Win a Trip to Sicily and Become the First Sicilian Wine Maestro: A Competition for Wine Professionals

Do you love wine?
Do you want to win a trip to Sicily?
Do you want to test your wine knowledge?

The Sicilia DOC Consortium invites you to participate in a sommelier competition for a chance to win a trip to Taormina, Sicily in October 2022 and be crowned the first Sicilian Wine Maestro.

The contest is open to sommeliers and wine professionals across the US who are interested in showing us what they know about Sicilia DOC wines and who yearn to learn more!

Applying is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

Steps to participate are as follows:

  1. To begin, fill out this simple form:LINK TO FORM
  2. Instagram Post: Post a short video (it can be on your grid, a reel or even a story highlight) on your own Instagram account, presenting one of Sicily’s native varieties. Describe the grape, its characteristics, tasting notes, and its place in the world of Sicilia DOC. Here’s your chance to be creative! Why should people try it? What are the best food pairings? What’s your favorite drinking occasion?
    Super important –
    Please tag @winesofsicily, #SicilianWineMaestro, #SiciliaDOC.
  3. Exam: Once you have posted on Instagram, you will receive materials about Sicilia DOC wines (a recorded educational video and presentation) and a link to take a virtual exam. The exam will be multiple choice, and you will have 30 minutes to complete it.
  4. Last day to post the video: August 8th.
    • Link to exam will be sent by August 8th and must be completed by August 31st.

Here’s what you need to know!

  • Phase One, Summer 2022:
    Application process, including Instagram Video and Virtual Seminar.
  • Phase Two, October 2022:
    Three finalists will go to Sicily for an in-person blind tasting and food pairing exercise contest during Taormina Gourmet from October 22nd – 24th 2022.
  • Three industry luminaries will judge phase one of the competition, identifying the three finalists for Sicily!
    • Jeff Porter; Italian Wine Specialist, Sicilia DOC Ambassador.
    • Stevie Kim; Managing Director, Vinitaly International.
    • Tonya Pitts; Wine Director, One Market Restaurant.
  • Finalists will compete in Sicily for a cash prize of $1,500 and the title of Sicilia Wine Maestro.
  • This competition is for wines of Sicilia DOC, applications focusing on other denominations will not be considered.

For more information please contact:

Colangelo & Partners –
sicilianwinemaestro@colangelopr.com

Disclaimer:
WINES OF SICILIA DOC SOMM COMPETITION OFFICIAL RULES
***
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. MUST BE OF LEGAL DRINKING AGE TO PARTICIPATE. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED.

