London, December23, 2019: Wine and spirit consultant Sovna Puri is the only Indian to feature among the Future 50 award winners announced on November 28 by the Wines & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC). Ms. Puri was selected from a global list of 600 professionals working in winemaking, distilling, product development, design and distribution, marketing, journalism and hospitality. She is the only Indian in the final list, which has awardees from 14 countries.
The purpose of the awards is to recognise and felicitate 50 future influencers of the global beverage industry, who are under 40 years of age.
The International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) is one of the most prestigious awards in the drinks industry globally, where wines from any region or any style are judged by leading experts. The International Wine & Spirit Competition has been awarding medals to the world’s best wines and spirits for 50 years.
The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET and WSET Awards) is an awarding body and registered charity devoted to the development and delivery of qualifications and courses in wines and spirits. Established in 1969 for the UK wine trade, WSET has since grown to become the global industry leader. WSET qualifications are available through a network of over 700 Approved Programme Providers (APPs) working in over 70 countries, including India.
The Future 50 is an initiative by WSET and IWSC to celebrate 50 years of their establishment. The awardees are selected from the wine, spirit and sake industry’s up-and-coming talent from all areas of the trade who have made a significant contribution to the industry in the past three years in a range of areas including, career, academia, social responsibility and innovation. Ian Harris, WSET CEO says, “I am delighted to see Sovna in the final Future 50 list. India is an important market for WSET and Sovna is doing a great job teaching WSET qualifications in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi and Nasik. She is also a champion of women in wine in India.”
Choosing the winners was an exhaustive two-stage vetting process using the knowledge and authority of an illustrious panel of expert judges from around the world. These include Stephanie Macleod (Master Blender, Dewar’s), Richard Paterson (Master Blender, Whyte & MacKay), Xavier Rousset MS (restaurateur), Joe Fattorini (The Wine Show), Ian Harris (WSET) and Allen Gibbons (IWSC), supported by a global regional advisory panel covering 17 countries. There were more than 600 nominations for the first round, which were whittled down to 200 in the second round, then to a final shortlist of 82 names from which the final 50 were selected.
IWSC Chief Executive in Fine Wines and Spirits, Christelle Guibert, says, “Narrowing down the 600-plus nominations we received from around the world was a rigorous and lengthy process, with each candidate showing a wealth of talent and expertise. We are confident that the final 50 showcases the brightest sparks of the wine, spirits and sake industries, and look forward to seeing their careers develop over the coming years.”
Corporate Comm India (CCI Newswire)
