Page 10 - IWSC Tasting Guide 2017

People focus
Joe Fattorini announced as Wine Communicator
Iof the Year 2017
WSC is pleased to announce Joe Fa orini as Wine Communicator of the Year for 2017!
Fa orini was picked as the outstanding candidate from a pres gious shortlist for his work on The Wine Show, on which he is now wowing audiences
worldwide following the show’s phenomenal success since hi ng screens last spring.
The show – which has now been broadcast in 109 countries – has a racted a cult following, largely thanks to Fa orini’s infec ous enthusiasm and insa able appe te to share his knowledge with a mass audience of wine lovers, as well as for his adventurous repor ng on all things weird and wonderful from the world of wine.
Since rst broadcas ng in spring last year, viewers have
watched Fa orini learning about the ritual of kissing vines
in South Africa, the defences of a vineyard in the war-torn Middle East and the many strange rituals of winemakers the world over.
He has also used his starring role in the show to lead entertaining on-screen tas ngs with fellow presenters and self-confessed wine novices Ma hew Goode and Ma hew Rhys, as well as to interact with millions of fans via social media following each broadcast.
Richard Stoppard, Chief Opera ng O cer of IWSC, said Fa orini had impressed judges with his energy, enthusiasm and ability to present wine as both exci ng and engaging to a global audience, irrespec ve of their previous level of knowledge.
“Joe’s work on The Wine Show has shown him to be
a great voice for the wine industry and a champion for democra sing the world of wine for the public,” explained Stoppard.
2016 winner Joe Wadsack, who was part of a judging panel including IWSC representa ves, journalists and senior gures from the wine industry*, described Fa orini as “astonishing”. He added: “Joe is a born communicator and is taking huge risks to make wine interes ng and relevant to a mass audience.”
Among his broadcasts, Fa orini has inves gated how one French wine maker risked his life working for the Resistance during the Second World War, and has even interviewed one winemaker who puts on a wetsuit every me he visits his cellar – because it’s underwater.
10 IWSC Tasting Guide 2017
More importantly, he has helped and encouraged viewers to try wines from all round the world, with his Wine of the Week recommenda ons proving to be one of the most popular features of the show’s website, www.thewineshow.com.
Celebra ng his award, Yorkshire-based Fa orini – who prior to starring on The Wine Show spent 15 years as the weekly wine cri c for The Herald newspaper in Scotland – said: “It is a great honour to receive this award, which represents the work of the remarkable team who made The Wine Show happen, from the investors who risked their money and the directors and producers who risked their reputa ons, to the reless technical team and the wine makers who welcomed us and told us their stories. l