An annual wine competition held in Macon, an historic wine center in the southern reaches of Burgundy, it is one of France’s longest-established wine competitions. The event debuted in 1925 at the Comité des Foires (Committee of Fairs), a grouping of the region’s cultural and agricultural expositions. By 1948, the number of wines on show at the Comité des Foires led to the event’s name changing to La Foire-Exposition de Maon et la Foire Nationale des Vins de France. At that time the concept of wine reviews, awards and competitions was in its infancy, so the Maon-based event had something of a monopoly. It was also free to develop as a wine competition for the entire nation, rather than a country show focusing on local wines.

In February 2006 the competition separated from the other events and became a wine fair in its own right. Under its new title the event has a slightly more local feel; its mission statement remains ‘to promote the industry, commerce, artisanship and agriculture of Macn, of the region and of Burgundy, in particular of wine and other produce of the land’.

Concours Mondial de &Ladles created in 1994, labeled the “wine world-championship” with 6000 participating products from the four continents, samples represent more than 500 million marketed bottles. The jury of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles brings together international wine experts from 40 nationalities every year. Founder of “Revue Beige des vins” and farmer president of the International Federation of Wine Journalists and Writers Louis Havaux is the founder of The Concours Mondial. The Concours Mondial de Bruxelles was first held on April 1994 in Bruges. Former president of the International Union of Oenologists and Committee of Denominazione di Origine of Italy, Edo Rivella states: “I can affirm, without a doubt, that the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles has, since its first edition, become one of the foremost authorities among the best international competitions which can be counted on the fingers of one hand.” The competition entries are judged by international wine experts and professional tasters like oenologists, sommeliers, journalists, wine writers and international buyers and traders: A total of 240 experts from 40 nations. Each wine gets a mark out of a hundred. A medal is given according to this schem. Depending on the mark, there are different award classes: ‘Medaille d’Argent’ (Silver Medal), ‘Medaille d’Or’ (Gold Medal), ‘Grande Medaille d’Or’ (Grand Gold Medal). The maximum of medals is 30% of the total of the samples presented.

An international wine competition held each May in San Diego, southern California. It was created with the express intent of balancing out the ‘Americanized’ palate which is a naturally occurring feature of many other US-based wine competitions. Open to all commercially produced wines; many hundreds of which are submitted from around the world and sorted into more than 250 categories.

The competition’s chief judges are Robert Whitely, journalist and wine writer, and Mary Ewing-Mulligan, America’s first female Master of Wine and president of New York’s International Wine Center. They are joined by a panel of experienced wine judges, mainly from the US but also of British origin. Among them are Ed McCarthy (Ewing-Mulligan’s husband), respected wine author Stephen Brook and Patrick Comiskey, senior editor of Wine & Spirits Magazine.

The Decanter Asia Wine Awards is a new sister competition to the Decanter World Wine Awards, launched in 2012 to recognise wines aimed specifically at the Asian market. It will be co-chaired by Jeannie Cho Lee MW, the first Asian Master of Wine and a Contributing Editor to Decanter, and Steven Spurrier, Chairman of the Decanter World Wine Awards and Decanter’s Consultant Editor.

Decanter World Wine Awards was founded in 2004 and has gained a reputation as one of the world’s most respected and influential wine competitions. Each year the competition receives entries from over 47 countries worldwide and in 2012 received 14, 120 entries, making it the largest wine competition in the world. The results of the competition are published online and in Decanter’s October Edition, which, is released in September.

An expert panel of tasters from around the world, chaired by Steven Spurrier, judge wines on a regional basis reflecting variety, style and retail price. The Awards are one of the most important competitions in the UK wine trade. Wines are tasted blind within their region of origin and price bracket to ensure that an expression of terroir is taken into account, and wines are compared like for like. Each wine is individually assessed and discussed by a dedicated panel before a verdict is recorded. The initial grades that a wine can receive from a panel are: no award, Commended, Bronze, Silver or Gold. All Silver and Gold-medal winning wines are re-tasted by the Regional Chair for confirmation. All Silver wines are tasted twice, and all Gold, Regional Trophy and International Trophy winning wines are tasted up to four times. Over 200 judges come from around the world, 54 of whom hold the title of Master of Wine and 11 Master Sommeliers. The judging is done on a regional basis to promote a sense of origin and only judges that have an intimate knowledge of a specific region are part of the panel. A thorough understanding of regional style is crucial in order to recognise quality.

