The 2024 Jean-Luc Colombo Cape Bleue Rosé from Rhone, France, wins Best Wine for On-Premise at the 2025 Sommeliers Choice Awards.
The 2025 Sommeliers Choice Awards have officially announced this year’s winning wines, delivering a trusted guide for on-premise venues including restaurants, bars, hotels, lounges, and private clubs. Judged by an esteemed panel of Master Sommeliers, leading sommeliers, and beverage directors, this competition highlights wines that are not only exceptional in quality but also a perfect fit for real-world hospitality settings.
Unlike traditional wine competitions, the Sommeliers Choice Awards focuses entirely on the needs of the on-premise trade. Wines are evaluated on criteria that matter most to hospitality professionals: food pairability, value for money, typicity, versatility in service, and visual appeal.
“At Sommeliers Choice Awards, wines are judged by the industry’s most trusted palates — including some of the world’s top Master Sommeliers,” said Sid Patel, CEO of Beverage Trade Network. “These are the professionals who craft the beverage programs at the world’s best restaurants and bars, and they know what performs with guests and what builds a successful wine list.”
Key Highlights from the 2025 Competition:
- Master Sommeliers and top on-premise buyers served as judges, bringing unmatched expertise and insight into what today’s hospitality venues need.
- Winning wines include a dynamic mix of by-the-glass-friendly options, premium pours, and high-value bottles that support both profitability and guest satisfaction.
- An increase in sustainable, organic, and low-intervention wines signals evolving preferences across top-tier beverage programs.
- Approximately 1,500 wines were submitted to the 2025 Sommeliers Choice Awards. The United States led the way with 557 entries, followed by France, with Italy, Australia, and Spain rounding out the list of top participating countries.
- Top varietals were chardonnay, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc and shiraz. The competition saw growth in white wines.
- The competition also saw Austria and Germany in top 10 countries that participate for the first time once again showing the growth of White wines in USA and in on-premise markets.
Whether you’re designing a seasonal wine list for a fine-dining restaurant, curating pairings for a hotel tasting menu, or building out a by-the-glass selection for a vibrant bar, the 2025 award winners offer a vetted, high-performing portfolio to work from.
Here are the top winners:
| Special Awards | Product Name | Country | Vintage Name | Production Region |
| Wine Of The Year | JLC Rose Cape Bleue | France | 2024 | Rhone |
| Best Wine By Quality | 2022 Domaine Serene ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Chardonnay | United States | 2022 | Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills |
| Best Wine By Package | Hecht & Bannier Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence Organic | France | 2023 | Languedoc AOC |
| Best Wine By Value | Stoneleigh Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc | New Zealand | 2024 | Marlborough |
| Wine Of The Year By The Glass | JLC Rose Cape Bleue | France | 2024 | Rhone |
| Winery Of The Year | Anhydrous Icon | Greece | 2022 | Santorini, Greece PDO |
| Chardonnay Of The Year | Larry Hyde Chardonnay | United States | 2021 | Los Carneros (Napa) |
| Cabernet Sauvignon Of The Year | Mérite Cabernet Sauvignon | Australia | 2020 | Limestone Coast |
| Pinot Noir Of The Year | 2021 Estate Reserve “select cluster” Pinot Noir | United States | 2021 | Adelaida District |
| Sauvignon Blanc Of The Year | Stoneleigh Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc | New Zealand | 2024 | Marlborough |
| Merlot Of The Year | Desiderio | Italy | 2021 | Tuscany |
| Sangiovese Of The Year | Il Campanile | Italy | 2021 | Umbria IGT |
| Shiraz Of The Year | Hare’s Chase | Australia | 2021 | Australia, Barossa Valley |
| Tempranillo Of The Year | Veguin De Murua Gran Reserva | Spain | 2016 | Rioja DOCa |
| Riesling Of The Year | Riesling trocken | Germany | 2023 | Nahe |
| Malbec Of The Year | Notre Vue Malbec | United States | 2021 | Chalk Hill |
| Non Alcoholic Of The Year | Pierre Chavin Zero Spritz | France | Non-Vintage | France |
| White Wine Producer Of The Year | Anhydrous Icon | Greece | 2022 | Santorini, Greece PDO |
| Sparkling Wine Producer Of The Year | Blanc de Noirs 2015 | France | 2015 | France |
| Red Wine Producer Of The Year | Hare’s Chase | Australia | 2021 | Australia, Barossa Valley |
| Wine Of The Year Brazil | Salton Prosecco Rosé | Brazil | Non-Vintage | Sierra Gaúcha |
| Wine Of The Year Greece | Anhydrous Icon | Greece | 2022 | Santorini, Greece PDO |
| Wine Of The Year Portugal | Herdade Paço do Conde Reserva Antão Vaz | Portugal | 2023 | Alentejano VRAlentejo DOC |
| Wine Of The Year South Africa | Aslina Chardonnay | South Africa | 2023 | Stellenbosch |
| Wine Of The Year Italy | Il Campanile | Italy | 2021 | Umbria IGT |
| Wine Of The Year Australia | Mérite Cabernet Sauvignon | Australia | 2020 | Limestone Coast |
| Wine Of The Year Spain | Veguin De Murua Gran Reserva | Spain | 2016 | Rioja DOCa |
| Wine Of The Year Chile | Schwaderer Riesling | Chile | 2022 | Maule Valley |
| Wine Of The Year Germany | Pinot Noir Wormsberg GG | Germany | 2017 | Baden |
| Wine Of The Year Austria | Grüner Veltliner Gottschelle Erste Lage | Austria | 2023 | Kremstal DAC |
| Wine Of The Year New Zealand | Stoneleigh Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc | New Zealand | 2024 | Marlborough |
| Wine Of The Year Romania | Syrah Reserve | Romania | 2019 | DOC Dealu Mare |
| Wine Of The Year France | JLC Rose Cape Bleue | France | 2024 | Rhone |
| Wine Of The Year United States Of America | Larry Hyde Chardonnay | United States | 2021 | Los Carneros (Napa) |
View all results here.
About the Sommeliers Choice Awards
Organized by Beverage Trade Network, the Sommeliers Choice Awards is a premier competition judged exclusively by professionals from the on-premise sector, including Master Sommeliers, wine directors, and beverage managers. It is the only wine competition focused solely on what works for hospitality venues, making it an invaluable resource for trade professionals worldwide.
