Medals: still influencing the buying decision

There have never been so many wine competitions. Despite this crowded landscape, medal stickers remain a powerful purchasing cue – provided they guarantee the wines have been rigorously selected. We take a behind-the-scenes look at an ecosystem that continues to evolve and reinvent itself.

Contents:

A crowded marketplace, governed by strict rules
Demonstrating the credibility of medals
Practical insights
A stepping stone towards recognition
Awards that call for discernment
Medals still matter

A crowded marketplace, governed by strict rules

From the Concours Général Agricole, established in 1870, to the European Red & Rosé Wine Contest launched this year, the world of wine competitions is constantly evolving. France is currently home to 131 officially approved competitions. Yet, while they all share the same mission – to single out quality wines from an ever-expanding range of offerings – their growing number also underscores increasing specialisation around specific grape varieties, colours or regions. Victor-Pierre Gomez runs Armonia, a company that organises competitions in Europe. He believes competitions serve different objectives depending on their scope, from local level to the international stage. “Not all of them target the same judges or markets. What sets France apart, however, is its particularly strict regulatory framework”. Since 2013, officially recognised competitions have been required to guarantee anonymous tastings, full traceability of samples and the impartiality of judges. The medal quota is also capped at one third of total entries. Some competitions rely exclusively on professional judges, such as the Mâcon Wine Competition, while others, including the Independent Winegrowers’ Competition, are judged solely by trained consumers. Others still prioritise complementary panels. “A medal should reward a wine that appeals to a broad consensus”, Gomez explains. “Professional judges ensure that a wine displays characteristics expected of a particular grape variety or appellation, while wine enthusiasts provide a perspective that is often close to that of the end consumers”. He adds that he is often impressed by the level of expertise demonstrated by some amateur wine tasters.

Demonstrating the credibility of medals

For competition organisers, the challenge is no longer simply to award medals, but to demonstrate their credibility. “Consumers are not always aware of the process behind a medal sticker”, notes Gomez. As a result, greater emphasis is being placed on education, alongside increasingly finely-tuned selection procedures for panel members. At the International Competition in Lyon, for example, nearly 3,000 applications are scrutinised to assemble a panel of around 1,000 judges. Professional applicants are selected on the basis of their credentials, while wine enthusiasts undergo a screening interview by telephone often supplemented by training sessions focused on scoring methods. “The key is being able to prove that the wines have been assessed by proficient judges using a rigorous methodology”, stresses Gomez.

Practical insights

The days when competition entrants simply received a medal – or not – are largely over. Increasingly, organisers now rely on transparency and feedback. “We provide each winegrower with a detailed tasting report, enabling them to benchmark their wines against other entries and gain better insight into the judges’ assessments”. The approach also helps soften the disappointment that can accompany competition results. “A wine may achieve an excellent score without receiving a medal when the overall standard of entries is exceptionally high”, he notes. Winegrower Laura Balsan, at Mas Origine in Montpeyroux, believes the feedback offers useful insight, without undermining the estate’s identity. “It’s always interesting to hear what judges think of our wines. But it is just as important to stay true to our vision”.

A stepping stone towards recognition

Since its founding in 2022, Mas Origine has entered the Hérault Valley wine competition. The strategy has paid off – four of the estate’s wines have received awards across three different competitions. “When you’re starting from scratch and have yet to build a sales network, medals can help put you in the spotlight”, explains Balsan, who also highlights the wider promotional ecosystem surrounding the competition. “Award-winning wines are showcased at the local tourist information office and featured in promotional campaigns. This helps attract private customers and visitors who explore local estates over the summer”. For Mas Origine, however, entering the competition is about more than individual recognition: “It helps promote the reputation of the Terrasses du Larzac, Montpeyroux and Languedoc appellations. This is a collective initiative in which most local winegrowers take part”.

Awards that call for discernment

Between entry fees, sample shipments and the cost of bottle stickers, entering wine competitions represents a significant investment, requiring producers to be selective. “We spend time identifying the competitions and scoring systems that best align with our sales objectives. In the United States and Canada, in particular, certain awards carry particular weight and can be expected”, admits Balsan. While knowledgeable wine enthusiasts deliberately steer clear of medals, preferring to seek advice from specialist wine merchants, mainstream consumers use them as a quality cue, especially in supermarkets. “The customer journey is often very short and highly subjective. Consumers choose an appellation, look at the label, then the price. When they are hesitating between two bottles, a medal can make all the difference”, observes Gomez.

Medals still matter

The metrics confirm that medals continue to influence purchasing decisions. According to Viavoice research conducted in 2022, 59 % of shoppers said they pay attention to medal stickers when choosing a bottle of wine. For 85 % of French consumers, medals are seen as a guarantee of quality, while 76 % say it reassures them and can encourage them to buy. Nearly six in ten also feel it is acceptable to pay a premium for an award-winning wine. The Vinalies competition, hosted by the French Oenologists’ Association, similarly reports an average 33% increase in sales for their medal-winners in 2024 and 2025. For Laura Balsan, however, medals are only element of a broader narrative. “The first thing consumers are receptive to is our story. Then come our environmental commitments as organic producers and the appellation concept. Together, these elements create a coherent whole”. Medals may no longer be the sole compass guiding consumers through the wine aisle, but they remain a trusted marker of quality and a valuable tool for enhancing visibility.

Florence Jaroniak