May 21, 2021 2021 TEXSOM International Wine Awards!

Dear Nestor Imports,

Thank you for your participation in the 2021 TEXSOM International Wine Awards!

This year’s TEXSOM IWA and TEXSOM Retreat are testaments to all of us as a community making the event. Together with 44 judges, 50 TEXSOM Retreat members, 60 production team members, and 2,390 total entries you helped to make this year’s Awards one of the most dynamic in the history of the competition. We truly had the breadth of the beverage world represented. Of the entries judged, the judges awarded 1,814 medals: 51 Judges’ Selection medals, 89 Platinum medals, 189 Gold medals, 731 Silver medals, and 805 Bronze medals.

Beverages demonstrating quality and unique character that are exceptional even amongst their medal-winning peers may be nominated by judging panels for Judges’ Selection categories. A total of 89 entries received a Judges’ Selection nomination and were elevated to Platinum medal. The Judges’ Selection nominees were submitted to head-to-head judging within expansive categories and 51 were awarded a Judges’ Selection medal as the highest award of the competition.

The Journal of Wine Economics published a paper in which TEXSOM International Wine Awards figured prominently for the competition’s ability to differentiate quality and offer judging consistency year-on-year. At the same time, the paper noted that of the competitions evaluated, some of the most-recognized in the United States, that ours is the most selective. The summation is that the high level of our judges, their broad experience and global perspective, leads to a more selective, and more meaningful, medal distribution. From our perspective, this validates our belief that any medal received at the Awards is a high accomplishment.

Unique amongst all other wine and beverage competitions, the TEXSOM IWA holds a retreat behind the scenes. This year a total of 50 participants were in attendance: 32 attendees from 12 states and 18 mentors. While the judges and production team were hard at work facilitating the judging of entries, the panel of retreat attendees tasted medal-winning selections, received tutelage in writing about the award-winners from the esteemed editors, practiced service standards techniques with beverage industry leaders, and worked with the Awards production team to understand the competition’s high standards and rigorous processes.

The TEXSOM International Wine Awards arranges award entries by category of beverage, place of origin, and type. Medals are awarded on a merit basis as bronze, silver, gold, platinum, and Judges’ Selection.

We appreciate your entries in the competition. We applaud your willingness to place your products on an international stage amongst some of the best in the world to be judged by some of the most discriminating and knowledgeable palates in our industry.

Your results from the TEXSOM International Wine Awards is/are as follows:

  • Idaia Winery, Ocean, Thrapsathiri, PGI Crete, 2019, Silver Medal
  • Kourtaki, Sweet Red, PDO Mavrodaphni of Patra, Non-Vintage, Silver Medal
  • UWC Samos, Samos Vin Doux, Muscat, PDO Samos, Non-Vintage, Silver Medal
  • Domaine Costa Lazaridi, Amethystos, Rouge, PGI Drama, 2019, Silver Medal
  • Idaia Winery, Gi, Kotsifali-Mandilaria, PGI Crete, 2014, Silver Medal
  • Domaine Costa Lazaridi, Methexis, Cigar, 10 Years, Barrel Aged, Mature Grape Brandy, Non-Vintage, Silver Medal
  • Domaine Costa Lazaridi, Chateau Julia Agiorgitiko, Drama, 2019, Bronze Medal
  • Domaine Costa Lazaridi, Dry Rosé, Merlot, Single Vineyard, PGI Drama, 2020, Bronze Medal
  • Domaine Costa Lazaridi, Malagousia, Dry, Single Vineyard, PGI Drama, 2020, Bronze Medal