Choose Your Wine Comp (Part 1)

What Producers Should Really Look At

What have wine competitions ever done for us? They’ve bled us dry, the bastards.

As opening gambits go, leading with a Monty Python reference may not be textbook marketing advice, but it does reflect a thought that crosses most producers’ minds at some point. Competitions cost money, bottles and time - and the return isn’t always obvious.

This article was first written a few years ago and has been lightly updated, but the conversations behind it haven’t gone away. If anything, they’ve become louder. There are more competitions than ever, more medals, more trophies - and more producers quietly wondering which of them actually deliver value.

Competitions are part of the wine marketing landscape and have been for years. Today there are arguably too many of them, but it’s a marketplace like any other, and competition among competitions should lead to higher standards. Should.

While ceiling-shattering platinum medals and ‘Best in Show’ wins do happen — and when they do, they can be transformative - the vast majority of entries don’t experience that level of success. Many producers pay the fees and walk away disappointed. It’s no surprise that competitions can be an emotive topic.

I’ve discussed this with dozens of producers over the years, and opinions range from “they’re a no-brainer, they work for us” to “they’re expensive and consumers don’t care”. That’s a useful reminder that producers are different businesses, targeting different customers, in different ways. One size doesn’t fit all.

Some producers tell me they’re pulling back on competition spend because they’re unconvinced it adds value. If I felt that way, I’d do the same. But the question remains: is there a way to improve your chances of success?

Not the chances of winning a gold - competitions are too unpredictable for that - but the chances of getting value.

Below are the first five factors I think producers should consider when deciding whether a competition is worth engaging with at all.

1. COST

This is usually the first thing producers look at, and understandably so. Entry fees are easy to compare, but they’re rarely the full story.

Is VAT included? How many bottles are required? Are there discounts for multiple entries? How much do medal stickers cost, and are they optional? Some competitions rely heavily on sticker sales for revenue, so it’s worth checking. Are there additional charges for trophies, marketing assets or promotional support?

Get the full picture before you commit.

2. JURISDICTION

What wines does the competition judge, and where is its focus?

Some competitions are international, others national or regional. Neither approach is inherently better, but they serve different purposes. Think about the market you’re trying to reach. Domestic, export, local tourism, trade?

Eligibility is the obvious starting point, but relevance is just as important.

3. STANDING

Is the competition reputable?

Longevity, scale and track record matter. Long-established competitions tend to be expensive, but they also tend to be trusted. Newer competitions shouldn’t be dismissed, but they do warrant closer scrutiny.

Who has entered previously? Who judges? Who sponsors the event? And - crucially - what happens when you Google them? Or ask an AI? What does ChatGPT think of them?

Online standing - and incredingly their GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) - matters more than ever.

4. JUDGING

Here I’m not talking about scoring systems - most are broadly similar - but about volume and format.

How many wines does each judge taste? Over how long? In what order? High-volume, high-intensity formats increase the risk of palate fatigue, which is very real, however much it may sound implausible to the layperson.

Fewer wines, tasted thoughtfully, usually leads to fairer outcomes.

5. GOVERNANCE

Is the competition independent, or affiliated? If affiliated, to what - products, services, organisations, individuals?

Affiliation isn’t automatically a problem, but transparency matters. Competitions trade on trust, and trust depends on perceived independence and objectivity. If producers, press or consumers don’t trust the results, the medals lose their value very quickly.

Part 1 Summary

These first five points won’t guarantee a medal - nothing can - but they do help weed out competitions that are unlikely to deliver anything useful for your business.

Many of these questions directly inform how the IEWA is designed, from governance and judging structure through to how trophies are awarded - something I’ve explored in more detail in our piece on how the IEWA trophy structure is designed, linked below.

In Part 2, I’ll look at the more practical and commercial considerations: judges, audience, marketing, geography and - perhaps most importantly - how your wine itself is likely to be treated.

Alex Taylor
Founder, IEWA

‘How wine competitions behave, and their values, is where ROI is really won or lost.’