing conception with
the brand name „World Spirits“ whose aim is to improve the international
spirits culture and classify distilleries. There is a wide range of activities:
from the profound training of a jury to the evaluation itself and the
accompanying PR-measures.
The Awards and the publication of the classified distilleries took place on Friday 16th January 2004 at 7.30 pm at the Sporthotel in Bad Kleinkirchheim. The following Festival Weekend revolved around the product variety of the participating distilleries from Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and various other countries and regions as far as Guadeloupe, the Shetlands and South Africa.
An equation that comes out...
The base for the results is Wolfram Ortner’s ingenious WOB-evaluation-system which is specially geared to spirits and a particular challenge for the elite of distillers. Unlike raditional prize awarding, the task here was not to present as many spirits as possible to win as many medals as possible but to concentrate on the absolute prime range of products. The result at top level – six World Spirits Awards, six Spirits of the Year and eleven World Class Distilleries – is evidence that the elite of distillers welcomes this new approach.
And the winners are...
Albert
Buechele
– the old-established distiller from the Michelehof Hotel in Hard in the West
Austrian Vorarlberg Region.
He
is a well-known personality in the trade. After all, he has been at the top of
the rank for years in the relevant tastings and was seven times Distiller of the
Year in the regional prize awarding etc. etc. But with this award he has gained
international reputation as a top distiller.
Distillery
of the Year (Gold & World Spirits Award)
Spirits of the Year (=fruit variety) with pears
World Spirits Award with pomaceous fruit and special varieties (Yeast-Apple
Spirit)
Waldtraud
Joebstl
– Styria’s „spiritual First Lady“
Distillery
of the Year (Silver)
World
Spirits Award for Wine and Grape Products and Cigar Spirits Spirits
of the Year for Yeast Spirit
The personal success story of Austria’s leading female distiller is amazing
when taking a closer look at the ratio between presented and awarded products.
An achievement difficult to copy!
Christoph
Koessler
– Tyrolian „Longseller“ from the distiller-village Stanz
Distillery of the Year (Bronze)
Used to succes but still as amiable as ever, „Christopher from Tyrol“, the
regional winner and medal collector at relevant tastings for many years, was awarded
the third prize within the entire contest.
The
World Spirits Award for pomaceous fruit together with the title Spirits of the
Year was awarded to Hubertus Vallendar from Kail upon Moselle (Germany). Spirits
of the Year was awarded both to Franz Tinnauer from Gamlitz in Styria for his
Marc de Sauvignon as well as Helmut Wilderer from South Africa for his
Marc de Muscat Barrique. Moreover,
two international participants of excellent reputation were awarded with the
Distillery of the Year prize in special product groups: Arno Dirker from
Moembris (Germany) for his fruit spirits and Vittorio
Capovilla from Rosa-Vicenza (Italy) for his Grappa.
The best Gin and Vodka come from the Shetlands (Blackwood
Distillers) and excellent Rhum Agricole as well as Rhum Vieux from Gouadeloupe
– produced by the distilleries Montebello and Bielle.
The 2nd World Spirits Festival and World Spirits Awards will take place from 17th to 23rd January 2005 in Bad Kleinkirchheim again!
All the details of this event and further information on the World of Spirits can be found at www.world-spirits.com
Scotland and whisky
are probably just as inseparable as Vienna and wine, but there has never been a
whisky distillery on the Shetlands so far. Historically this goes back to the
close relations to Norway and Denmark which ruled today’s Scottish region
until 1469. Many family and town names as well as traditional festivals are
therefore also of Scandinavian origin.
Brand philosophy
Scandinavia
is thus an important trade partner of Blackwood Distillers which will soon
establish the northern most whisky distillery on the Shetlands. Beside the
existing range – Gin, Vodka and a cream liqueur with Vodka which tastes like
vanilla ice cream – new sophisticated beverages are supposed to be offered in
established categories and positioned worldwide as strong brands with the end
consumer.
Masterpieces
At the 1st World Spirits Award & Festival Gin as well as Vodka of high standards and great individuality left a strong impression. The Gin is characterized by its aroma that is due to the unique use of wild herbs and plants. The Vodka, distilled and ice-filtered three times, should be drunk ice-cold following the old Viking tradition. For this purpose they introduced a real novelty: the label changes its colour when the Vodka has reached its ideal drinking temperature!
Contact
Blackwood Distillers:
BLACKWOOD
DISTILLERS , Birthe Nielsen
159 Commercial Street, Lerwick, Shetland ZE1 0EX
Phone
44 ( 0 ) 1595 69 44 55
FAX 44 ( 0 ) 208
408 2046
Mobile 44( 0) 775 467 1155
birthe@shetlandwhisky.com,
www.shetlandwhisky.com
