2022 Golden Vines® Awards in Florence hosted by Ronan and Storm Keating with headline performance by Celeste raises over £1Million to fund future diversity within wine & spirit industry via Gérard Basset Foundation

Sunday 16 October 2022 saw a unique and prestigious gathering of the world’s most acclaimed wine, spirits and luxury brand protagonists such as Gucci, LVMH & Vista Jets, plus ultra-high-net-worths gathered at the Palazzo Vecchio Salone dei Cinquecento, Florence’s historic town hall, for the world’s most prestigious ‘Oscars-style’ 2022 Golden Vines^® Awards Ceremony & Gala Closing Dinner.

Marking the finale of the world-class 3-day fine dining and entertainment experience in Florence from 14 – 16 October 2022, the Golden Vines^® Awards Ceremony & Gala Closing Dinner recognised the ‘star performers of the fine wine & spirits industry, as well as raising funds for the Gérard Basset Foundation with the aim of financing diversity and inclusion-related education programmes in wine, spirits & hospitality.

Ronan and Storm Keating hosted the evening organised by Liquid Icons, the fine wine research and content production company founded by fine wines & spirits collector Lewis Chester and his friend, the late, great sommelier Gérard Basset OBE.

The guests including Tamara Beckwith, Giorgio Veroni, David Jonsson, Red Longo, Massimo Ferregamo, Allegra Antinori, Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Vincent Chaperon, Frédéric Panaïotis and were treated to spectacular 5-course dinner specially created by 3 Michelin-star chef & winner of S. Pellegrino World’s Best Top 50 Restaurants, Chef Massimo Bottura and his team from Osteria Francescana. The fine wine & spirit paired menu included Dom Pérignon P2, Dom Pérignon Rosé, Trimbach Clos Sainte Hune, Château Cheval Blanc, Château d’Yquem en Magnum and Richard Hennessy cognac.

Multi-award winning and internationally recognised artist Celeste, supported by up-and-coming young artist Sekou Sylla, showcased on the BBC Music’s introducing stage at Glastonbury this year, performed on the night.

The winners of the 2022 Golden Vines^® Awards announced on the night were:

• The 2022 Golden Vines® Best Fine Wine Producer in Europe Award: Szepsy Winery, Tokaji, Hungary
• The 2022 Golden Vines® Best Fine Wine Producer in the Americas Award: Ridge Vineyards, Santa Cruz Mountains, California, USA
• The 2022 Golden Vines® Best Fine Wine Producer in the Rest of the World Award: Penfolds, South Australia, Australia
• The Gucci Golden Vines® Sustainability Award: Louis Roederer, Reims, France
• The Casa Ferreirinha Golden Vines® Innovation Award: Wine-Searcher, New Zealand
• The VistaJet Golden Vines® World’s Best Rising Star Award: The Sadie Family Wines, Swartland, South Africa
• The Robb Report Golden Vines® World’s Best Fine Wine Producer Award: Domaine de la Romanée Conti, Burgundy, France
• The Macallan Golden Vines® Hall of Fame Award: István Szepsy, Tokaji, Hungary
• The SGC Golden Vines® Honorary Award: Becky Wasserman, “the late Burgundian pioneer”, Beaune, France
• Liquid Icons Wine & Hospitality Entrepreneur Award: Grant Ashton, Founder & CEO, 67 Pall Mall, UK

The Golden Vines^® Awards winners each received a trophy in a specially-designed and produced trunk-case by sponsor Gucci. The trophy – in the shape of a giant ‘popped’ champagne cork – was produced by Amorim Cork and royal-warrant holders, Grant MacDonald, with artwork from Ethopian-Italian artist, RED, and creative direction of famed artist, and Golden Vines Artistic Director Shantell Martin.

As a formal handover at the end of the evening, Mayor of Florence Dario Nardella presented a Golden Vines^® Baton to Loïc Pasquet of Liber Pater, the world’s most expensive wine on release, and Akrame Benallal on behalf of Alain Ducasse and himself, who jointly will be serving the dinner alongside Liber Pater at the 2023 Golden Vines^® Awards in Paris.

 

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