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Berkeley Springs International Water
Tasting Press Information

Click here for 2011 International Water Tasting Award Winners!

Google Berkeley Springs Water Tasting for hundreds of press mentions from all over the US and around the world.

CONTENTS:

• Press Release: 2011 Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting
• Press Release: Water Seminar
• Press Release: 2011 Competition Results

BERKELEY SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL WATER TASTING

• Water is everywhere, covering 3/4 of the planet's surface.

• 97% of the Earth's water is salt water and over 2% is polluted or part of the ice cap, leaving less than 2% available for human use.

• Water cleanses, comforts and heals.

• An indispensable nutrient, it makes up most of human body weight.

• 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

• A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math and difficulty focusing on the computer screen and/or on a printed page.

• Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79% and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

• 84% of Americans feel the pollution of water is a major problem.

• United Nations' International Decade for Action, Water for Life ~ Celebrated in Berkeley Springs February 24-27, 2011.

21ST ANNUAL BERKELEY SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL WATER TASTING

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ~ 2/11/11
Travel Berkeley Springs - Berkeley Springs, West Virginia
1-800-447-8797 •  www.berkeleysprings.com
Press Contact only: Jill Klein Rone ~ 304-258-3302
Photos available on request

February 24-27, 2011.
BERKELEY SPRINGS, WV – Entries continue to pour in from around the world for the the award-winning 21st annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting on Saturday, February 26 at the Country Inn.  Among the more than 100 entries are former gold medal winners from Los Angeles, Atlantic City and Desert Hot Springs, CA as well as a long list of Ohio water systems hoping to duplicate the state’s success in past years.
International waters include Korea, Tasmania, Bosnia and Japan among others.

“Texas rainwater is the big surprise this year,” said Jill Klein Rone, longtime producer of the event.  “We even have a rainwater entry in the carbonated category.”

Held in the historic spa town in West Virginia, the Berkeley Springs International is the largest and longest running water tasting competition in the world.  “We consider it the Academy Awards of Water,” says Klein Rone.  “Instead of gold statuettes, we present fused-glass slump bowls created by Amingo Glass of nearby Hedgesville.”

Tasting of municipal waters, followed by purified drinking water, begins at 2:30pm. Bottled waters, both still and sparkling, are tasted at 6:30pm. Winners in all categories are announced at a public awards reception at 8pm.

"The impact of winning this event is extraordinary for a bottler," said Jeanne Mozier, an event founder.  After winning the 2008 gold medal for best tasting bottled non-carbonated water, Martinsburg, WV’s Tumai water company saw sales grow exponentially overnight.  

Berkeley Springs water is in abundance at the events.  “With all the different companies bottling water from the springs, Berkeley Springs is entered multiple times,” said Mozier, “and that doesn’t include the town of Bath in the municipals.”  She also said that Panorama at the Peak is entering their own water.

A distinguished panel of media judges determine the official winners, but there is a role for the public. All day Saturday, they taste water along with the judges. Most importantly, the public votes for the People's Choice award for best packaging. "How the product looks has become ever more important as the bottled water industry continues to grow," said Mozier. "There are now more than 600 brands of bottled water."

Mozier admits the event is a little tame. "The real excitement for the audience comes at the conclusion," she explains. "Once the awards are presented, we stage the now world-famous 'water rush' where folks scramble to take home some of the hundreds of bottles of water that have been used for display." The "water rush" was highlighted by cable television's Games Across America.

One change this year is the elevation of former judge and panel speaker, Michael Cervin, to the role of acting watermaster.  Longtime expert, Arthur von Wiesenberger, had international commitments that made scheduling impossible.  “We are pleased to have Michael able to fill the role,” said Klein Rone.  Cervin is senior editor at Bottled Water Web.com and a prolific author on water issues, travel and food.  “He has great taste buds,” said Klein Rone who explained that Cervin is in demand as a judge for everything from wine to rum.  “He’s ready to prepare our media judges for the challenge of evaluating a product where tastelessness is the most sought after quality.” 

The unique event, dubbed the "granddaddy of water tastings," by von Wiesenberger, is produced by Travel Berkeley Springs. Open to the public, tickets are available from local lodging places or at the visitors center.

Judges for the 2011 Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting include freelance journalists and representatives from a variety of media outlets including NBC-TV.   The international press is represented by Canadian journalist, Margaret Swaine.

To address various issues related to water, the event includes a public seminar on Friday afternoon from 1 - 5pm with five water experts.  The 2011 seminar, "Water: Our Legacy" features cutting edge topics ranging from determining a water footprint to evaluating the required Chesapeake Bay initiative. 

As part of the seminar theme, Klein Rone announced there is a special award being presented Saturday evening by the American Water Works Association recognizing efforts to protect drinking water.  “Jeanne and I were surprised that AWWA is presenting that award to us for doing the event,” said Klein Rone.  “Surprised but really pleased,” she added.