Finger Lakes International Wine Competition is the world’s largest charitable wine competition benefitting Camp Good Days and Special Times. In 2011, a record 3,298 wines from 19 countries, 6 Canadian provinces, and all SO United States were entered in the competition. Since 2000, FLIWC has maintained the highest standards of national and international wine professionals for their judges. Each wine is judge on its own merit — its presence, balance and varietal character and for what it is at the time of judging — not for what it might become in the future.

Camp Good Days and Special Times, Inc. is a non-profit organization that provides a camping experience and more for children and adults facing the toughest challenges of life. Children touched by cancer, HIV/AIDS, and violence gather at our recreational facility on beautiful Keuka Lake (Finger Lakes, central NY) to spark new smiles, re-kindle friendships and enjoy a week where they can simply be kids.

Finger Lakes International Wine Competition is the world’s largest charitable wine competition benefitting Camp Good Days and Special Times. In 2011, a record 3,298 wines from 19 countries, 6 Canadian provinces, and all SO United States were entered in the competition. Since 2000, FLIWC has maintained the highest standards of national and international wine professionals for their judges. Each wine is judge on its own merit — its presence, balance and varietal character and for what it is at the time of judging — not for what it might become in the future.

Camp Good Days and Special Times, Inc. is a non-profit organization that provides a camping experience and more for children and adults facing the toughest challenges of life. Children touched by cancer, HIV/AIDS, and violence gather at our recreational facility on beautiful Keuka Lake (Finger Lakes, central NY) to spark new smiles, re-kindle friendships and enjoy a week where they can simply be kids.

The Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition is a unique event and the first of its kind. Run in partnership with the London-based International Wine & Spirit Competition, which has been running for 40 years and is the world’s premier platform for recognising quality in the industry, the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition is created specifically for the Asian market by those who know and are intimately involved in the region.

It is the first truly Asian wine competition in the world, supported by key factors such as: Chinese food and wine pairing awards; an award for Best Wine produced in China; and judging will be conducted by Asia’s most esteemed wine judges from China, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and India — including the competition’s Director and Master of Wine, Hong Kong-based Debra Meiburg MW and Chinese food and wine expert Simon Tam.

The competition results will offer the Asian wine consumer the ultimate guide to purchasing wine that is sensitive to the Asian palate and cultural consumption patterns.

Being recognised by the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition provides winemakers with instant prestige in the market. With the competition being the first truly Asian wine competition, the vast population of wine consumers in Asia eagerly anticipate the results.

This competition was launched in London in 1984 by Robert Joseph and Charles Metcalfe, originally as a feature in Wine International magazine, later renamed Wine & Spirit, now Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade Review. Joseph and Metcalfe jointly chaired the competition until 2000 when they were joined by Derek Smedley MW. In 2006, the IWC and Wine International were sold to William Reed Business Media.

The IWC takes place over two weeks. There are three rounds of blind tasting: groups of eight to twelve wines of the same style are tasted and scored by tables of 4 or 5 judges. There are over 400 judges who assess each entry for its faithfulness to variety, region and vintage, independent of its price. Wines scoring more than 84 points out of 100 advance to round two, where they are tasted again and medal winners in each style are awarded. Round three is a tasting of gold medal winners to decide on trophy winners.

Besides its World Quality Selections, Monde Selection organises every year in Brussels, its International Wine Contest.

This international competition is acknowledged by the European Union and under the supervision of Directorate General -Enforcement & Mediation – for Federal Public Service Economy. Moreover, the Monde Selection Wine Contest is the only Belgian wine competition that is granted the high patronage of the 01V, the International Organisation of Vine and Wine, and is carried out in strict compliance with their rules.

It is very proud of the international representativeness of the participants. Each year, samples from over 20 different countries are received. In accordance with the official Rules and Regulations on Wine Contests in Europe: ‘The sum of all medals awarded to the samples that obtained the best results may not exceed 30% of the total sum of all the samples entered to the Contest’. This wine competition is one of the oldest worldwide as it has been established in 1961.

