October 22-24, 2026 | At Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront, Jacksonville, FL.

The American Wine Society Conference features more than 600 of our members who are enthusiastic about learning about and tasting wine, as well as exploring new wines and new regions. 

As a winery, there are several ways for you to participate.

Opening Reception – October 22nd

Our conference always starts with an Opening Reception featuring wines, ciders, and meads (occasionally a craft brewery or two!) of the host region or primary sponsor. Although we prefer you attend and present your own wines to attendees, if you can’t make it, we will arrange for some of our volunteers to pour for you and distribute any material you provide.

There is no charge, but you will need to bring 3-4 bottles per wine (recommend 4-6 wines) you would like to pour.

Showcase Reception – October 23rd

Our second night brings a Showcase Reception featuring wines, ciders, and meads (occasionally a craft brewery or two!) from around the world. Although we prefer you attend and present your own wines to attendees, if you can’t make it, we will arrange for some of our volunteers to pour for you and distribute any material you provide.

There is no charge, but you will need to bring 3-4 bottles per wine (recommend 4-6 wines) you would like to pour.

Meal Sponsorship

Our conference features several meals including a sparkling wine breakfast, lunches, and our grand banquet. As the French say, a meal without wine is like a day without the sun. We would like to feature your wine during our meals.

With so many attendees this is typically a 5 case (60 bottle) commitment.

Other Sponsorship

Other sponsorship opportunities exist, including (but not limited to!) having your name and logo appear on our corkscrews and glasses (distributed to all of the attendees to take home and enjoy for years to come), name badges, and placemats in return for a fee.

AWS Welcome Here

The AWS maintains a list of wineries that welcome our members. In exchange for offering our members something special (perhaps a discount on wine purchases, tastings, shipping, or a personal meet-and-greet with the winemaker etc…), we will list you on our website under the Welcome Here program. We will distribute a Welcome Here guide to registrants so they can plan to visit wineries while traveling to and from the conference. All Welcome Here wineries will also be highlighted at the Opening Reception if present.

Commercial Wine Competition

The AWS conducts an annual commercial wine competition. Judges are graduates of our three-year Wine Judge Certification Program. We’re hoping the fine wines of FL, GA, and AL will make a GREAT showing this year. We will also present a special “Best of Florida” award to entrants from the state this year. Competition registration opens in April/May. Wines are received from September. 

Ready to participate?

Just complete this form to tell us more about yourself.