Veronafiere and Vinitaly have announced the General Chairs for the ninth edition of 5StarWines – the Book, taking place in Verona from 1st to 3rd April, 2025. Wineries looking to receive expert evaluation and feedback from a distinguished jury, while gaining international exposure, have until February 24 to apply.
VERONA, Italy, Feb. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- This year marks the ninth edition of 5StarWines – the Book, a prestigious three-day blind tasting event organized annually by Veronafiere. The event highlights wines of exceptional quality and value, with the goal of promoting them on an international scale. The uniqueness of the Selection lies in the fact that every winery included in 5StarWines - the Book gains increased exposure and recognition, thanks to the continuous commitment to promoting these award-winning wines throughout the year. Selected wineries receive their certificates and stickers before Vinitaly begins, thanks to an intense 48-hour effort by the dedicated team in the office, which fully understands the significance of these awards for small, medium, and emerging wineries striving to enhance their brand awareness.
A jury of international experts
A key aspect of the Selection's global reach is its distinguished panel of wine experts, who play a crucial role in the evaluation process. These judges come from diverse geographical regions, possess varied professional backgrounds, and are familiar with different wine styles. The combination of this diversity and the blind tasting approach ensures an impartial selection process while fostering the internationalization of the wines.
In the 2024 edition, more than 60 international judges participated, divided into panels. These panels of international judges taste the wines blind, without knowing the brand or category, and carefully evaluate each wine based on its characteristics, assigning a score to each wine based on their evaluation. The attribution of the scores is up to the Panel Chairs, who confirm or attribute the judgment and formulate the final tasting notes. The wines which, on the basis of this preliminary evaluation, are suitable for a score of 90 and upwards, are subject to a subsequent judgement by the General Chairs, thus receiving the final score.
The fundamental role of General Chairs
The General Chairs panel of 2025, the most important in the Selection, will be represented by five renowned judges. Among them, we have the pillars of 5StarWines – the Book: Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW (Belgium), VIA Ambassador and expert at OIV for Spain; Robert Joseph (UK), wine business consultant, editorial consultant for Meininger's Wine Business International, and wine producer; and Bernard Burtschy PhD (France), wine columnist for Les Echos and several French magazines, and Permanent Member of the Grand Jury Européen. These judges have been present since the first edition in 2017, and today they continue to work for the promotion of wine. They strongly believe that 5StarWines – the Book is not just a selection of wines, but a commitment to promote wine and help wineries to expand their potential market across national borders.
Alongside the three veterans of the Selection, Daniele Cernilli (Italy) joined the Scientific Committee in the past five editions. Known for being co-founder and Director of the online magazine Doctor Wine, in 1986 Daniele co-founded Gambero Rosso magazine and oversaw more than 24 editions of the Gambero Rosso and Slow Food's annual Italian Wine Guide. The latest new entry in the General Chairs is Andrea Lonardi MW (Italy), Founder of AL Cultivating Legacy and one of the only three Italian Master of Wine to date.
Andrea Lonardi MW has highlighted the distinctive value of the Selection organized by Veronafiere among international wine events. He emphasizes how participating in such a high-level tasting process offers a unique opportunity for growth: "Working in collaboration with a high-level international tasting panel, like that of 5StarWines – the Book, makes it even more of a growth opportunity, thanks to the invaluable feedback and constant dialogue with esteemed colleagues. Observing, reading, and checking the provisional panel tastings allows one to understand the different angles of analysis and the gaps that Italian wine must consider at a production, stylistic and communicative level, all in an international context."
Wineries from all over the world can still register their wines on the official website of the event by accessing this web page: . Registration closes on February 24, 2025. Those who have already registered can submit their wine samples until March 10. For more information, please visit the FAQ section on our website. For registration assistance or more information, write to [email protected].
Media Contact
5StarWines – the Book Media Dept., Veronafiere, +39 045 8101447, [email protected],
SOURCE Veronafiere
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