During the Gala of the 12th edition of the Wines of Portugal Challenge, not only the excellence of Portuguese wines will once again be highlighted, but also the contribution of those who have promoted the reputation of Portuguese wines across borders. This year, the Personality of the Year Awards will once again be presented, recognising people who have distinguished themselves by supporting, promoting and enhancing Portuguese wines around the world.
Awarded every two years, these prizes honour four personalities, one for each continent - Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia/Oceania - chosen from among professionals in the sector such as importers, distributors, journalists, sommeliers, trainers, opinion leaders, among others. The selection process involved the Certifying Bodies (CVRs, IVDP and IVBAM), sector associations (ACIBEV, ANCEVE, AND, CAP, FENADEGAS, FENAVI, FEVIPOR and AEVP) and companies that have taken part in international events organised by Wines of Portugal over the last two years.
These awards were presented at the Vinhos de Portugal Competition Awards Ceremony, which took place on 9 May at the ‘Mercado 2 de Maio’ in Viseu. The winners were:
Jorge Lucki (Brazil) - America's Person of the Year - An engineer from the Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo, he consolidated his training in wine at the Academie du Vin in Paris. As well as being a columnist for the newspaper Valor Econômico and the magazines Valor Investe and Prazeres da Mesa, he is a consultant for books on wine translated in Brazil and co-author of the Descorchados South America guide.
Filipe Cunha Santos (Macau) - Asia/Oceania Person of the Year - Member of the Economic Council and member of the Science and Technology Council of the Macau SAR and President of the Macau Wine Society.
Casimiro Quintas (Angola) - Africa Person of the Year - A former chef from Lanheses, Viana do Castelo, he left Portugal more than 20 years ago to pursue his dream of having a restaurant in Angola. Today, he is no longer a full-time chef, because in the meantime he has opened seven restaurants, all of them successful, with Pimms being the best known, where he promotes Portuguese wines.
Jamie Goode (United Kingdom) - Personality of the Year Europe - With a PhD in plant biology, he began his career as a scientific editor before dedicating himself to the world of wine. He founded the website wineanorak.com in 2000 and is the author of several reference books, such as The Science of Wine and Authentic Wine. Since 2005, he has been a wine columnist for the British newspaper The Sunday Express and writes for various international publications. He is also a judge in prestigious wine competitions and has won several awards for specialised writing.
For Frederico Falcão, Wines of Portugal CEO, "these awards are a way of recognising and thanking those who, in different parts of the world and in different roles, have made a decisive contribution to taking the image and prestige of Portuguese wines further. It is thanks to this joint effort that we have been able to conquer more and more markets and international visibility."
The Wines of Portugal Challenge, organised by Wines of Portugal, is one of the most important initiatives for promoting the quality and diversity of Portuguese wine, and is also a platform for strengthening the position of Portuguese wines in the main export markets.
More information at: https://concursovinhosdeportugal.pt/index.php
