October 10, 2025 (San Diego, CA) — You could say the judges were “seeing red.” While it’s not unusual for a red wine to take top honors at a competition, it is somewhat rare to have a red sparkling wine and a spirit aged in red wine barrels rise to the top of the same event.
That’s exactly what transpired at the 18th Annual Sommelier Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition. The two-day blind tasting, judged exclusively by certified sommeliers, resulted in some unique offerings and a wide range of wines and spirits rising to the top.
Following are award highlights from the September 20-21, 2025 competition.
The 2024 Saint Enzo L’Originale Lambrusco sparkling red wine (96 points) from Italy wowed the Sommeliers with its bone-dry style and rich berry characteristics to win Import Wine of the Year. Taking Domestic Wine of the Year accolades was the 2019 Noceto Aglianico “Fumo e Terra” from Amador County’s Shenandoah Valley AVA, with a score of 97 points. J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines from Paso Robles was named Domestic Winery of the Year and Australia’s Heirloom Vineyards, McLaren Vale, took the Import Winery of the Year title.
On the Spirits side, a new take on Tequila impressed the judges. The Celosa Rosé Tequila Joven Rosa (Mexico) was named Spirit of the Year, with the sommeliers awarding this rose-tinted Tequila a perfect 100-point score. The 2025 Distillery of the Year award went to Weldon Mills of Weldon, NC.
You can find a complete list of Sommelier Challenge wine and spirits award winners at www.SommelierChallenge.com. Read reviews of all Platinum award-winning wines at www.WineReviewOnline.com and the Platinum award-winning spirits at www.SpiritsReviewOnline.com.
Sommelier Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition is 100% judged in a double-blind format by certified Sommeliers. Platinum award winners receive full reviews in leading online wine and spirits journals in the weeks following the competition. Sommelier Challenge was founded in 2007 by nationally-syndicated wine columnist Robert Whitley.
