The Sommeliers Choice Awards has officially opened entries for its 2027 edition, inviting wineries, wine brands, importers and distributors from around the world to submit wines seeking recognition and growth in the U.S. on-premise market.

The 2027 judging will take place in Chicago on May 24, 2027, bringing together leading Master Sommeliers, sommeliers, wine directors, beverage directors and restaurant wine buyers. Every wine will be evaluated by professionals who understand what it takes for a product to earn a place on a restaurant wine list and succeed with hospitality buyers and consumers.

A Wine Competition Created for the On-Premise Market

The Sommeliers Choice Awards was created with a clear purpose: to identify wines that sommeliers and beverage buyers would confidently list, serve and recommend to their guests.

A technically excellent wine does not automatically become a successful restaurant wine. It must also complement food, offer value at its intended price, suit a particular service occasion and give the sommelier a compelling story to share. It must make commercial sense for the buyer while delivering an experience that encourages the guest to order another glass or bottle.

This is what makes the Sommeliers Choice Awards different. The competition looks beyond what is inside the bottle and evaluates how the complete wine proposition could perform in restaurants, hotels, wine bars and other hospitality channels.

Judges consider whether they would stock the wine, where they would position it on a wine list, what dishes they would pair it with and which guests they would recommend it to. They also consider whether the wine is best suited to by-the-glass, by-the-bottle or single-serve placement.

The result is an awards program judged by sommeliers, for sommeliers—and designed to give wineries and importers meaningful recognition and practical on-premise direction.

Judged by Leading Sommeliers and Wine Buyers

The Sommeliers Choice Awards judging panel is made up of working wine professionals who understand the commercial realities of the U.S. hospitality market.

Judges include Master Sommeliers, sommeliers, wine directors, beverage directors, restaurant wine buyers and other senior on-premise decision-makers. Each judging panel is guided by a Master Sommelier, bringing structure, consistency and a high level of professional expertise to the evaluation process.

These are the professionals responsible for selecting wines, building beverage programs, managing margins, training restaurant teams and recommending wines to guests. Their evaluation reflects the questions that matter when a wine is being considered for an on-premise listing.

Would the wine work with food? Does it offer the right value at its price? Is the packaging appropriate for its target market? Can the service team explain it easily? Would guests enjoy it enough to order another glass? Most importantly, would the judge personally feel confident listing and recommending it?

How the Wines Are Judged

Every wine is evaluated on quality, value, packaging, food pairability, typicity and overall suitability for the on-premise market.

Wines are first tasted blind for quality. Judges assess characteristics such as appearance, aroma, flavour, structure, balance, complexity and finish without being influenced by the brand or packaging.

The judges then consider the wine’s price and commercial value. A successful restaurant wine must deliver an experience that justifies its positioning and gives the operator sufficient flexibility to build a commercially workable selling price.

Packaging is also evaluated because it plays an important role in how the wine is presented, understood and selected. The design should communicate the wine’s identity clearly, support its intended price and appeal to its target hospitality channel.

Food pairability and typicity are central to the judging process. Judges consider whether the wine represents its grape variety, origin and style appropriately, as well as the cuisines, dishes and service occasions with which it could work most effectively.

Together, these criteria help identify wines that combine quality with genuine commercial potential.

New Channel Fit Insight for 2027

One of the major new benefits for 2027 is Channel Fit. Entrants will receive guidance on the type of on-premise channel in which their wine may have the strongest opportunity.

Depending on its style, price, packaging format and positioning, a wine may be best suited to fine dining, premium casual restaurants, independent restaurants, wine bars, hotels, resorts, private clubs, cruise lines, airlines, stadiums, festivals, catering businesses or event venues.

Channel Fit will also help identify whether the wine is more appropriate for by-the-glass, by-the-bottle or single-serve placement. This will give wineries and importers greater clarity about where to focus their sales efforts and how to approach prospective buyers.

For example, a premium, age-worthy wine may be best positioned on a fine-dining by-the-bottle list, while a fresh and accessible wine may offer stronger potential in casual dining or a high-volume by-the-glass program. An individually packaged wine may be particularly relevant to airlines, cruise lines, hotel minibars, room service, stadiums, festivals, catering businesses or outdoor venues.

Rather than simply telling an entrant that a wine has performed well, Channel Fit will provide additional direction on where that wine could work commercially. This can be especially valuable for international producers entering the United States, brands expanding into new markets and importers deciding how to position wines within their portfolios.

New Serving Recommendation for 2027

Entrants will also receive a Serving Recommendation from an on-premise perspective. This will provide practical guidance on how the wine could be presented, positioned and served within a restaurant or hospitality environment.

The recommendation may indicate whether the wine is most suitable for by-the-glass, by-the-bottle or single-serve consumption. It may also include advice on food pairings, serving occasions, temperature, glassware, wine-list placement and how a sommelier could introduce the wine to a guest.

A Serving Recommendation can help a winery move beyond general tasting notes and communicate the practical role its wine could play within a beverage program. It gives importers, distributors and restaurant sales teams useful language that can be incorporated into buyer presentations, technical sheets, sell sheets, staff-training materials and trade communications.