Founded in 1969 and is the premier competition of its kind in the world. Its aim is to promote the quality and excellence of the world’s best wines, spirits and liqueurs. This standard is achieved through a rigorous two-stage judging process of professional blind tasting and detailed technical (chemical and microbiological) analysis that takes place at The Competition’s headquarters in Surrey, UK. To ensure perfect conditions, the premises include temperature-controlled cellars, a fully equipped independent laboratory for technical analysis, and three dedicated tasting rooms. The Competition receives entries from nearly 90 countries worldwide.

The Competition is backed by a group of vice presidents made up of the most influential men and women in the trade, including Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, Miguel Torres, Marchese Piero Antinori, Robert Orouhin, Robert Mondavi, May de Lencquesaing, Kenneth Graham and Sir Anthony Greener and Frances Horder, Competition Director.

The Japan Wine Challenge was set up in 1997 as an independent wine competition, showing the wine world that Japan is a vibrant wine market to be taken seriously. During this time they have grown in scale and scope to the point where this is the largest and most respected wine competition in Asia. With the appointment of Steven Spurrier as Chairman from 2001 to 2011 a solid partnership developed with the Institute of Masters of Wine, the Japan Wine Challenge has also created a platform for developing local Japanese wine tasters into serious wine judges. Lynne Sheriff MW who is a Deputy Vice Chair of the Institute of Masters of Wine chairs this competition. Their continued association with the Institute of Masters of Wine, the San Francisco International Wine Competition and a team of expert judges (both international and local) ensures that all wines are given the optimum evaluation by a truly international and professional judging panel.

The Korea Wine Challenge is a competition that aims to select the best wines for the Korean palate, to encourage growth of the wine market and a sound wine culture in Korea. As per Evan Goldstein, American Master Sommelier, “From my understanding, the KWC is the most respected arbiter of taste in Korea. The professionalism and skill under which the KWC is held annually reaffirms this position to me.”

For 73 years, the Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition has showcased the finest domestic and international vintages through a wine-tasting event that is widely considered to be one of the most prestigious in the United States. An esteemed panel of judges uses a blind-tasting method, maintaining the highest standards of integrity and professionalism that has remained the competition’s foundation for seven decades.

Additionally, the Competition is the platform for an extensive wine education program available to the nearly 1.5 million visitors at the annual L.A. County Fair. The Fair’s wine education center features consumer-driven classes, tastings and displays of the award-winning wines. With the L.A. International Wine & Spirits Competition committed to educating the public about wine, the Fair’s wine education program features industry experts with extensive knowledge about wine growing and selection, wine tasting as well as wine and food pairings.

The International Wine Award was first held in 2001. Even at its debut, it registered 2,235 entries from all the major wine-growing regions in the world. And record participation in 2011 shows just how important the competition has become in Germany. 6,000 wines were entered. Since 2002, the Wine Award has been under the patronage of the international wine organisations 01V (Organisation Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin, Paris) and Union Internationale des nologues (UIOE, Paris). In addition, MUNDUS VINI is a member of the Federation Mondiale des Grands Concours de Vins et de Spiritueux in Canada (VinoFed). 2003 saw its official recognition by the State of Rhineland-Palatinate and the Federal Ministry of Consumer Protection, so that now inclusion of the awards won in bottle labels is permitted.

The tasting assessment system corresponds to that of the international penologists’ association (UIOE) and the ON, which has been developed for international tastings. It is a mathematical scheme providing weighted points for the criteria of appearance, smell, taste and harmony/overall impression. Ideally, a wine can be given 100 points as the total of all the criteria. Each wine is tasted and assessed by a commission that comprises 5-7 jurors and must have 4/7 international and 3/7 German tasters. Under ON regulations, no more than one-third of products entered are to be given awards.

The New York International Wine Competition is founded by Adam Levy aka the “Alcohol Professor. He is a spirits writer and judge. He has organized various spirit tasting events and competitions and is the President of All Spirits Events. All Spirits Events creates and organizes educational tastings for private and public events. Mr. Levy has a BA from Rutgers University and an EMBA from Baruch College, and currently sits on the Baruch College’s International Business Curriculum Advisory Board. He resides in the New York area with his dog Garrett Oliver.

