The USA Wine Ratings is excited to unveil two prestigious special category awards: ‘Winery of the Year by Country’ and ‘Winery of the Year by Wine Style’. These honors are designed to celebrate wineries that excel in quality, innovation and consistency, while also reflecting the diversity and craftsmanship of the wine industry.

Why Do These Awards Matter?

Winning these coveted titles provides wineries with a unique opportunity to enhance their reputation and stand out in the competitive U.S. wine market. These awards are a testament to a winery’s craftsmanship, innovation, and consistent performance across its portfolio. By recognizing not just individual wines but the winery as a whole, the USA Wine Ratings underscores its mission to highlight wines that excel on the shelf, on the back bar, and in the glass.

Benefits for Wineries

• National and Global Recognition:
  Gain status as the leading winery in your country or wine style, positioning your brand for greater success in the U.S. market and beyond.
• Enhanced Marketing Value:
  Use the exclusive medals on your product packaging, promotional materials, and website as a symbol of excellence.
• Increased Credibility:
  Attract the attention of retailers, distributors, and consumers by validating the quality and appeal of your wines.
• Exclusive Exposure:
  Winners will receive featured coverage in USA Wine Ratings' media campaigns, including press releases, website highlights, and social media promotions.
• Valuable Networking Opportunities:
  Leverage the award to build connections with key industry players, such as sommeliers, trade buyers, and influencers.

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How It Works

• Eligibility:
  To qualify, wineries must enter at least four wines into the USA Wine Ratings competition.
• Judging Process:
  Medal Performance: Wineries are evaluated based on the total number of medals (Gold, Silver, Bronze) awarded across their entries.
  Quality Consistency: An average score across all submitted wines is calculated to ensure sustained excellence.
• Qualification Criteria:
  A minimum of four wine entries.
  An overall average score of 90% or higher. 
  At least two Gold medals awarded.
• Shortlisting:
  The top five wineries with the highest average score (in each country) along with the other criteria listed above in each country are shortlisted based on their medal performance.
  Shortlisted wineries will complete a questionnaire focusing on innovation, terroir expression, craftsmanship, and their impact on the wine industry.
  Judges will incorporate feedback from the questionnaire alongside numerical scores to select the final winners.
• Awards and Recognition:
  ‘Winery of the Year by Country’ Medal: One winery from each participating country will be recognized as the best in its region.
  ‘Winery of the Year by Wine Style’ Medal: Awards will be given to wineries excelling in categories such as red, white, sparkling, sweet/fortified, and low/no-alcohol wines.
  Overall Winery of the Year: A special medal will go to the winery with the highest overall average across all entrants.

Countries in Focus

• USA
• France
• Italy
• Spain
• Australia
• New Zealand
• South Africa
• Chile
• Portugal
• Germany

Other Producer Awards

In addition to country-specific awards, wineries will be eligible for recognition in wine style categories:

• Red Wine Producer of the Year
• White Wine Producer of the Year
• Sparkling Wine Producer of the Year
• Sweet/Fortified Wine Producer of the Year
• No and Low Wine Winery of the Year

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Winner Benefits

• Trophy and Certificate:
  Winners receive a custom trophy and certificate to commemorate their achievement.
• Marketing Assets: 
  Exclusive digital badges for promotional use.
• Website and Media Features:
  Spotlight on USA Wine Ratings’ platform, including winery profiles, press coverage, and social media features.
• Credibility and Prestige:
  Medals signify excellence and help wineries attract new opportunities with distributors, retailers, and consumers.

The USA Wine Ratings continues to lead the way in recognizing wines that deliver exceptional quality, value for money, and visual appeal. These special category awards further enhance the competition’s mission to celebrate wineries that stand out in the U.S. market and set benchmarks in the global wine industry.

Related Links:
Submit Your Wines Before December 20 to Save Big with the Super Early Bird Deadline! 
Early 2025 USA Wine Ratings Entrants to Get Free Showcase at 2025 IBWSS in San Francisco