Commercial Wine Competition

November 4-5, 2025

Entry Rules and Directions | Download Entry Form | 2024 Results

About the American Wine Society Commercial Wine Competition

The American Wine Society competition for commercial wine, which now includes spirits, has been held annually since the 1986 National Conference. Today the competition requires year-long preparation, dedicated volunteers, and a refined system of computers and human resources to handle operational details.

Judges are selected from a broad spectrum of wine industry professionals, including marketers, writers and wine makers. A significant number of judges for each competition are also chosen from among graduates of the AWS’s own rigorous and well regarded Wine Judge Certification Program. All wines are judged blind and by panel consensus.

Winning wines receive American Wine Society medals, posting on the American Wine Society website and publicity in American Wine Society publications. Best of Class award winners are recognized in both popular and trade media. All wines entered are offered to attendees immediately following the competition during the National Conference and top award winners are featured. Attendees are avid and knowledgeable wine consumers, making the Conference an ideal marketing opportunity. Year long, entered wines are poured at other American Wine Society, wine consumer and trade events.

Commercial Wine Competition Chairpersons: Al Guber & Mike Wassenberg
cwc@americanwinesociety.org

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