#NIWSF13 - Countdown to the 3rd edition of the only trade platform for wines and spirits in Sub-Saharan Africa

TOAST TO LIFE

A major addition to this year's Nigeria International Wine & Spirit Fair is the 'toast to life'. The event is a benevolent fundraising gala to raise funds towards the 'don't drink and drive' campaign and awards night to recognise individual brand achievements.

The campaign is a CSR initiative aimed at promoting social responsibility, genuine consumer concern and education with support from wine, spirit and beer brands.

The award categories are listed below;

Top merchant awards

- Best portfolio of the year

- Overall agent / distributor of the year

Industry awards

- Best launch of the year

- Best innovation / emerging drink of the year

- Engaging consmer award - consumer awareness

- Best digital / social media strategy of the year

The special achievement awards

- Responsible drinking message

- Best overall spirit of the year

- Best cognac of the year

- Best vodka of the year

- Best rum of the year

Beer awards

- Best larger of the year - beer

- Best stout of the year

- Best cider of the year

- Best consumer awareness and innovation of the year - Beer

Top 20 wines awards

- Overall wine of the year

- Best red wine of the year

- Best white wine of the year

- Best rose wine of the year

- Best champagne of the year

Indigenous awards

- Overall indigenous product of the year

- Best indigenous spirit of the year

- Best indigenous liqueur of the year

- Best indigenous wine of the year

Nomination closes at midnight Thursday 31st October 2013

To send in your nomination, please comment below or email awards@nwsf-ng.com in the format below;

Award category / title of award / brand nominee / reason for nomination 

We look forward to your nominations.

Nigeria International Wine & Spirit Fair 2013

The Nigeria International Wine & Spirit Fair was launched in 2010 by Spronks Creations Limited with the aim of creating a trade platform for on-trade and off-trade businesses in Nigeria, fostering inter-cultural relationships with wine and spirit producing countries, and educating Nigerian consumers on wine and spirit culture.

Since its inception, we have successfully put together and coordinated previous fairs held in 2010 and 2011 with the 4th edition set to hold in November 2013.

In 2011, the fair had international participation with exhibitors from Chile, Argentina, Spain, USA and South Africa putting the Nigeria market in the frontier of global recognition.

The fair took break in 2012 to re-position the brand as an international business platform for the wine and spirit industry as it was formerly known as the 'Nigeria Wine & Spirit Festival'.

This year's edition has been scheduled for the 7th -9th of November 2013 at the Federal Palace Hotel's external ballroom and extension in Victoria Island, Lagos Nigeria;

Thursday 7th November (11am - 9pm) - Exhibition day 1
Friday 8th November (11am -9pm) - Exhibition day 2
Saturday 9th November (10am - 8pm) - Exhibition day 3
Sunday 10th November (6pm - 9pm) - Gala night

The event is open to the public apart from the gala night on Sunday which is strictly by invitation.

Wines of South Africa comes to Lagos again

Over two weeks ago, the much anticipated second edition of the Wines of South Africa (WoSA) grand tasting which coincided with global commemorations to mark the Nelson Mandela Day took place on Friday 19th July at the external ballroom of the Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos.

This established annual event is brought to Nigeria by the WoSA in conjunction with the South African High Commission. WoSA is the non-for-profit organisation that promotes the exports South African wines in the international market.

350 wines from different wine-land regions were exhibited from producers; Asara Wine Estate, Bizoe Wines, Blue Africa Trading (Tokara, Napier & Riebeek Cellars), Cape Diamond (Lutzville), Cape Dreams, De Trafford, DGB (Pty) Ltd, Diemersal Wine Estate, Distell, Fairview Wines, Grand Provence Heritage Wine Estate, Kanu Wines, KWV Wines, La Ric Mal Wines, Lathitha Wines, MAN Vintners, Mountain River Wines, Oldenburg Vineyards, Overhex Wines International, Pernod Ricard, RAKA Wines, Remhoogte Wine Estate, Robinson & Sinclair, Ses'fikile Wines, Sijnn Wines, The Township Winery, Uni Wines Vineyards and Vinglo Wines.

The grand tasting which we had the privilege of organising was indeed a networking occasion for wine producers eager to build and strengthen trade ties in Nigeria.

The event was attended by over 450 guests amongst which were representatives from the South African, United States and Spanish High Commissions, bank executives, importers, distributors,  restaurateurs, hospitality managers, portfolio managers, media, wine connoisseurs and elite consumers who gathered to discover, explore and taste the arrays of wines.

The wine types on display were made up of red wines, white wines, rosés and brandy. The evening was filled with merriment as guests were serenaded with live jazz and treated to a sumptuous variety of canapés. 

To view more photos from the event, please check our twitter and facebook accounts.