The award recognises the Managing Partner of Vinitaly and Founder of Italian Wine Podcast for her contribution to promoting Italian wine culture worldwide.
VERONA, Italy, May 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Stevie Kim, Managing Partner of Vinitaly and Founder of Italian Wine Podcast, has been awarded the Assoenologi International Communication Award 2026 for her work in promoting, educating and communicating Italian wine culture on the global stage.
The official motivation for the award reads: “For her constant commitment to enhancing, educating and disseminating Italian wine culture around the world, making a decisive contribution to increasing the prestige of Italian wine Made in Italy in international markets.”
In her acceptance speech, Kim reflected on the significance of receiving the award from Assoenologi, especially in light of the long working relationship built through the 5StarWines competition.
“I have to confess that it was not exactly love at first sight between Assoenologi and me,” said Kim. “When we first started working together on 5StarWines, our objective was to bring Italian wine before an international palate and provide useful guidance for foreign markets. We did not always understand each other immediately. But perhaps that is exactly where respect began.”
Kim drew a parallel between winemaking and communication, two fields that are often taken for granted.
“Those who work in communication and those who make wine have more in common than one might think,” she continued. “Today, we almost take it for granted that a wine should be technically correct, as if achieving that were simple. In the same way, everyone seems to have an opinion about communication, as if speaking were the same as knowing how to communicate. In reality, behind a great wine and behind effective communication there is study, dedication, sensitivity, craft and a great deal of patience.”
Kim paid special tribute to Assoenologi and Vinitaly, acknowledging their role in building a relationship based on dialogue, trust and shared commitment to the international promotion of Italian wine.
“This recognition is especially meaningful because it comes from Assoenologi, and because it reflects a journey we have built together over time,” Kim said. “I would like to thank President Riccardo Cotarella for his vision, Paolo Brogioni for his patience, generosity and constant ability to build bridges, and Vinitaly, which has made this international work possible by giving Italian wine a global platform.”
The award recognises a long standing international communication journey which, through Vinitaly, Italian Wine Podcast and the many initiatives connected to them, has helped bring Italian wine to broader global audiences through education, content, accessibility and international vision.
“Perhaps this is why, over the years, a special affinity has developed with Assoenologi,” Kim concluded. “We have learned to listen to each other, to translate different languages and to work together to promote Italian wine around the world.”
About the Italian Wine Podcast: Cin Cin with Italian Wine People! launched in 2017 as a project dedicated exclusively to the Italian wine world. The program uncovers the unique world of Italian wine in conversation with some of its key protagonists. Under the umbrella brand of Mamma Jumbo Shrimp, Italian Wine Podcast aims to inform, educate, and entertain listeners with content for wine professionals and casual listeners alike. The only daily wine podcast in the world, content includes wine business, food & travel, diversity and inclusion, wine producers, science, and marketing and communication. Italian Wine Podcast is available on SoundCloud, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, XimalayaFM (for China), and on the official website. It now boasts over 2600 recorded episodes with a growing online following of nearly 10 million listens. Donations to the show are welcomed and help fund a portion of the show’s equipment, production, and publication costs. To advertise in the show, please request a prospectus and/or customized advertising plan from info@italianwinepodcast.com. Cin Cin!
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