Rioja toasts its top ambassadors in London

Four wine industry personalities have been honoured by the Consejo Regulador of Rioja DOCa during the region’s second annual awards ceremony in London.

Rioja Recognises awards winners Ben Henshaw (Distributor of the Year), Nick Room (Outstanding Contribution), Susy Atkins (Communicator of the Year) and Hal Wilson (Off-trade Personality of the Year)

Compered by Sarah Jane Evans MW at Hispania restaurant in the City of London, the ‘Rioja Recognises’ awards event recognised the achievements of four people who have made an important contribution to the promotion of Rioja wines in the UK. The four awarded were Nick Room (Outstanding Contribution), Susy Atkins (Communicator of the Year), Hal Wilson (Off-trade Personality of the Year) and Ben Henshaw (Distributor of the Year).

During the reception, guests, including His Excellency the Spanish Ambassador Mr Federico Trillo-Figueroa, enjoyed a selection of the top-scoring wines from the recent Rioja 10×10 tasting alongside tapas dishes prepared by Hispania.

Joint winner of Rioja Recognises 2015 Outstanding Contribution award, Sarah Jane Evans MW, commented: “With Rioja Recognises, Wines from Rioja is awarding members of the UK trade who have done something exceptional. I was very touched to receive an outstanding contribution award at the inaugural event last year and am delighted to welcome the new winners this year.”

Following in the footsteps of Sarah Jane Evans MW and Tim Atkin MW and receiving an award for his Outstanding Contribution was veteran Waitrose buyer, Nick Room. On receiving the award, Room shared his vision of Rioja.

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“Rioja is arguably Spain’s pre-eminent wine region,” he said. “The countryside, the vineyards, the wineries and the people are brilliant exponents of everything a wine region should be.”

Representing the independent end of the retail sector was this year’s Off-trade Personality of the Year, Hal Wilson of Cambridge Wine Merchants. His enthusiasm for the Rioja category has helped a white Rioja become the best-selling white wine across all of the Cambridge Wine Merchant stores.

Thanking the consejo for the recognition bestowed on him, Wilson said: “We have the relatively easy job of bringing your wines to an enthusiastic audience in the UK, but I know the real honour belongs to the growers and winemakers who create such beautiful wines from the soils of Rioja.”

The Rioja Recognises awards ceremony gave guests the chance to sample the top wines from the recent Rioja 10×10 tasting

Broadcaster and writer Susy Atkins was recognised as Communicator of the Year. “My relationship with Rioja goes back many years and has resulted in many memorable experiences – from recording a show on the San Mateo celebrations in Logroño for Radio 4 to hosting food and wine matching seminars at Rioja Tapas Fantasticas,” she said.

“Rioja has played an important part in my career and I continue to enjoy sharing my love of this fascinating region with professionals and consumers alike.”

Finally, Distributor of the Year Ben Henshaw of Indigo Wines revealed that when he started out with Indigo, he focused on the lesser-known wine-producing regions of Spain, but after visiting Rioja for the first time, was “blown away by the amazingly friendly people as well as the stunning landscapes, vineyards and cellars”.

Ricardo Aguiriano, MD for the consejo, explained the importance of this event for Rioja in the UK: “Rioja Recognises is a chance for the Rioja region to give back to those members of the trade who continue to raise the profile of the region, and our wines, here in the UK.

“It is the commitment and passion of individuals such as those recognised this evening which ensures Rioja is kept at the forefront of consumers’ minds and which helps fuel the ongoing success of the category, even in an increasingly competitive and challenging marketplace.

“We look forward to building ever stronger relationships with these leading ambassadors of Rioja wines.”