Five have been shortlisted for the chance to be crowned best Blogger

Five have been shortlisted for the chance to be crowned best Blogger

This week <9^th September> sees the announcement of the shortlist for the IWSCs Wine & Spirit Blogger of the Year Award, sponsored by González Byass.

The IWSC Wine & Spirit Blogger of the Year was designed to award a journalist or commentator working in the social media arena who not only has considerable reach, influence and inspiring content but who is also pushing the boundaries in terms of writing style and comment.  It was introduced last year, and after its hugely successful debut, is back to recognise the skill and expertise of bloggers.

Last year the competition was so strong that the judges could not separate two of the prospective winners.  In the end, the Blogger Award was awarded to both Jamie Goode (wineanorak.com) for a blog very much concentrating on wine, the issues and the product, and also to Helen McGinn (knackeredmotherswineclub.blogspot.co.uk) for a very accessible, consumer-orientated blog which reaches out to an audience who want to learn more.

After much deliberation for our expert judges, a shortlist has been announced for 2013.

Deby Beard http://debybeard.com/blog/ With 2 million followers in Mexico she is the furthest reaching, and arguably the most powerful blogger in the country, pushing the boundaries with her posts on twitter and Facebook and has succeeded in promoting the wine culture through her activities.

Matt Walls http://www.mattwalls.co.uk/  Part of a new generation of modern young wine writers, Matt Walls is one of the UK’s most exciting up and coming bloggers and has made a big impact on the UK trade.  He is dynamic, young and has built up a considerable and loyal following due to the different angles he gives to wine.

World Sherry Day   http://www.worldsherryday.com/  World Sherry Day™ is brought to you by a group of international Sherry enthusiasts, connected by a shared passion. Their vision is to celebrate Sherry wines throughout the world; the reception in its inaugural year has been remarkable.

Wine Folly http://winefolly.com/ The Blog is only one element of this brilliantly designed website, fronted by Seattle-based sommelier and designer Madeline Puckette. It is one of the best wine education resources out there as well as being particularly strong on the visual side.  The judges said it was communicating on a different level with thought and content.

Caskstrength http://caskstrength.blogspot.co.uk/ Started in 2008 by Joel Harrison and Neil Ridley, this blog has been an essential portal for those who are enthusiastic about whisky and other spirits, but have found the traditional outlets too stuffy, outdated or unappealing for their age group. This blog is both fun and interesting with a fresh approach from these two lively and knowledgeable individuals.

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For all enquiries please contact;

Louise Bolton

Awards Co-ordinator

DD: 01483 542321

Email: louise.bolton@iwscgroup.com