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Winners & medalists announced in London Wine & Spirits Competitions

Winners & medalists announced in London Wine & Spirits Competitions

The results of the London Wine Competition and London Spirits Competition are both announced today highlighting products from all over the world that stood out in three specific ways: their quality and what they taste like blind; their value for money at their given price point; and what they look like on shelf for their packaging and design. Those are three main criteria on which all the London Competitions are judged. Criteria the organisers claim is closer to how the average consumer decides which products to buy and then, crucially, buys again. It is also an awards programme that is now judged by many of the most influential and important drinks buyers across the wine and spirits sectors including leading names from the major retailers, national distributors, wine merchants and top sommeliers. Here are the highlights from the top winners in the London Wine and London Spirits Competitions.

Richard Siddle
22nd April 2025by Richard Siddle
posted in Awards,

The London Competitions were first introduced eight years ago to stand as an alternative to the traditional awards programmes that only assess products for their quality and what they taste like. Sid Patel, founder of the London Competitions, has worked tirelessly since to attract not only drinks producers from all over the world to enter, but, crucially, build up a judging panel of top buyers from across the UK’s premium on and off-trade to give the event the the clout, respect and credibility it needs in such a competitive environment.

As it says: “The London Wine and Spirits Competitions have solidified their reputations as two of the world's most consumer-relevant awards events, offering producers a credible platform to gain international recognition in a competitive market.”

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Sid Patel, founder of London Competitions, at this year' judging

Find all the winners from the two competitions by clicking here:


* London Wine Competition

https://londonwinecompetition.com/en/competition-global-results/2025/

* London Spirits Competition

https://londonspiritscompetition.com/en/competition-global-results/2025/

London Wine Competition Highlights

Here are the highlights and stand out winners from the 2025 London Wine Competition:

  • Wine of the Year: 2022 Isabel Estate Wild Barrique Chardonnay, New Zealand.
  • Best Wine by Quality: 1987 Saamo, Georgia.
  • Best Wine by Value: 2024 Elegido Tempranillo Red, Spain.
  • Best Wine by Packaging: 2021 Little Giant The Remarkables 105 Year Old, Australia.
  • Winery of the Year: Hasher Family Wines, South Africa.
  • Red Wine Producer of the Year: Casa Santos Lima – Companhia das Vinhas SA. Portugal.
  • White Wine Producer of the Year: Anhydrous Winery, Greece.
  • Rosé Wine Producer of the Year: Rose Wine Producer Of The Year, SCAV Chateau Leoube, France.
  • Non Alcoholic Wine Producer Of The Year, Vinolo Ltd, Spain.
  • Winery Of The Year France: 2025 97 Points SCEV Domaine du Château de Meursault.
  • Winery Of The Year Italy: Points Azienda Agricola Gini Sandro e Claudio Società Agricola Semplice.
  • Winery Of The Year South Africa: Hasher Family Wines.
  • Winery Of The Year Portugal: Casa Santos Lima – Companhia das Vinhas SA.
  • Winery Of The Year Greece: Anhydrous Winery.
  • Winery Of The Year Austria: Weingut Jakob Stierschneider.
  • Best Indigenous Grape Wine: 1987 Saamo, Georgia.
  • Own Label of the Year: Beyond the Wilderness Riesling from Coles Liquor, Australia.
  • Cabernet Sauvignon Of The Year: 2021 Trinity Hill Single Vineyard 'Prison Block' Cabernet Sauvignon, New Zealand.
  • Shiraz Of The Year: 2023 Jaraman Shiraz, Australia.
  • Pinot Noir Of The Year: 2023 Ernest, South Africa.
  • Merlot Of The Year: 2019 Trame Rosse, Italy.

The Judging Panel

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London Wine Competition judges get down to business

The credibility of the London Wine Competition lies in the depth and diversity of its judging panel. This year's panel featured over 70 esteemed professionals, including:

Masters of Wine:

  • Claire Blackler MW
  • Annette Scarfe MW.
  • Tim Triptree MW.
  • Emily Brighton MW.
  • David Gill MW.
  • Susan Hulme MW.
  • Sara Muirhead MW.
  • Martin Moran MW.
  • Demetri Walters MW.
  • Eric Zwiebel MS.
  • Mike Best MW.
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Master Sommeliers:

  • Yves Desmaris MS.
  • Christopher Delalonde MS.
  • Kathrine Larsen Robert MS.
  • Matteo Montone MS.

