IWSC announces communicator of the year shortlist

The International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) has announced the shortlist for its Communicator of the Year award 2015.

Last year’s winner Jane Parkinson

The award, sponsored by Vinitaly, was created to highlight an individual or organisation who demonstrates exceptional contribution to increasing awareness of wine and spirits. Last year the prestigious trophy was won by UK-based wine writer and presenter Jane Parkinson. Previous winners have included Jancis Robinson MW, Olly Smith and Oz Clarke.

The winner will be announced on 21 March at the Vinitaly Gala Dinner, which will be held in Verona, Italy.

Producers can enter the 2015 International Wine & Spirit Competition online at www.iwsc.net

This year’s shortlist of nominees are:-

Neil Ridley & Joel Harrison

Neil and Joel are award-winning writers and presenters. They write about spirits on their website WorldsBestSpirits.com and regularly pen drinks articles for a number of different publications such as Whisky Magazine, Imbibe and the London Evening Standard. They have also published their first book, Distilled.

Joseph Bastianich

Joe is co-founder of thirty successful restaurants worldwide.
He has co-authored two award winning books on Italian wine and is a former judge on FOX’s MasterChef and MasterChef Junior, his latest TV venture is CNBC’s Restaurant Startup.

Tyson Stelzer

Tyson is a multi-award-winning Australian wine writer, author of 14 wine books and a regular contributor to 15 magazines including Wine Spectator, Decanter, Qantas The Australian Way and Australian Gourmet Traveller Wine.

Helen McGinn

Helen is an award-winning wine blogger who launched her first book ‘The Knackered Mother’s Wine Club’ in 2013. She also runs her own wine business, a wine marketing and communications consultancy. In 2012, Helen won the IWSC Blogger of the Year Award.

Chris Scott

Chris set up Thirty Fifty in 2002, after he and his wife Jane had completed their wine studies. Thirty Fifty offers expert wine tastings across the United Kingdom which demystify wine by bringing fun and no-nonsense tastings to people in their own homes.

Greg Dillon

Greg is a whisky expert and writer; he hosts the award-winning GreatDrams.com blog and has also contributed to national newspaper The Guardian. Furthermore, Greg also runs his own brand strategy consultancy GD Inspires.