The Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Challenge brings winning wines and spirits to a diverse and discerning audience.
By Alexandra Russell
As the wine and spirits industry faces the ongoing challenge of attracting new consumers and expanding palates, an often-overlooked yet powerful tactic is entering a reputable competition. Winning medals can boost a brand’s reputation and provides new avenues for promotion and marketing.
“Wine competitions are essential because they create an unbiased environment where quality is the focus, giving wineries credibility and exposure,” says Jennifer “JB” Kelly, president and founder of Luxury Wine Partners, an agency specializing in national distribution for both domestic and international wine and spirits brands. Kelly, who’s been judging wine and spirits competitions for close to six years, continues, “In an industry where there’s so much variety, a medal can be a powerful tool for setting a wine apart in a crowded market.”
Reaching SoCal Consumers
The Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Challenge (LAIWSC), taking place February 24-25, 2025, offers producers a unique platform to showcase their excellence and reap the rewards of extensive, strategic marketing partnerships. Media sponsor the Los Angeles Times, which helps to promote results, boasts 4.4 million weekly print and digital readers.
In addition to this built-in audience, LA Times targets the region’s wine and food enthusiasts with email blasts, newsletters and targeted ad campaigns — offering unmatched visibility to LAIWSC medalists.
“The Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Challenge’s association with the LA Times — and its credible judges — make it a valuable platform for showcasing our wines,” says Dan Panella, co-owner of Oak Farm Vineyards in Lodi, Calif.
Oak Farms’ 2020 Mokelumne River Barbera was named Best of the Best in the 2024 LAIWSC. Panella continues, “The competition has strong ties to the Southern California market, which is an important region for us in terms of consumer reach and brand exposure. Winning a medal here not only validates the quality of our wines but also helps us connect with a broader audience in a key wine-loving region.”
Judges Offer Insights
“Our panel of esteemed judges includes winemakers, distillers, sommeliers, members of both on- and off-premise beverage trade, industry educators and media,” says Debra del Fiorentino, owner of Wine Competitions Management and Production, which organizes and produces LAIWSC. This broad panel of industry professionals ensures diverse perspectives and expert feedback. The goal is to provide a quality assessment of each wine or spirit and offer a unique selling proposition to promote medal-winning products.
All gold and double gold medal winners receive marketable comments from judges as part of their win. The impact of a winning wine or spirit continues with the judges, many of whom promote their discoveries through their own social channels. In addition to the official announcement of winners, these industry influencers can add another layer of promotion.
“It’s always an honor to be part of the process and help recognize the exceptional wines that stand out in an ever-evolving industry,” says Kelly. “Judging gives me a chance to discover new trends in the wine industry, while also evaluating the hard work and passion that goes into each bottle.”
“Wine competitions provide an important service by offering an objective evaluation of our wines from a panel of experienced tasters,” adds Panella. “Judges come from diverse backgrounds. Some are fellow winemakers, others are sommeliers, critics or industry professionals, and they bring a range of expertise and perspectives. Their feedback helps validate the quality of our wines, offers valuable insights and allows us to benchmark ourselves against other producers.”
Medals and Marketing
“We’ve valued spirits competitions since we launched our first bourbon, 1856 Premium Aged Whiskey, in 2017,” says Katharine Jerkens, chief business officer for Tennessee-based Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, which took LAIWSC’s top prize for spirits in 2023 with its Uncut and Unfiltered Straight Rye Whiskey.
“From the start, we understood and determined that awards were going to be key in how we would build our brand recognition and honor the legacy of Nearest Green by putting out the best whiskey on the market. We have continued to make awards a part of our marketing strategy every year because they introduce us to new customers and retailers.”
The Uncle Nearest team considers award wins an integral part of its marketing strategies. Says Jerkens, “You will see us touting our wins on billboards in airports, in magazine ads, on our social media pages — wherever our current and potential consumers are. We want them to know that when they choose a bottle of Uncle Nearest, they’re drinking the best of the best. If you visit the Nearest Green Distillery in Shelbyville, Tenn., we have a whole wall showcasing all of our awards. It’s super impressive and our guests know that they are going to be tasting the highest quality whiskey when they are there.”
She continues, “Our awards credentials are a key tool for our sales teams and help to open up retail opportunities, attract media attention and spark word-of-mouth. It’s all about leveraging the wins in marketing and promotions to maximize impact.”
The Power of Promotion
Following Oak Farms’ triumph in 2024, Panella and the team used the award to boost engagement and solicit sales. “The first step [was] promoting the award across our social media platforms to engage our existing customers and attract new ones,” he says. “We also informed our distributors so they could leverage the win in their sales efforts using shelf talkers, tech sheets and direct outreach to accounts.
“Additionally, we sent an email to a segment of our subscriber list, ensuring our most loyal customers were the first to know. The award is also prominently featured on the store portion of our website, reinforcing our commitment to quality and providing added credibility for potential buyers. Lastly, we put a promo flyer up on our tasting bar to let tasting room customers know.”
Kelly has seen firsthand the impact a competition win can have. “A gold medal or higher is a game-changer,” she says. “It can help elevate a brand’s profile and open doors to new sales opportunities, both with consumers and distributors. But beyond that, it also instills a sense of pride and validation for the winemaker’s hard work. It’s a fantastic way to build a wine’s reputation.”
Deadline for entry into the 2025 Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Challenge is February 14, 2025. For more information visit https://lainvitational.com/.
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Alexandra Russell
Alexandra Russell is Managing Editor at Wine Industry Advisor. She can be reached at arussell@wineindustryadvisor.com.
