I hope this message finds you well and thriving in your craft. I’m Sid Patel, the founder of the Sommeliers Choice Awards and Beverage Trade Network, and I am reaching out to extend a personal invitation for you to participate in this year’s Sommeliers Choice Awards competition: The USA’s on-premise wine competition.
Final Submission Deadline
Is April 18, 2025.
2025 Competition
The Sommeliers Choice Awards are uniquely designed to provide winemakers and wines brands, like you, a platform to showcase your wines to an influential audience of some of the most respected names in the industry.
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 April 18, 2025, to get in the competition.
Meet the Judges
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.
Why Enter?
Visibility: Your Wines will be tasted and judged by top sommeliers, wine directors, and restaurant wine buyers across the nation.
Recognition: Awards such as “Wine of the Year,” “Winery of the Year,” and various category leaders.
Feedback: Each entrant receives detailed tasting notes from our judges, offering valuable insights into consumer preferences and product development.
Promotion: Winners will be featured in various media outlets, enhancing your brand’s profile and helping you reach a broader audience.
Winners pitch call: Special category winners will be invited for the press and buyers’ pitch call. Here are sample pitches you can see from previous winners.
Category winners to get judges’ videos: Special category winners will get judges’ testimonial videos that you can use.
Third-party integration and press: Special category winners will be showcased all year round in BTN’s other media assets like SommeliersBusiness.com, Los Angeles Drinks Guides, San Francisco Drinks Guide, New York Drinks Guide, Chicago Drinks Guides, Wine Searcher, and more.
Inquiries from judges: Judges will be able to inquire about your products if they are interested to sample and get more information.
We would be honored to have wine brands among the entrants for the 2025 competition. To register your wines, please visit the registration link by April 18, 2025, to get in the competition before the deadline.
Here are my couple of recent webinars that I did if you are looking for some educational content to help you grow your wines brands via distribution:
- How beverage brands can grow on-premise placements – Watch
- How can wine brands work effectively with Sommeliers – Watch
- Q and A session on distribution with brands – Watch
Hope the above content helps you tailor your pitches to importers, distributors, and restaurant wine managers and sommeliers.
Key Deadlines
Submission Ends – April 18, 2025
Warehouse Closes – April 25, 2025
Judging Day – May 19, 2025
Winners Announced – June 10, 2025
Pricing:
Regular Pricing – $120 per wine (February 1, 2025, to April 18, 2025)
Quantity Discount
4 to 9 entries: 10% discount
10 to 14 entries: 15% discount
15 or more entries: 20% discount
If you have any questions or need further information, feel free to contact us. We’re excited to see what you’ll bring to the table and how your wines will inspire the palate and creativity of the bartending community.
Looking forward to your participation.
Warm regards,
Sid Patel
Founder, Sommeliers Choice Awards
