Entries are now open for the Decanter Retailer of the Year Awards 2014, with several new categories for retailers that specialise in some of the world's key wine regions.
There are nine new categories in this year’s awards for retailers specialising in particular regions, from Old World heavyweights Bordeaux and Burgundy to the Americas and Australia, offering more retailers the chance to win one of the coveted prizes.
The annual Decanter Retailer of the Year Awards sets out to celebrate and reward success, by judging wine retailers based on the quality of their wine range, online and in-store innovation, and customer service over the past 12 months.
Alongside the new specialist categories, the 2014 competition has kept its National Wine Retailer of the Year category – won last year by The Wine Society – and Supermarket of the Year, won by Tesco in 2013.
There are two other new categories for 2014: Large Independent Wine Retailer of the Year and Small Independent Wine Retailer of the Year.
‘The Retailer Awards celebrate those who excel at selling wine and deserve recognition for it,’ said awards chairman Peter Richards MW.
‘These awards matter more than ever because they nurture innovation, focus, ambition and customer service, and inspire wine merchants across the UK to up their game. In doing so, they help maintain this nation’s status as one of the best places in the world to enjoy wine.’
Alongside Richards on the judging panel will be wine industry consultant and ex-Sainsbury’s wine director Allan Cheesman. Decanter contributing editor Stephen Brook and Decanter international tastings director Christelle Guibert have also joined the four-strong panel this year.
The deadline for entries is 2 May. Winners be announced on 5 November in the December issue of Decanter magazine and on Decanter.com.
Click here to enter the Decanter Retailer of the Year Awards 2014
To see last year’s winners, click here
The 2014 categories in full:
- Supermarket of the Year
- National Wine Retailer of the Year
- Large Independent Wine Retailer of the Year
- Small Independent Wine Retailer of the Year
- Americas Specialist Wine Retailer of the Year
- Australia and New Zealand Specialist Wine Retailer of the Year
- Bordeaux Specialist Wine Retailer of the Year
- Burgundy Specialist Wine Retailer of the Year
- Rhône Specialist Wine Retailer of the Year
- Germany and Austria Specialist Wine Retailer of the Year
- Italy Specialist Wine Retailer of the Year
- South Africa Specialist Wine Retailer of the Year
- Spain and Portugal Specialist Wine Retailer of the Year
Written by Decanter.com staff
