Hudson Valley Wine Magazine Announces "the Face Of Hudson Valley Wine" Awards

Hudson Valley, NY, February 10, 2010. - It's not all in a name. Whether it's kangaroos or cannonballs, pianos or puppies, consumers often buy their wine solely on the look and design of the bottle's label. To better educate consumers on the face of Hudson Valley wines, this month Hudson Valley Wine Magazine has launched their "first-ever" Hudson Valley Wine Label Award Competition, "The Face of Hudson Valley Wine."

"A wine may speak for itself, but the label usually says it first," notes Linda Pierro, Hudson Valley Wine Magazine's creative director. "Brand recognition is key to consumer purchasing - especially when a brand is relatively unknown."

"The Face of Hudson Valley Wine" label competition is now accepting entries from all winemakers in the Hudson Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area). Entry is open to all 33 bonded wineries in the Hudson Valley region, whose wines can be found at local and Metro NY-area wine shops, farm markets, as well as at their wineries.

"Our mission is to educate consumers to recognize local wines, as well as the styles of wines that
are made here," said Robert Bedford, Executive Editor of Hudson Valley Wine Magazine. "This is particularly important at a time when wine consumption is up, yet people are choosing mass-produced, imported brands, over hand-crafted, artisanal wines made right in their own backyards. With this awards competition, we hope to bring more awareness to the wines being made in the Hudson Valley region."

Awards will be given to the best-designed labels in several categories, including: Best Type Design, Best Use of Illustration or Photography, Most Memorable Label, among others. Labels will be judged by a distinguished panel of four top design, branding and marketing industry professionals.

Social media sites and events will also be utilized to involve the general public in voting a
"People's Choice" label award winner. Details of this award will be announced at a later date.

In addition, the winners of "The Face of Hudson Valley Wine" will receive publicity and industry recognition for their excellence, and will be presented with a Hudson Valley Wine Magazine
"VINI" Award - a trophy encapsulating their winning label. The winning labels in each category will also be featured on a full-color, limited-edition poster, which will be distributed at wineries, wine shops and retailers throughout the region.

The Spring Issue of Hudson Valley Wine Magazine will hold further details of the competition and prizes, as well as profiles of the judging panel. The award-winning labels in all categories will be announced and published in the Summer 2010 issue of Hudson Valley Wine Magazine, which will appear in July 2010. A portfolio of the winning labels will also be made available on the magazine's website, www.hvwinemag.com.

Sponsors, or those who can benefit from adding their own branding to this award competition are currently being sought. For more information about sponsorships, please email the address below.

This first-ever label competition is presented by the award-winning Hudson Valley Wine Magazine, the only publication dedicated to promoting the wines and wineries of the Hudson Valley. More information about the publication, now in its third year, can be found at www.hvwinemag.com.