And the Oscar for the best bodega, the best-fortified winemaker and the best-fortified wine go to González Byass, Lustau and Tradición. The organisers of the International Wine Challenge (IWC) have recently released the names of the winners of the special awards presented by this prestigious competition, the champion of champions, in which Sherry once again has the place of honour. Proof of the importance of this competition is that many bodegas usually mention on their labels the awards won at the annual editions of the IWC.
González Byass’ participation was rewarded with the highest award a bodega could aspire to in the competition, the ”Len Evans Trophy 2017”, distinguishing the firm as the winner of the most awards in the last five editions of the IWC. The producer of Tio Pepe succeeds Lustau who won the trophy at the last edition, but both firms already have the trophy in their cabinets, with González Byass winning it in 2009 and Lustau in 2011.
GONZÁLEZ BYASS AND LUSTAU SWOP POSITIONS OF MOST AWARDED BODEGA AND BEST WINEMAKER
The change in positions between these two firms doesn’t stop there as the Lustau winemaker, Sergio Martínez won the Trophy for Best Fortified Winemaker in the World from his opposite number at González Byass, Antonio Flores, who won it last year and was shortlisted this year. Sergio Martínez is the successor to the late Manuel Lozano who won it seven times consecutively.
In his honour, the IWC decided last year to create the “Manuel Lozano Trophy” for the champion fortified wine, and this was won last year by González Byass for Cuatro Palmas, while this year it went to another Jerez bodega, Bodegas Tradición for their Palo Cortado VORS.
González Byass issued a press release celebrating their win of the coveted Les Evans Trophy, “awarded only to bodegas which have achieved outstanding results in the last five editions of the International Wine Challenge”.
In the same press release, the bodega notes that they also won the Champions Trophy for Cuatro Palmas and the Spanish Red Trophy for Secastilla 2012 from Bodegas Viñas del Vero in Somontano, owned by the firm.
On winning the Len Evans Trophy, the producer of Tio Pepe notes that during the last five editions of the IWC it has won 11 trophies, 30 golds, 28 silver, 14 bronze as well as 21commendations, to which can now be added those won in the 34th edition (2017) in which around 15,000 wines from all over the world competed.
