Casa Ferreirinha hands out Innovation Award to the Wine Searcher platform

From 14 to 17 October, Florence welcomed the Golden Vines Awards 2022, one of the most renowned award ceremonies in the winemaking sector. Due to the sponsorship of the Innovation category, one of the nine accolades awarded in the event was the Casa Ferreirinha Innovation Award, bestowed upon the global platform Wine Searcher and handed to Julian Perry, CEO. Created in 1999, this is the largest database for the search and comparison of wines and spirits’ prices worldwide.

This edition of the Golden Vines Awards, hosted by the acclaimed Italian wine producer Marchesi Antinori, was attended by 275 private guests, who enjoyed a world class programme. The high point was the awards ceremony’s gala dinner, which took place in the Palazzo Vecchio Salone dei Cinquecento and was prepared by Chef Massimo Bottura. The event was hosted by singer Ronan Keating and his wife, Storm Keating.

Besides celebrating the excellence in the Fine Wines universe, by distinguishing the best producers in the industry, these awards have the ultimate goal of raising funds for the Gérard Basset Foundation. Different initiatives over four days contributed for this purpose, as did the Golden Vines Fine Wine, Rare Spirit & Experience auction, carried out online between 1 and 16 October, in which Casa Ferreirinha took part with a three-magnum bottle batch of Barca-Velha, and an experience in the Douro. In total, the more than 100 batches raised over £1M.

Created as a homage to the late Master of Wine and Master Sommelier, and with the objective of investing in education and training in the wine industry, the Gérard Basset Foundation is responsible for financing education, training and career scholarships for young professionals in the wine, spirits and hotel sectors, while promoting diversity, equality and inclusion.

The ‘Wine Oscars’ will return in 2023, in an edition to be held in October, in Paris.