The Sommeliers Choice Awards have announced the first group of judges for its ninth edition, taking place in Chicago on May 24, 2027.

The 2027 panel brings together Master Sommeliers, sommeliers, wine directors, beverage directors, and senior hospitality professionals responsible for selecting wines, developing beverage programs, and managing wine sales across the U.S. on-premise market.

Leading Wine Professionals Join the 2027 Panel

The first round includes professionals from Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, Hogsalt, Starwood Hotels, Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants, Gibsons Restaurant Group, Gage Hospitality Group, Upward Projects Restaurant Group, DineAmic Hospitality, and other influential hospitality businesses.

Confirmed judges include:

Jennifer Huether MS — Master Sommelier, DipWSET and Director of Education at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, Nevada

Jesse Becker MS — Master Sommelier and Illinois Portfolio Director for The German Wine Collection

Mark Guillaudeu MS — Master Sommelier

Tyler Alden MS — Director of Food and Beverage at Willows Lodge

Michelle Federschmidt — Executive Beverage Director at Hogsalt

Jesse Hiney — Regional Director of Operations for Roka Akor Chicagoland

Ryan Hoffman — Wine and Spirits Director

Rachael Lowe — Portfolio Development Manager at AMI Group

Michael Marsico — Senior Area Director at Piccolo Buco by Cooper’s Hawk

Sutton McElroy — Wine Director at The Oakville Grill & Cellar

Steven Minor — Corporate Beverage Director at Starwood Hotels

Shaina Nestor — Senior Restaurant Operations Leader at Gibsons Restaurant Group

Torrence O’Haire — Corporate Beverage Director at Gage Hospitality Group

Jelena Prodan — Partner and Beverage Director at SMG Restaurants

Paul Solomon — Director of Operations at Virant Restaurants, overseeing Vistro Prime and Petite Vie

Jared Sowinski — Director of Beverage at Upward Projects Restaurant Group

Jeff Van Ham — Sommelier and Server/Store Trainer at Steak 48

Marsha Wright — Corporate Wine Director at DineAmic Hospitality

Additional members of the 2027 judging panel will be announced over the coming months.

Judged by the Professionals Who Build Wine Lists

The Sommeliers Choice Awards were created to identify wines that sommeliers and beverage buyers would confidently list, serve, and recommend to their guests.

Its judges are working professionals who understand both wine quality and the commercial realities of the hospitality industry. They assess whether a wine works with food, offers suitable value, fits its intended market, and can become a successful part of a restaurant or hotel beverage program.

Judges consider the same questions they face when selecting wines for their own venues: Would they list the wine? Where would they position it? Which dishes would they pair it with? Is it best suited to by-the-glass or by-the-bottle service? Would they confidently recommend it to a guest?

This restaurant-focused perspective distinguishes the Sommeliers Choice Awards from traditional wine competitions.

Each Panel Guided by a Master Sommelier

Each judging panel at the 2027 competition will include a Master Sommelier, supporting a consistent and professionally rigorous evaluation process.

Wines will be assessed for quality, value, packaging, food pairability, and typicity, alongside their overall suitability for the U.S. on-premise market.

The resulting medal therefore communicates more than technical quality. It demonstrates that the wine has been evaluated through the eyes of professionals responsible for purchasing, serving, and recommending wines in restaurants and hospitality venues.

More Feedback and Transparency in 2027

Beginning with the ninth edition, every entrant will receive an expanded evaluation report with a detailed score breakdown and constructive feedback from the judging panel.

The report will include:

- Individual scores across the judging criteria
- Recommendations on how the wine could be improved
- Guidance on how to market and sell the wine
- Channel Fit recommendations
- By-the-glass and by-the-bottle serving recommendations
- A Buyer Market Intelligence Report
- The names of the judges who evaluated the wine

These additions are designed to make the competition more valuable for every entrant—not only medal winners—and help wineries better understand how their wines may perform in the U.S. hospitality market.

About the Sommeliers Choice Awards

Organized by Beverage Trade Network, the Sommeliers Choice Awards is an international wine competition focused exclusively on the on-premise market.

Wineries, wine brands, importers, and distributors from around the world are invited to enter. The competition is particularly relevant for producers seeking U.S. restaurant distribution, strengthening their existing on-premise presence, or determining how their wines should be positioned for hospitality buyers.

The ninth-edition judging will take place in Chicago on May 24, 2027, with winners announced on June 10, 2027.

Meet the 2027 Judges
Enter the 2027 Sommeliers Choice Awards

Also Read:
Sommeliers Choice Awards 2027 Entries Are Now Open
Sommeliers Choice Awards Launches Exclusive On-Premise Buyer Intelligence Report For Entrants
More Feedback and Transparency For Entrants At The Sommeliers Choice Awards