The Sommeliers Choice Awards 2025 judging panel comprises some of the most influential sommeliers, wine directors, and on-premise wine buyers from renowned restaurants, bars, hotels, and hospitality groups. These judges have their pulse on what diners and wine enthusiasts love, and they understand the key elements that make a wine suitable for wine lists across the country.

The USA's on-premise wine competition helps wine brands position their wines in front of top sommeliers, wine directors, regional restaurant buyers, national restaurant chain buyers and master sommeliers. Wine brands are encouraged to enter before March 12, 2025 to get the special pricing.

Here’s a look at the judges for 2025 who will evaluate your wines:

Master Sommeliers

The Sommeliers Choice Awards includes Master Sommeliers on its judging panel to ensure that each wine is evaluated with the highest expertise and precision. Master Sommeliers possess an unparalleled depth of knowledge in wine tasting, pairing, and service, making them uniquely qualified to assess a wine’s quality, complexity, and suitability for top wine programs. Their presence on the panel ensures that winning wines meet the rigorous standards of the industry, providing valuable credibility and recognition for brands looking to excel in the competitive on-premise market. Each panel will have at least one Master Sommelier which means every wine is also reviewed by a Master Sommelier.

Top Sommeliers and Wine Directors

The judging panel includes award-winning sommeliers and wine directors who work at the forefront of the wine industry. These professionals are responsible for curating wine programs at some of the most prestigious establishments, ensuring that each wine they recommend meets the highest standards of quality, value, and food pairability.

Renowned Wine Buyers

Wine buyers from leading restaurants, hotels, and hospitality groups play a crucial role in shaping wine lists and making purchasing decisions that directly impact what is offered to customers. Their expertise in recognizing wines that provide excellent value and that resonate with diners makes them valuable members of the judging panel.

Influential Beverage Directors

Beverage directors who oversee extensive wine programs across multiple venues bring their in-depth knowledge of trends, customer preferences, and the logistics of managing a successful wine program. Their insight helps identify wines that will stand out in a competitive market.

On-Premise Industry Leaders

These judges bring years of experience in the hospitality sector and a deep understanding of the dynamics of on-premise wine service. They focus on how well a wine performs in a restaurant setting—assessing aspects like taste, presentation, and its potential to complement a diverse range of cuisines.

Importers and Distributors

The Sommeliers Choice Awards includes importers as judges because they bring valuable insights into market trends, consumer preferences, and the commercial viability of wines. Importers have a deep understanding of what works well in different markets and what buyers are looking for, making them essential in assessing a wine’s potential for success in the on-premise sector. Their perspective helps identify wines that not only have great taste and quality but also the appeal and pricing needed to thrive in restaurants, bars, and hotels.

Regional and National Restaurant and Outlets Buyers

The Sommeliers Choice Awards includes national and regional restaurant wine buyers as judges because they are directly responsible for selecting wines that appear on wine lists across the country. These buyers have firsthand knowledge of what wines appeal to diners in various markets, making them experts in recognizing wines that deliver both quality and value. Their insight into regional preferences, pricing strategies, and the dynamics of food pairability ensures that winning wines are suited for diverse restaurant environments, from local favorites to national chains, and can meet the demands of a wide range of customers.

What the Judges Look For

Each wine will be blind-tasted first for the food parability, typicity, quality, and value score. Once the bling tasting is done, a packaging score will be given and judges will be able to assess the package. Entrants will be able to see a detailed score breakdown giving them clear feedback on how they did. A final individual judge score for each wine is calculated based on the below formula and an average of the panel is then taken to determine the final score. Each panel will include a master sommelier in the team as a chair. F (Food Parability Score) + T (Typicity Score) + Q (Quality Score) + Value Score (V) + Package Score (P) = Sommeliers Choice Awards Final Score.

Medals are then awarded based on the final score the wine gets. Double Gold – 96 points and above Gold – 90-95 points Silver – 80-89 points Bronze – 70-79 points.

These judges, with their combined expertise, will help determine which wines are best suited to grace the wine lists of top venues across the nation. Their feedback and evaluations are invaluable for wineries looking to make a mark in the on-premise market.

The Sommeliers Choice Awards is a unique platform where your wines are judged by leading sommeliers, wine directors, and buyers from top restaurants, hotels, and bars. These judges focus on the factors that matter most in the world of on-premise wine service: taste, food pairability, value, and packaging. Winning a medal at this competition means your wine has been recognized as an exceptional choice for wine lists and programs, gaining the attention of key decision-makers across the hospitality industry.

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Set to take place in Chicago in May 2025, the competition helps brands get in front of top restaurant buyers, master sommeliers and wine directors of USA making it the USA's on-premise wine competition. 

Here’s the entry info and wine brands are encouraged to enter before March 12, 2025 to get the special pricing.

Also Read:
How To Market Your Wines Once You Have A Sommeliers Choice Award Medal
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Grow Your Restaurant Wine Sales with Jeremy Shanker, MS, Corporate Wine Director at MINA Group