IWSC reveals shortlist for Wine Distributor of the Year award

Each year the IWSC recognises individual drinks, awarding gold, silver and bronze medals to wines, wine-based drinks, spirits, low & no alternatives, RTDs and ciders. Looking beyond the bottles, the IWSC is also keen to recognise the creativity of the companies that bring these drinks to the consumer. The businesses that import and distribute these bottles. These companies are distinguished by our Business Awards.

The Wine Distributor of the Year award was created to recognise the wholesale, importer and distribution businesses leading the way in bringing consumers their favourite drinks. With recent obstacles, not limited to Brexit, shipping hiccups and covid, the businesses recognised for these awards are having to find new ways of working in a rapidly changing industry.

The judging panel for this year’s award comprised of experts from across the industry: three Masters of Wine - Ali Cooper, Junior Vianna and Sarah Abbott - as well as renowned industry expert Christine Parkinson and completing the panel, the IWSC’s own Christelle Guibert.

It was clear that each of the entrants had taken great care on their entries, and all had impressive achievements to highlight from the past 12 months. Ahead of deciding the shortlist, the judges agreed that they needed to take a full 360º look at each of the entrants, viewing the company as a whole and factoring in their individual experience of each business.

The IWSC is delighted to reveal its 2022 shortlist for Wine Distributor of the Year:

Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Hallgarten was the business that really stood out in terms of the progress it has made on its sustainability journey. Clearly well on its way and one of the leaders in the industry, our judges applauded the fact it was already ISO 14001 accredited and aspired to achieve further certification in the coming year, with its intention to be carbon neutral by 2023.

Having expanded its range of wines and producers in 2021, Hallgarten continues to grow its portfolio with considered, quality producers. It views its relationships with its winemakers as partnerships, working collaboratively, in a joined-up approach to achieving mutually agreed objectives.

Communication is key to creating strong and meaningful relationships with customers, and Hallgarten does this through its impressive ‘Assemblage’ magazine which is sent out to customers three times a year, as well as its monthly digital newsletters. Also positioned to offer its customers quality education, Hallgarten is an accredited WSET provider, offering structured education programmes from Level 1 through to Level 3.

A thoroughly reliable business with a real focus on reducing its impact on the environment, our judges were unanimous in the decision to include Hallgarten in our 2022 shortlist.

Liberty Wines

picture credit: skin + pulp

There was much praise from our judges for the work carried out by Liberty Wines over the past 12 months. During a time where a combination of Brexit, covid and the shipping crisis meant that customers were often found waiting for stock or missing stock, Liberty was proud to share with us that 99.5% of its orders were unaffected due to its foresight. It anticipated demand spikes, and briefed producers, shipped more and shipped earlier – so customers always had the wine they needed.

Liberty grew its accounts by over 700 last year – an incredibly impressive achievement during such a time of upheaval for the trade. Supporting customers with its magazine as well as its educational and training programs, the judges felt Liberty was a business that practiced what it preached.

As well as looking after its customers, Liberty’s staff are well looked after with an impressive range of staff benefits and mental health initiatives.

Topped off with a quality selection of great portfolio additions, 2021 was a year of stellar performance for Liberty.

North South Wines

Another business that impressed our judges with its focus on sustainability, North South Wines has gained BRC ‘Agents and Brokers’ AA Grade certification, and perhaps more impressively has started its journey toward achieving BCorp accreditation, with the admirable intention to be accredited by 2023.

Pioneering a ‘culture of quality’, the judges felt that North South Wines was a business to be admired. A smaller business than its shortlisted counterparts, it’s a company that punches above its weight in terms of its output. A relatively young business at only 8 years old, North South Wines has weathered the hurdles of covid and Brexit, demonstrating great business leadership.

The business’ fresh outlook means it has really taken hold of communicating to its customers digitally, sharing regular communication through its blog as well as really establishing itself on social media. A worthy addition to the 2022 shortlist for the IWSC Wine Distributor of the Year award.

The winner of the IWSC’s Wine Distributor of the Year awardwill be announced on Monday 11 April.