Vya Takes “Best” Vermouth Trophy at IWC 2017

On May 22, Vya Sweet Vermouth was honored with the Vermouth Trophy at the 2017 International Wine Challenge (IWC) in London, an award which highlights its recipient as the best of all vermouths at the competition. As the producer of this first-of-its-kind, American craft vermouth, we at Quady Winery couldn’t be more overjoyed with the news! Congratulations to Andrew Quady and the Quady Winemaking Team, Michael Blaylock, Darin Peterson & Cole Dennis, on this tremendous accomplishment.

At the IWC, wines of all varietals, regions, and styles are blind taste tested and recognized accordingly during two stages of judging. From there, gold medal recipients go on to compete for the competition’s prestigious trophy medals. Only a single gold medal winner can be awarded a designated trophy medal, earning it the reputation of being the best in that category.

IWC Judges – Photo Credit to the International Wine Challenge

Reflecting on news of the Vermouth Trophy, Andrew Quady expressed his gratitude, “Speaking for our talented winemaking team, Mike Blaylock, Darin Peterson and Cole Dennis, we are honored for the recognition of our achievement in the most important vermouth style, classic sweet or rosso vermouth.”

Our Vya brand vermouths were created by Andrew Quady nearly two decades ago after a friend challenged him to do so. Quady Winery had already become well recognized for several very successful muscat based wines including Essensia, Elysium and Electra Moscatos. Much of Andrew’s inspiration for Vya came from the determination to create and style it around vermouth being a wine first before anything else. Crafting accordingly, Vya was formed with the aroma, balance and complexity you’d expect to find in a fine wine. Vya Sweet and its two siblings, Vya Extra Dry and Vya Whisper Dry, ultimately evolved into the ideal vermouths for both mixing and enjoying on their own, and impressing the judges at IWC.

The International Wine Challenge holds two competitions every year, each one featuring over 15,000 wines from 55 different countries. Over 14 days of judging, nearly 600 judges blind taste test every entry and score for potential award recognition. The IWC is one of the largest and most recognized international wine competitions in the world.

For more information on what makes Vya Vermouth so special, check out the video below!