Trade buyers and industry experts

  • Valeria Rodriguez AIWS, Head of Fine Wine at Bibendum Wine.
  • Joshua Castle, Group Head Buyer for Keeling Andrew, Noble Rot, and Shrine to the Vine.
  • Bianca Ford, Operations Director and Buyer at Yapp Brothers Ltd.
  • Frances Bentley, Wine Buyer at LWC Drinks.
  • Carla Bertellotti, Managing Director at Vinos Latinos.
  • Dafydd Morris, Director at Cheers Wine Merchants, UK.
  • Paul Grimwood, Buyer and Founder of Ultracomida-Spanish Wines.
  • David Harvey, Wine Importer at Raeburn Fine Wines.
  • Emma Penman, Wine Buyer at Waitrose.Dan Belmont, Director & Wine Buyer at Good Wine Good People & GWGP Trade.
  • You can find the full list of judges here.

“This competition continues to evolve and raise the bar. The calibre of judges we’ve assembled, from Master Sommeliers to major buyers and MWs, is truly extraordinary,” says Patel. “We’re committed to helping producers connect with real-world markets — and for consumers and trade to feel confident that these wines over-deliver on every level.”

Judges comments

“I love the idea of judging the packaging — it makes a tremendous difference and it’s something producers can act on quickly,” said Susan Hulme MW.

“What makes the London Wine Competition special is its judging model — it’s about more than just technical precision.” Mike Best MW, Boutinot.

“We were lucky to taste exceptional wines — Greek whites and Sicilian varieties were standouts.” added Chris Howells.

Full Results Online

You can find the full list of awards including Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals and special category awards by clicking here.
https://londonwinecompetition.com/en/competition-global-results/2025/


London Spirits Competition Highlights


Spirits from more than 30 countries were entered into this year’s competition, with the United Kingdom (13.7%), Australia (12.9%), and Italy/US (each 7.1%) leading in submissions. Gin topped the charts as the most-entered category (28.2%), followed by whisky, liqueurs and rum.

There were also entries from across Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas, including award-winning gins from India, premium whiskies from Ireland and Japan, and craft spirits from Australia.​

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Some of the London Spirits Competition winners

  • Gin of the Year: Ramsbury Gin – UK.
  • Vodka of the Year: Xaoma Gold – Kazakhstan.
  • Rum of the Year: Havana Club Gran Reserva 15 Años – Cuba.
  • Liqueur of the Year: Kaiho Ruby Organic Blackcurrant Liqueur – Finland.
  • Tequila of the Year: Gran Orendain Reposado – Mexico.
  • Single Malt Whisky of the Year: Pedro Ximenez – Australia.
  • Flavoured Spirit of the Year: Tanqueray Bossa Nova – UK.
  • Best Spirit by Package: Chateau Koya Brandy XO 15 Years Old – China.
  • Best Spirit by Value: K-vant – Tanzania.
  • Whisky Producer of the Year: De Kuyper - Netherlands.

Sid Patel says of the results: “At the London Spirits Competition, a winning spirit must excel in quality, offer outstanding value for money, and be packaged in a way that truly connects with today’s consumer. What makes this competition unique is that all products are judged by the highest level of trade professionals - bartenders, bar managers, and buyers - who understand what sells and what delights customers. Our winners represent the very best of the global spirits industry.”

The Judges

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Judges for the 2025 London Spirits Competition

This year’s judging brought together over 70 top industry experts, including master distillers, master blenders, mixologists, and elite buyers. The panel included:

  • Andrew de Lavis-Trafford: head of buying spirits, beers & softs at Enotria Winecellars Ltd, UK.
  • Andy Loudon: director of bars at Scarfes Bar, Rosewood London.
  • Giannis Apostolopoulos: head of bars for Amazónico Restaurants, UK.
  • Claudia Carrozzi: head of beverage at Cunard and UKBG president.
  • Oscar Angeloni: bar manager at The Connaught.
  • Marcello Cauda: bars manager at The Berkeley Hotel, Maybourne Group.
  • Nick Larsson-Bell: senior spirits and beer buyer at Harvey Nichols.
  • Michele Lombardi: head mixologist at Four Seasons Park Lane.
  • Cristiana Pirinu: assistant director of mixology at The Donovan Bar.
  • Emma Walker: master blender at Johnnie Walker.
  • Craig Wallace: whisky creation leader and master blender at Diageo.
  • Laura Willoughby MBE: founder of Club Soda, The Mindful Drinking Movement
  • You can find the full list of judges here.

View the full list of winners for 2025 London Spirits Competition:

https://londonspiritscompetition.com/en/competition-global-results/2025/


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