Roederer Awards win for db’s Gabriel

db deputy editor Gabriel Savage has been named Emerging Wine Writer of the Year 2011 at The Louis Roederer International Wine Writers’ Awards.

Gabby’s win was greeted with cheering and whooping at the ceremony last night in London’s Savoy Hotel, hosted by Roederer’s MD Frédéric Rouzaud and chairman of the judges Charles Metcalfe.

Metcalfe said it was a “tough year for judges but a wonderful vintage for the awards,” with this year attracting a record 207 entries and a 300% increase in submissions from outside the UK.

Shortlisted for the Emerging Wine Writer award alongside Gabby was Brad Baker for The Champagne Warrior Newsletter and Sophie Menin for wine stories from The Daily Beast.

However it was Gabby’s authoritative, clear and pleasing writing style, combined with her investigative approach, that impressed the judges.

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Gabby follows former db deputy editor Jane Parkinson when it comes to wine writing success, with Jane winning The Louis Roederer Chairman’s Award in 2009.

Metcalfe explained that the 2011 awards, now in their seventh year, would no longer be dubbed “The Louis”, but “The Roederers”.

Other winners included Victoria Moore for columns from The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph and Max Allen for The Future Makers: Australian Wines for the 21st Century.