Bolzano - The Alto Adige Wine Consortium has awarded one of its highest honors to a true legend of the wine world. The influential American journalist and critic James Suckling received the "Special Award for South Tyrolean Wine Culture". This honor recognizes his more than 40 years of commitment to following the development of wines from Italy's northernmost wine-growing region and bringing them to a global audience.
A critical companion from the very beginning
James Suckling, who worked for many years as editor-in-chief for Europe at the renowned magazine "Wine Spectator", first came into contact with wines from South Tyrol in the early 1980s. This made him a witness to an impressive development, as Andreas Kofler, President of the Alto Adige Wine Consortium, emphasizes. Suckling accompanied the decisive quality turnaround in the South Tyrolean wine industry from the mid-1980s onwards and followed the region's rise to the top internationally with an ever watchful and constructively critical eye.
A global stage for top regional wines
Since founding his own digital rating portal in 2010, Suckling has further strengthened the presence of South Tyrolean wine on the global market. His platform not only offers ratings, which are of enormous importance for the reputation of the wines, but also reports and videos that shed light on the wine culture of the entire region. "This award is a sign of our gratitude," explained Kofler. Suckling's passionate commitment, which he has shown and continues to show without blinkers and with great sensitivity for the development of wine culture in South Tyrol, is appreciated. His work has made a significant contribution to raising the profile of regional wines from Europe to the USA and Asia.