For single-serve wines, the recommendation may identify the environments where the format offers the greatest advantage. This could include airlines, cruise lines, hotels, stadiums, festivals, outdoor venues, catering, room service, minibars and other high-volume or controlled-service settings.

The objective is to help entrants understand not only whether their wine is good, but also how it should be served, where it belongs and how it can be sold more effectively.

Recognising the Future of Single-Serve Wine

Single-serve wine is becoming increasingly relevant to the hospitality market. The format can provide portion control, faster service, consistent pours, portability and reduced open-bottle wastage. It can also make wine service more practical in venues where traditional bottle service is difficult or inefficient.

Eligible formats may include cans, small bottles, cartons, cups, pouches and other individually packaged, ready-to-serve wines of up to 375 ml.

These products can create opportunities across hotels, airlines, cruise lines, stadiums, festivals, outdoor venues, catering businesses and events. They may also be suitable for restaurants looking to control pours, introduce additional wine choices or provide an easy and consistent service format.

However, convenience alone is not enough. A successful single-serve wine must still deliver genuine wine quality, appropriate value, attractive packaging and a positive drinking experience.

By evaluating these products through the eyes of sommeliers, beverage directors and hospitality buyers, the Sommeliers Choice Awards will help identify single-serve wines that successfully combine quality, convenience and commercial relevance.

The 2027 competition will also introduce dedicated recognition for the category, including Single-Serve Wine of the Year and Single-Serve Wine Producer of the Year. This will give producers an opportunity to establish leadership in a format with growing potential across the hospitality industry.

More Commercial Feedback for Every Entrant

The 2027 Sommeliers Choice Awards will continue to provide expanded commercial feedback addressing two important questions: “How can this wine be improved?” and “How should this wine be marketed and sold?”

This feedback is designed to give producers and importers practical direction that can support product development, positioning, sales and distribution.

Judges may identify opportunities relating to the wine’s style, balance, price, packaging, target customer, service format or ideal hospitality channel. Their comments can help entrants strengthen the overall commercial proposition and communicate the wine more effectively to buyers.

Entrants will also benefit from greater judging transparency and a Buyer Market Intelligence Report. This report will help participating wineries and brands better understand the categories, wine styles, price points, formats and commercial opportunities currently attracting the attention of U.S. buyers.

Together, the expanded feedback, Channel Fit, Serving Recommendation and Buyer Market Intelligence Report make the results more useful long after the judging has been completed.

Who Should Enter the Sommeliers Choice Awards?

The Sommeliers Choice Awards is open to wineries, wine brands, importers and distributors from around the world.

It is particularly relevant for wineries seeking U.S. restaurant distribution, established brands looking to strengthen their on-premise presence and producers preparing to enter a new market. Wines developed for food pairing, by-the-glass programs, premium hospitality accounts or alternative service formats should also consider entering.

Importers and distributors can submit wines from their portfolios to identify their strongest products and provide their sales teams with credible, independent recognition. Medal assets, scores, judges’ comments, Channel Fit insights and Serving Recommendations can all help create a stronger commercial story when presenting wines to restaurant, hotel and hospitality buyers.

The competition also welcomes single-serve, sparkling, alternative-format, no- and low-alcohol and other emerging wine categories. These products can benefit from being evaluated by professionals who understand the changing needs of modern hospitality operators and consumers.

For international wineries, the awards provide an opportunity to have wines assessed by active U.S. on-premise professionals before approaching importers, distributors and restaurant groups. This can help the producer understand how the wine may be received, where it fits and how it should be positioned in the market.

More Than a Medal

Winning wines receive scores, medal assets and promotional materials that can be used across distributor presentations, restaurant buyer meetings, websites, social media, email campaigns, bottle stickers, sales sheets, trade shows and other marketing activity.

A Sommeliers Choice Awards medal communicates that the wine has been evaluated through the eyes of the professionals responsible for selecting, serving and recommending wines to restaurant guests.

It tells a prospective buyer that the wine has demonstrated not only quality but also value, food pairability, presentation and suitability for the on-premise market.

For wineries and importers, this recognition can support conversations with distributors, restaurant groups, hotels, wine bars and hospitality buyers. For sommeliers and beverage directors, the results provide an opportunity to discover wines that have already been evaluated from a restaurant-focused perspective.

The Sommeliers Choice Awards is therefore not only about identifying an excellent wine. It is about identifying a wine that can become a successful part of a hospitality beverage program—one that a sommelier can recommend confidently, a buyer can list profitably, and a guest will want to enjoy again.

Entries Are Now Open

Wineries, wine brands, importers and distributors from around the world are invited to enter the 2027 Sommeliers Choice Awards.

Enter early to secure the best available entry pricing and put your wines in front of leading sommeliers, wine directors, beverage directors and on-premise buyers.

Enter the 2027 Sommeliers Choice Awards and give your wines the recognition, commercial feedback, Channel Fit and Serving Recommendation they need to grow in the U.S. on-premise market.

Also Read:
Best Wines By The Glass Announced At The 2026 Sommeliers Choice Awards
More Feedback and Transparency For Entrants At The Sommeliers Choice Awards
Sommeliers Choice Awards Launches Exclusive On-Premise Buyer Intelligence Report For Entrants