At its 6th Annual Wineries Boot Camp to be held on Wednesday February 28th 2018 at the Lincoln Theater in Yountville, The Luxury Marketing Council of San Francisco will present the 2018 Rising Wine Stars awards in front of 300+ wine industry marketing, sales and hospitality influentials, representing 75 + Napa and Sonoma wineries. 

The 2018 Rising Wine Stars Awards acknowledge outstanding Napa and Sonoma wine industry achievers and achievements in the following categories: 
·        Winery of the Year: Based on brand distinction and rising industry buzz
·        Winemaker of the Year: An up-and-coming winemaker making a fresh impact upon the industry
·        Wine Marketer of the Year: For new ideas and innovative thinking in wine industry marketing
·        Wine Community Service: A wine industry organization or supporter rising to the community challenge
·        Winery Hospitality & Guest Relations: A winery or winery staff-member who is setting a new standard in wine hospitality 

The rationale behind The Rising Wine Stars awards is to acknowledge wine industry candidates who epitomize the new generation changing the face of the wine industry in California, specifically Napa and Sonoma. Because we believe that that success in-the-making should be recognized, we wish to join with you in identifying and acknowledging up-and-coming industry performers who toil in the Napa and Sonoma wine universe.  

The selection process is open and equal with respect to age and length of service (i.e., it could be someone aged 65 who came from another industry), size of winery or organization they represent. There is also an opened-minded approach to the selection process. The selection criteria remain flexible to the extent that the awardees are chosen not solely based on their current reputation and level of success, but more so for the potential that they exhibit as future industry leaders and innovators. The selection process is completely impartial, and does not require any nomination fee or other monetary consideration. 

A panel of respected industry influentials will make the final selection. Awards will be presented on-stage at the Wineries Boot Camp on February 28th and heavily promoted via social media and wine industry channels. 

We need your help. We think it vital that the wine community have the opportunity to nominate viable candidates, all of whom will be accorded individual consideration. You can nominate as many candidates as you please as long as they meet the nominating criteria.  

The nomination process has deliberately been kept simple and takes just a few minutes:
·        Enter as many qualified nominations as you please
·        Nominations can remain anonymous if so desired
·        All nominations must be received no later than January 29th 2018 

If you have any specific questions about The 2018 Rising Wine Star awards, please feel free to contact us at 415-332-1085 or nucifora@luxesf.com 

We thank you for your support and look forward to receiving your nominations.

Question Title

* 1. Winery of the Year
     Criteria:
  • Is considered to be an up-and-coming leader in the industry
  • Is the subject of current industry buzz (for the right reasons)
  • Is a brand that is generating consumer and trade interest, if not excitement
  • Is innovating and experimenting with new, interesting trends in winemaking and marketing
  • Is hiring the right people (top performers) and attracting the right talent (wine talent wants to work there) 
I nominate the following candidate (s) including a supporting statement (s):

Question Title

* 2. Winemaker of the Year
     Criteria:
  • Is making great wines that are yet to be discovered or fully appreciated
  • Is the next great winemaker in the making
  • Is developing a reputation for his/her winemaking skills
  • Is not afraid of experimentation and innovation in winemaking
  • Is the winemaker that every discerning winery owner would love to hire 
I nominate the following candidate (s) including a supporting statement (s):

Question Title

* 3. Marketer of the Year
     Criteria:
  • Has elevated marketing to a prime role within the winery or wine business
  • Is willing to think outside the traditional wine industry box-- experiment with new marketing strategies …and risk failure
  • Has a disciplined approach to brand marketing and excels with a variety of marketing strategies and tools     associated with DTC, CRM, wine club, tasting room, winery experiences, events, partnerships, direct response, digital platforms, social media, etc.
  • Has a genuine interest in understanding the motivations and behavior wine consumer
  • Has a proactive outlook on the industry and its consumer trends
I nominate the following candidate (s) including a supporting statement (s):

Question Title

* 4. Hospitality & Guest Relations Award
     Criteria:
  • Is delivering a unique and remarkable guest experience
  • Knows how to attract, train and develop guest experience staff and build an outstanding guest relations team
  • Is responsible for managing and/or executing the “complete” guest experience from start to finish, flawlessly   and seamlessly
  • Knows how to “listen” to the customer in every respect
  • Is willing to think and act outside the traditional wine industry hospitality box
Note: This award is restricted to hospitality and guest relations personnel and entities within the winery sector and does not include restaurants, hotels, resorts, transportation companies, attractions, etc.

I nominate the following candidate (s) including a supporting statement (s):

Question Title

* 5. Community Service Award
     Criteria:
  • Is responsible for programs and initiatives that support communities in need in a worthwhile and productive manner
  • Operates with an eye to efficiency and cost-consciousness
  • Fills an unfulfilled need in the community
  • Is garnering growing community support because of its ideals, mission and results
  • This award is applicable to both organizations and individuals
I nominate the following candidate (s) including a supporting statement (s):

Question Title

* 6. Respondent Information (Optional)

Persons submitting Rising Wine Star nominations will remain unidentifiable and anonymous unless they otherwise submit their names and contact information. If you wish to do so, please submit your name, company affiliation, email address and phone number (below) in case we need to contact you for additional information.

We thank you for your submissions.
Alf Nucifora
415-332-1085
nucifora@luxesf.com

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