Chianti Classico Consortium Announces 2018 US Ambassador

CHICAGO, June 14, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Chianti Classico Consortium (Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico) is thrilled to present the winner of the 2018 Chianti Classico Ambassador competition, the first of its kind in the US. On Tuesday, June 12, Michael Klinger was named Chianti Classico Ambassador 2018 upon the conclusion of an extensive competition, which involved a written exam, a blind tasting, and an interview before a panel of judges. The Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico is a voluntary association that was established in 1924 to promote and protect the wine known as Chianti Classico, originating from the region of the same name, identified by the historic Black Rooster (Gallo Nero) trademark.

The competition was created in 2017 as part of the Consorzio's effort to elevate understanding and perception of Chianti Classico wines around the world. It began with the election of three Canadian ambassadors in 2017, and is open to full-time wine professionals over the age of 21. Through this annual competition, the Consorzio aims to acknowledge and reward the most qualified candidates in every region where the competition is held, selected each year by the Consorzio.

"Please join us in congratulating Michael Klinger as Chianti Classico's first ambassador in the United States," said Consorzio Director Carlotta Gori. "We are so grateful to all of the qualified professionals who participated in this competition for their commitment to studying and promoting the wines of Chianti Classico."

An online exam of 18 multiple choice questions and seven written questions was held on May 14, 2018. The top five scoring candidates were admitted to the second and third round of exams, which occurred in Chicago on June 12, 2018, including a blind tasting and an interview before a
panel of judges. The blind tasting consisted of four wines, and the candidates were required to recognize the main features of each wine and answer five questions about them. Following interviews before the panel of judges, Michael Klinger was awarded the title of "Chianti Classico Ambassador USA 2018" in a closing ceremony.

Klinger will be invited to a five-day tour in Chianti Classico at the Consortium's expense and will receive a stipend for training activities to be carried out in his market sector. The Chianti Classico Ambassadors undertake the responsibility to protect and promote the Gallo Nero brand and the Chianti Classico Consortium in their professional activities, using their experience to raise awareness and knowledge of Chianti Classico wines among trade and consumers around the world.

For more information, please contact Josh Zoland of Colangelo & Partners or Silvia Fiorentini of the Chianti Classico Consortium.

About the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico:

The Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico exists to protect, oversee, and valorize the Chianti Classico denomination. Since the Consortium's founding in 1924, the organization has changed its name and the design of its logo, but its trademark has always been the historic symbol of the Black Rooster. As one of the premier institutional organizations in the European Union in the grapegrowing and winemaking sector, the Consortium represents 96 percent of the DOCG production. The entire production chain is supervised by a public tracking system, which enables consumers all over the world to check the bottle they've purchased via the Consortium's website. The Consortium also conducts research and development in the agronomic and enological fields, in collaboration with presitigous educational and research institutes. For more information, please visit http://www.chianticlassico.com.

SOURCE Chianti Classico Consortium