  1. COMPETITION ENTRY SUBMISSION PERIOD: The Wines of Sicilia DOC Somm Competition (the “Competition”) will begin on June 21, 2022 at 12:01 AM Eastern Time and end on August 31, 2022 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time (the “Competition Period”). All entries must be submitted during the Competition Period to be eligible. This Competition is subject to these official rules (“Official Rules”).
  1. SPONSOR: This Competition is sponsored by Wines of Sicily DOC, and managed by Colangelo & Partners Public Relations, LLC, of 55 West 39th St. F5, New York, NY 10018.
  1. ELIGIBILITY: This Competition is only open to professional sommeliers/consultants/educators who are working or have worked as sommeliers/consultants/educators in the United States and the District of Columbia, and who are at least twenty-one (21) years of age, and who are legal residents of the United States (“Somms”). This Competition is void in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. Military installations in foreign countries, all other U.S. territories and possessions and wherever else restricted or prohibited by law, or where Sponsor is unable to obtain regulatory approvals.The following persons are not eligible: (1) employees, officers, directors, agents, or representatives of (a) the Sponsor; (b) the legal, promotion and advertising agencies of the Sponsor; (c) any entity connected with the production or administration of the Competition; (d)   any parent company, affiliate, subsidiary, agent and representative of any entity referred to in (a), (b), or (c); and (2) immediate family members (defined as spouse, mother, father, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, grandparents and in-laws, regardless of where they live) and those living in their household (whether or not related) and of any person referred to in (1) above. This Competition is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws.
  1. MANDATORY SOCIAL MEDIA DISCLOSURE: This Competition is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with any Social Media Entities (defined below). Social Media Entities include, but are not limited to, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and Tumblr. The information you provide will be used by Sponsor for administering this Competition and for marketing purposes in accordance with Sponsor’s privacy policy, located at https://winesofsicily.com/privacy-policy/.
  1. HOW TO ENTER:
    i) Fill out the entry form.
    ii) Post a short video (45 seconds max) on your own Instagram page of you presenting one of Sicily’s native varieties, part of the Sicilia DOC denomination. Describe the grape, its characteristics, tasting notes, and its place in the world of Sicilia DOC. Be creative: Why should people try it? What are the best food pairings? What’s your favorite drinking occasion? Please tag @winesofsicily, AND use both hashtags #SicilianWineMaestro, #SiciliaDOC.
    iii)  All somms who have completed i and ii during the Submission Entry Period will be invited to attend a virtual seminar to be held on a date to be decided the week of September 5th.
    iv) All participating sommeliers will be sent a 50 question exam, along with a video tutorial. On a scale from 1-5, the three judges will score the participants based on these factors: Exam results, including the open ended question, and the Instagram video. The three participants who score the highest will have the chance to be crowned the Sicilian Wine Maestro in Sicily. If there is a tie, the three judges will convene and determine the three finalists. The three judges are:
    Jeff Porter; Italian Wine Specialist, Sicilia DOC Ambassador.
    Stevie Kim; Managing Director, Vinitaly International.
    Tonya Pitts; Wine Director, One Market Restaurant.The winners will be announced the week of September 12th, and will travel to Italy for the Taormina Gourmet held October 22nd – 24th, where they will compete in blind tastings and food pairing contests to become the first Sicilian Wine Maestro, as chosen by representatives of Wines of Sicily DOC. In the event that any winner cannot or declines to travel to Italy, the next highest scorer will be selected.
  1. VALUE OF PRIZES: Winning prize includes economy air ticket to Sicily, hotel accommodations, and meals, and is valued at $3000 for the three selected contestants who travel to Sicily. The total value for the winner of the $1500 prize money in Sicily is $4500.  Prizes are subject to applicable state, local and federal US taxes. All winners must provide a W-9 form and will receive a 1099 form.
  1. CONDITIONS: All entrants consent to the use of their submitted videos and additionally winners consent to the use of their name, voice and/or likeness, by the Sponsor for advertising purposes, with attribution but without additional compensation unless otherwise prohibited by law. All entries must be complete to be eligible and the Sponsor is not responsible for late, lost, stolen or misdirected mail/email.By entering, participants and Selected Entrant agrees to be bound by the Official Rules and release the Sponsor and its parents, partners, affiliates, subsidiaries, officers, agents, employees, advertising agencies, and all others associated with the development and execution of the Sweepstakes from and against any and all liability with respect to or in any way arising from the Sweepstakes and/or use of the prizes, including, without limitation, liability for death, personal injury, damage or loss. All decisions of the Sponsor are final and binding; and Entrants agree to waive any right to claim ambiguity in the Competition or Official Rules, except where prohibited by law.Disputes will be governed by the internal laws of the State of New York and venue for any legal action or claim must be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction in New York. The Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any Entrant it finds to be tampering with the operation of the Competition or violating the Official Rules.
  1. LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY: The Sponsor is not responsible for: (a) lost, late, misdirected, undeliverable, incomplete, illegible or indecipherable entries due to, among other things, system errors or failures or otherwise, or faulty transmissions or other telecommunications malfunctions, bugs and/or problems related to the online entry; (b) technical failures of any kind; (c) failures of any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Competition; (d) unauthorized human and/or mechanical intervention in any part of the entry process or the Competition (e) technical or human error that may occur or be encountered by Entrants in the entry process, or by the Sponsor in the administration of the Competition or the processing of entries, including computer system, phone line, hardware, software or program malfunctions, the presence of computer viruses or other errors, failures or delays in computer transmissions or network connections that are human or technical in nature; (f) any error, omission, interruption, deletion, theft or destruction, or unauthorized access to, or alteration of entries; or (g) any injury or damage to persons or property (including death) which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from any Entrant’s participation in the Sweepstakes or receipt or use of any prize. Sponsor may prohibit an Entrant from participating in the Competition or winning a prize if, in its sole discretion, it determines such Entrant is attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Competition by cheating, deception, or any other unfair playing practices of intending to annoy, abuse, threaten, undermine or harass any other players or Sponsor representatives. In the event of a system malfunction or the presence of a virus, the Sponsor reserves the right to modify or terminate the Competition at its sole discretion.Moreover, Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to cancel, amend or suspend this Competition, or to amend these Rules, in any way without prior notice or obligation, in the event of any accident, printing, administrative, or other error of any kind, or for any other reason whatsoever.
  1. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL: Except as prohibited by applicable law and as a condition of participating in this Competition, each Entrant hereby irrevocably and perpetually waives any right s/he may have to a trial by jury in respect of any litigation directly or indirectly arising out of, under or in connection with this Competition, any document or agreement entered into in connection herewith, any prize available in connection herewith, and any of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.
  1. PRIVACY AND PUBLICITY: All personal information collected by the Sponsor will be used for administration of the Competition. The Sponsor reserves the right and all Entrants expressly agree that the Sponsor may use the name and/or pseudonym of the Selected Entrant and/or all photographs and videos at whatever location such visual material may be produced, except as prohibited by law. Use may include the Internet, such as the websites of the Sponsor, its social network pages including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc. and other publicity, magazines, catalogs or other media. In addition, Entrants may receive email correspondence from, or on behalf of Sponsor subject to Sponsor’s privacy policy.