The end of The Roederers

This year, the 16th annual Louis Roederer International Wine Writers Awards will also be the last. According to the organisers,

“After a fantastic 16 years championing excellence in wine writing and artistry around the world, this will be the final year of ‘The Roederers’. In line with its core philosophy of sustainability and addressing climate change, the Maison has decided to explore opportunities of supporting and sponsoring these vital movements.”

Running these awards can’t have been cheap. The prize-giving ceremony takes place at the Royal Academy of Arts in central London and features a guest list of all the great and good of the wine trade, both from the UK and beyond. There is no cost to enter, the total prize fund is measured in the thousands (my prize was £1,500 in 2017), and plenty of free wine is given away too - I believe each judge receives a six-pack of Cristal.

Over the years, I have heard various grumblings about the rigour of the judging process and the frequency of certain winners, but overall I think the wine trade would agree that The Roederers has been an entirely beneficial event. As a five-time finalist (and one-time winner), I’m bound to say so. Entering awards has been an integral part of my career development since I started writing about wine in 2008.

Competition aren’t just about getting shortlisted and winning, however. The Roederers gives wine communicators around the world something to aim for, and something which recognises and encourages their specific discipline. There are others (such as the Born Digital Wine Awards - although that excludes print-only pieces, which would presumably therefore rule out Noble Rot, for instance), but the LRIWWA is the longest-running and best-known.

Perhaps a new sponsor will see an opportunity to take advantage of The Roederers closure, although it’s hard to imagine who would have the resources and inclination to do so, other than another champagne producer. The more likely scenario is that wine writing will permanently lose its equivalent of The Oscars.

That’s a real shame, because it weakens the business of wine writing as a whole, and it erodes the UK’s position as a hub of wine communication.

Me, winning the LRIWWA Online Communicator of the Year 2017 award. Any excuse to reprint this picture.