NORTH AMERICAN INNOVATORS RECEIVE ACCOLADES FOR EXCELLENCE IN WINE TOURISM
Napa Valley, CA (Sept. 19, 2019) – As one of ten recognized Great Wine Capitals, San Francisco | Napa Valley has awarded its hospitality leaders the 2020 Best Of Wine Tourism regional designations in seven categories.
The Best Of awards categories include: accommodations; architecture and landscape; art and culture; innovative wine tourism experience; sustainable wine tourism practices; wine tourism restaurant; and wine tourism services. An international Best Of award is presented to one wine tourism business within each region that is deemed best in class across all ten Great Wine Capitals by an international jury.
The 2020 Best Of regional San Francisco | Napa Valley winners are:
- Accommodations – Vista Collina Resort (Napa)
This category is for businesses that provide guest accommodations in the region and demonstrate strong involvement in regional wine tourism.
- Architecture and Landscape – Louis M. Martini Winery (St. Helena)
This category is relevant for wineries that have special or noteworthy architectural design elements or characteristics. The wineries may also offer parks, landscaped gardens, panoramic views and vistas where these features make up a significant part of the visitor’s experience.
- Art and Culture – Charles Krug Winery (St. Helena)
This category is for wineries that host an on-site museum or offer specific events linked to any form of art (such as concerts, plays, festivals, artistic workshops, etc.).
- Innovative Wine Tourism Experience – Judd’s Hill Winery and MicroCrush (Napa)
This category is relevant for wineries that offer special and innovative, educational and/or other leisure activities and experiences for individuals and groups at the winery.
- Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices – Honig Vineyard and Winery (Rutherford)
This category is appropriate for wineries that have implemented environmental practices and sustainable innovations and developments, both in the vineyards and in the winery that compliment the visitor’s experience. - Wine Tourism Restaurant – Gott’s Roadside (Napa and St. Helena)
This category is for restaurants that demonstrate its association and strong involvement in regional winery tourism.
- Wine Tourism Service – Active Wine Adventures (Napa)
This category is for establishments and operators whose businesses have a focus on providing a significant service to the wine tourism industry.
An additional level of recognition – The Regional Wine Tourism Award of Merit – has been awarded to two businesses as an honorable mention recognizing a high level of commitment to wine tourism. The 2020 Regional Wine Tourism Award of Merit San Francisco | Napa Valley winners are:
- Art and Culture – 1881 Napa (Oakville)
- Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices – Domaine Carneros Winery (Napa)
All regional “Best Of” award winners will compete for the global awards, which are judged by an international panel of respected wine tourism professionals and presented at the annual general meeting of the Great Wine Capitals Global Network in November 2019 in Bordeaux, France. The international judges will choose one overall winner for each region, selecting from the seven regional “Best of” title-holders.
About Visit Napa Valley
Visit Napa Valley is the official destination management organization for the Napa Valley, with a mission to promote, protect and enhance the region’s position as an attractive travel destination and enhance its public image as a dynamic place to visit, live and work.
The Napa Valley, conveniently located just an hour from the San Francisco Bay Area, consists of the following distinctive towns, including, from north to south, Calistoga, St. Helena, Rutherford/Oakville, Yountville, the city of Napa, American Canyon, and the outdoor recreation area of Lake Berryessa.
For additional information on the Napa Valley, or to plan your Napa Valley experience, please explore VisitNapaValley.com, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @VisitNapaValley. Media relations contact: Angela Jackson, Angela@visitnapavalley.com
About San Francisco Travel
The San Francisco Travel Association is the official tourism marketing organization for the City and County of San Francisco. For information on reservations, activities and more, visit www.sftravel.com. Media relations contact: Laurie Armstrong Gossy, laurie@sftravel.com.
About Great Wine Capitals Global Network
Founded in 1999, the Great Wine Capitals Global Network is an alliance of ten internationally renowned wine regions – Adelaide, South Australia; Bilbao-Rioja, Spain; Bordeaux, France; Mainz-Rheinhessen, Germany; Mendoza, Argentina; Porto, Portugal; San Francisco/Napa Valley, USA; Valparaiso/Casablanca Valley, Chile; Verona, Italy; and Lausanne, Switzerland. The international Best Of Wine Tourism awards serves as an industry benchmark for excellence and recognizes leading wineries and wine-tourism related businesses within each Great Wine Capital that have distinguished themselves in areas such as innovation, service and sustainable practices. For more information visit www.greatwinecapitals.com.
