It is becoming increasingly difficult for consumers to find their way around wine selection. For example, a good result achieved in a wine competition can be a means of differentiation and authentication, so wineries should consider entering. The aim of the study is to examine the reliability and significance of wine competitions from a marketing perspective, as well as the aspects of judging that may be important for consumers and producers. In addition to the literature, the study is based on the judging sub-scores of the two years of the Winelovers Wine Awards. In 2022, more than 600 wines were evaluated by 58 jury members, while in 2023, 65 jury members judged more than 800 items. The data were analyzed using statistical tools; in addition to descriptive statistical indicators, the effects of factors that are believed to influence the scores were also examined using indicators of stochastic relationships. The analysis shows that the jury members gave reliable evaluations at the competition, and there is no difference between the performance of different judges (experts, traders, winemakers). However, the individual wine types perform differently in the competition, with the sweet wines showing the largest variance in terms of scores. Consumers should consider the results of (renowned) wine competitions when making their purchasing decisions, and it is also useful for producers to enter, as they can receive expert feedback on their products and use the results in their communication.