The water tasting weekend begins on Thursday, February 25, with preliminary tastings at the Country Inn that are free and open to the public.  Special events and activities continue everywhere in Morgan County through Sunday, February 28 including two days of “From Water to Wine” tastings at the Wilkes St. Wine Shop and sales on anything that holds water at Retrodini from cowboy boots to lunch boxes.  Dining, spa and lodging specials are also abundant.  For event tickets and more information, call 800-447-8797 or check the award-winning Website -- www.berkeleysprings.com.

WATER SEMINAR BEGINS INTERNATIONAL WATER TASTING

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 11, 2011
Travel Berkeley Springs - Berkeley Springs, West Virginia
Press Contact: Jill Klein Rone 304-258-3302

“WATER: OUR LEGACY”
WATER SEMINAR BEGINS BERKELEY SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL WATER TASTING

BERKELEY SPRINGS, WV – ---- "Water: Our Legacy," kicks off the 21st Annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting on Friday, February 25.  The afternoon seminar brings together the public and members of the municipal and bottled water industries from 1 to 5pm to discuss pressing regional, national and global issues with five water experts. The seminar, and Saturday's tastings, are held at the Country Inn, adjacent to the famed warm mineral waters in downtown Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.

In addition to presentations that discuss healthful minerals and harmful additives in water, there is also focus on the looming impact of the Chesapeake Bay clean-up initiative as well as the hot topic of “footprints,” both water use and carbon use. 

Alana Hartman is the Potomac Basin Coordinator with the West Virginia’s Department of Environmental Protection.  Her talk summarizes the commitments in the Chesapeake Bay Plan, which range from actions at wastewater treatment plants, to practices on farms, to the behavior of residential landowners.  She is joined by Kate Lehman, president of the local Warm Springs Watershed Association

Dr. Kathy Gruver, naturopath and author of The Alternative Medicine Cabinet discusses the health aspects of water.

Mike Sullivan,  hydrologist and Vice President at LimnoTech in Washington, DC explains the water footprint indicator that is crucial to monitoring increasingly scarce global water supplies.   Outlining industry efforts that have given water the smallest carbon footprint of any packaged beverage, Tom Lauria, Vice President for Communications for The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA,) describes everything from advances in recycling to new materials used for bottles.

Host of the seminar is acting watermaster, Michael Cervin, editor and author who speaks on “You Are What You Drink.”

The two-day 21st annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting with more than 100 competing waters from all over the world is held at the Country Inn on Friday and Saturday, February 25 and 26 and is produced by Travel Berkeley Springs. For event tickets and more information on special activities and sales throughout the county, call 800-447-8797 or check the award-winning Website -- www.berkeleysprings.com.

For bios of seminar speakers and more information on their topics of discussion visit www.berkeleysprings.com/water/seminars2.html

2010 Award Winners

Municipal Water
Gold: ...Hamilton, OH
Silver....Beaver Falls, British Columbia, Canada
Bronze: Greenwood, British Columbia, Canada
4th -- Lansing, MI
5th -- Daytona Beach, FL

Non-Carbonated Bottled Water
Gold: Ecoviva, Roscommon, MI
Silver: Eldorado Natural Spring Water, Eldorado Springs, CO
Bronze: Almost Heaven, Manassas, VA bottling famous Berkeley Springs, WV
4th -- Denton Spring Water, North East, MD bottling famous Berkeley Springs, WV
5th -- Real Water, Las Vegas, NV

Purified Drinking Water
Gold: Kittiwake Pure Water, Lewisporte, Newfoundland Canada
Silver: Crystal Mountain Water, Huntsville, Alabama
Bronze: Berkeley Springs Purified Water, Berkeley Springs, WV
4th -- Claire Baie, Oak Creek, WI
5th --Ultra Pure Reverse Osmosis Purified Water, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Carbonated Bottled Water
Gold: Dobra Voda Sparkling, Kratovo, Macedonia
Silver: Canadian Gold, Marchand, Manitoba, Canada
Bronze: Touch Sparkling Spring Water, Marchand, Manitoba, Canada
4th --Antipodes, Whakatane, New Zealand
5th- - Pian della Mussa, Village Baime, Italy

The People's Choice for Package Design
Gold: Bling H2O, Los Angeles, CA
Silver: Deep Origin, Whakatane, New Zealand
Bronze: Climax Spring Water, Orlando, KY
4th -- Ecoviva, Roscommon, MI
5th -- Callaway Blue Spring Water, Hamilton, Georgia

The Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting is centerpiece of the award winning Winter Festival of the Waters, featuring three months of special activities, sales, and accommodation packages. For a free calendar of events call 800-447-8797 or check the award-winning www.berkeleysprings.com.

For bios of seminar speakers and more information on their topics of discussion visit www.berkeleysprings.com/water