This is the first major international wine competition with TRADE ONLY judges from top to bottom that consist of people who are buyers from the top retail stores, restaurant owners, sommeliers, distributors and importers. Unlike other competitions, these judges have purchasing power and the ability to make a direct impact on brand sales. The second major difference in this competition is that each submission will not only be placed in its product category but also its pricing category. Therefore a wine will be judged in its category along with other wines in its same price range. Each category will have its own pricing levels and are listed on the submission form. The third major difference in this competition is that each trade buyer/judge will know the actual retail price for the wine they are judging, because trade buyers, just like consumers also make buying decisions based upon price.

Arribes del Duero, is a place that has been colonized since ancient times for the cultivation of the vine. Until that point perhaps, in the case of one of the first and oldest wine regions in the Duero Basin.

This trade show, recorded in the official calendar of fairs Castile and Len, is the ONLY WINE FAIR held in the region of Arribes del Duero. It is a trade show which brings together wine enterprises of Castile and Leon and the rest of Spain and Portugal, to be a showcase for the promotion, sale and advertising of their products.

The focus of the organization is to professionalize facilities, the existence of a marketing and promotion plan nationwide advertising campaigns on television, radio and print will make this event one of the busiest in terms of audience and sales in the region.

The competition is now on its 8th edition.

The San Diego International Wine Competition is one of the longest running and most revered of the many annual wine competitions staged in the United States. They will be celebrating their 30th anniversary in 2013, and owe it all to the vision and credibility of three wise wine men of San Diego in the early 1980s — Dan Berger, Bob Foster and Dick Colangelo. All three gentlemen are well known in wine circles, but few remember it was they who got what was then called the “San Diego National” off the ground in 1982. At the time there were but a handful of other wine competitions, and the San Diego National quickly became a benchmark event for winemakers eager to see how their wines stacked up against their rivals’ wines.

The San Francisco International Wine Competition, the largest, most influential international wine competition in America, is judged by a prestigious panel of nationally recognized wine experts. Judging is based on a blind, consensual procedure, ensuring competitive integrity as it remains the nation’s most respected wine competition.

Founded by Anthony Dias Blue, recognized world-wide as a leading food, wine, travel and spirits authority. His work in all media is circulated to more than 20,000,000 consumers each month. Mr. Blue’s James Beard Award—winning commentaries, The Blue Lifestyle Minute, are broadcast daily on KFWB in Los Angeles and on WCBS radio in New York. He also has a weekly live show The Happy Hour in Los Angeles which airs on KLSX-FM and is devoted to spirits and cocktails. Formerly Wne & Spirits Editor of Bon Appetit magazine, he is owner and Editor-in-Chief of The Tasting Panel magazine and is a frequent contributor to Decanter, Robb Report, Celebrated Living, Virtuoso Life, and C Magazine. Mr. Blue is the author of The Complete Book of Mixed Drinks and its companion, The Complete Book of Spirits.

WSA Wine Challenge is a well-established competition in Asia where wines submitted from around the world are evaluated by a distinguished panel of judges that represent accurate characteristics of the Asian palate. The previous edition held in the year 2012 saw hundreds of labels from 13 countries taking part, making it the key platform for international wineries, producers, importers and traders to have their wines acclaimed. As the appreciation and consumption of wine in Asia continues to grow, this coming edition will be highly anticipated by the industry as they eagerly await the winning wines that will best satisfy the palate of the Asian market. More than a hundred members of the international press are expected to attend Wine & Spirits Asia2014 where the results and award ceremony of the Challenge will be held. Winning wines will be exhibited and served for tasting to 23,000 trade visitors during Wine & Spirits Asia 2014. Information about the wines will also be featured prominently. WSA Wine Challenge 2014 features a distinguished panel of judges who are reputable sommeliers, wine writers and wine educators from within Asia. With a wealth of experience in their respective professions, they are the industry experts to discern the Challenge’s wine entries for Asia’s palate.