Merci Beaucoup, Paris!
It’s now just over a month since the The 2023 Golden Vines® Awards took place. With over 250 guests, two gala dinners, 24 events, eight masterclasses, seven fine wine lunches, $5 million in wine served, nine awards given out to some incredibly worthy winners, countless corks popped and just shy of $1 million raised over three days of incredible events, we’d like to extend a huge ‘Merci!’ to everyone who came, donated and enjoyed their time in Paris.
We are delighted for all The 2023 Golden Vines® Awards Winners. Their brilliant work deserves to be recognised and celebrated, and we’re delighted to provide a platform by which to do so.
Each year we honour the legacy of one extraordinary man, Gérard Basset, whose passion, dedication and enthusiasm to the world of wine has left a lasting impression, and whose work is continued by his wife Nina and son Romané as part of the Gerard Basset Foundation. We’re delighted to announce that we raised close to a phenomenal amount of $1 million, which goes to benefit inclusivity and diversity within the wine industry. We couldn’t do this without the people who bid for outstanding The 2023 Golden Vines® Global Online and Live Auctions Lots kindly donated by the world’s greatest fine wine estates & distilleries as well as our Sponsors and Partners, so once again, we extend a thank you to them for their incredible generosity.
‘It’s incredible what a small team of three people, plus a number of extremely motivated and talented part-time and unpaid professionals, can accomplish for the love of fine wine and the charitable cause of helping young people, from diverse backgrounds, to enter the wine, spirit and hospitality industry.’ – Lewis Chester, Co-Founder, Liquid Icons & The Golden Vines® Awards
As always, these Awards are the work of a fantastic community of individuals who dedicate their time to pulling off everything from can-can dancers to DJs, source beautiful venues and top tier talent, secure auction lots, and ensure that The Golden Vines® Awards continue to be a showcase for the very best, down to the smallest detail. We are a small team, where everyone makes an undeniably huge contribution. Thanks to Lewis Chester, Sasha Lushnikov, Liv and Sefton Woodhouse, Philip Sheikh, Jarrett Buffington and, of course, the brilliant Nina and Romané Basset of the Gerard Basset Foundation as well as its team and Trustees, plus our hosts Ronan and Storm Keating and Raphaële Marchal, performers Cat Burns and Louane, as well as chefs Alain Ducasse and Akrame Benallal – and everyone who gave their time to make these awards a success. Equally, an evening celebrating the very best in the world of wine would be nothing without its sommelier, and we’re grateful to Marc Almert and wine director Clément Robert MS for their incredible contribution and exceptional taste.
We’d also like to thank everyone who participated in the annual Gérard Basset Global Fine Wine Report which once again determined The 2023 Golden Vines® Awards Winners, as independently adjudicated by Deloitte, which you can download on a complimentary basis here. Over 950 industry professionals voted across 120 countries – a fantastic response which we think gives one of the best and most inclusive indicators as to the health of our industry, taking into account the opinions of everyone from brokers, sommeliers, collectors, winemakers and consumers. A fantastic community of epicureans and tastemakers, all helping to shape the future of our industry Thank you!
We now look ahead to October 2024, when we’ll be moving to Madrid, one of the most vibrant cities in Europe. To stay abreast of all the latest news and register your interest, you can sign up to The 2024 Waiting List. Equally, if you’d like to be among the first to know about next year’s auction you can sign up here, and to receive more information on the Report click here.
To read our Co-Founder Lewis Chester’s account of what goes into creating ‘The World’s Greatest Wine Event’, click here.
