AWS Wine Competitions
American Wine Society
2026 Wine Competitions
October 20-21, 2026
The American Wine Society is the largest consumer based wine organization in the United States. We have conducted this prestigious Amateur and Commercial wine competition annually for over 40 years. This Commercial Competition will provide national recognition for your winery among both consumers and wine industry professionals. Judges for the AWS Commercial Wine Competition include both AWS trained and certified judges and professional experts from all aspects of the wine industry. AWS judges have completed a rigorous 3 level course over a minimum 3 years. This intense curriculum includes a disciplined approach to wine fault identification, component analysis, winery operations, viticulture, wine history and appreciation and of course, extensive wine evaluation and rating.
Benefits of Participating in the American Wine Society Wine Competition
Medal winners will receive
- national exposure among our nearly 6,500 AWS members and the wine industry
- medals that stand out in tasting room award displays, websites, and marketing materials
Commercial medal winning wines will be
- recognized nationally in press releases acknowledging the award winning wines
- listed as winners in the AWS Wine Journal magazine distributed to wine enthusiasts and aficionados throughout North America
- shared through a newsletter sent to all members
- showcased at a special tasting at this year’s national AWS Conference and at other wine events throughout the year including Eastern Winery Exposition.
- posted on American Wine Society website, www.americanwinesociety.org
- category winners will additionally be recognized and tagged on social media
Commercial Competition Contact:
Rex Bambling
Email: cwc@americanwinesociety.org
Amateur Competition Contact:
Susan Whisenhunt
Email: awc@americanwinesociety.org
Attractive medals display in tasting rooms, marketing materials and multi-media
2025 Recap
The 2025 AWS Commercial and Amateur Wine Competitions were conducted November 4-5, 2025 in Chantilly Virginia. Results are posted below. Congratulations to all our winners in this year’s competition!
