Launch of the Wine Travel Awards 2025–2026 Voting: Vote now. Travel later. Sip always
Public voting for the nominees of the unique international Wine Travel Awards officially opens on 11 March.
This year, as WTA celebrates its fifth anniversary edition, the geography of its global wine community expands once again. Chile, Singapore and even winemaking Norway – a country that only a few years ago would have seemed an unlikely player in the world of wine – have joined the map of participants. The message is clear: the wine world is evolving at remarkable speed, and WTA remains its brightest and most reliable compass. The community now spans 48 countries.
The Six Pillars of WTA: The Philosophy Behind the Award
In his introductory article for the WTA Guide 2024–2025, Dr Ricardo Nunez eloquently articulated the principles on which the Wine Travel Awards are built – a system founded on “six pillars that shape a new culture of wine tourism and global wine communication.” He writes: “WTA is not merely an award. It is a platform that unites talent, innovation, culture, science, gastronomy and travel into a single ecosystem of the wine world.”
This philosophy forms the foundation of the award’s six nominations.
The Six Nominations of the Wine Travel Awards 2025–2026
1. The Visiting Card of the Country
A category for those who serve as the true “calling card” of their nation: wineries, regions, national brands, hotels, restaurants, bars, wine museums and tasting rooms. These are the places that shape a traveller’s first impression of a country’s wine culture.
2. Enogastronomic Events
Festivals, wine and local-produce celebrations, exhibitions and promotional campaigns – everything that turns a region into a magnet for gastronomic tourism. These are the events that create emotion, queues at tasting counters and a desire to return.
3. Ambassador
Ambassadors of wines, regions, routes and brands; associations, consortia, national wine bureaus, tourism offices and tour operators. These are the individuals and organisations whose storytelling makes one want to find a wine region on the map — or at the very least, on the shelf.
4. Education in Enotourism
Wine museums, institutes, tasting rooms, wine schools, educational tours and programmes. This category celebrates those who do more than pour wine — they explain, teach and shape a new generation of wine professionals and informed travellers.
5. Wine & Food Influencer
Bloggers, writers, content creators and media projects that influence the choices of travellers and consumers. They show how wine, food, travel and lifestyle intertwine — from TikTok to the opinion pages of respected publications.
6. Wine Guide
Tour operators, guides and authors of wine routes and tours. These are the people who quite literally take travellers by the hand and lead them along the wine roads of the world — from classic regions to emerging frontiers.
How the Voting Works
The winners are determined in two stages:
1. Public Voting (11–31 March)
- Visit winetravelawards.com
- Choose one of the six nominations, then a category
- Explore the profiles of the nominees
- Click “Vote” for the candidate who resonates with you
The five nominees with the highest number of votes in each category become finalists.
2. Jury Evaluation (April)
- A panel of 12 judges reviews the finalists’ dossiers
- They score each candidate using the WTA’s unified 10‑point system
- One winner is selected in each category
WTA Jury 2025–2026: The 12 Experts Who Shape the Results
Dr Ricardo F. Nunez
Head of the Vinos de La Luz group (Argentina, Spain, Italy, USA, Ukraine), investor in the development of Ukrainian winemaking, and recipient of the OIV Merit Award 2025 for his contribution to integrating Ukraine into the global wine community.
Robert Joseph
One of the most influential figures in the wine world: critic, consultant, co‑creator of wine brands, author of more than 30 books on wine, speaker and long‑standing WTA jury member since the very first season.
Felicity Carter
Founder of Drinks Insider, Editorial Director at Areni Global, one of the most insightful analysts of the global drinks market, an experienced editor and a respected speaker on wine tourism and industry trends.
Richard Bampfield MW
Master of Wine, consultant for Lidl, Albert Bichot, Santa Rita Estates and others. A committed advocate of sustainability and an active participant in initiatives such as the Sustainable Wine Roundtable.
Yang Shen
Estate Director at Cloudy Bay (LVMH, New Zealand/China). Combines academic training in Montpellier and Bordeaux with hands‑on management of leading wine brands. Now serving his third year as an honorary WTA jury member.
Per Karlsson
Co‑founder of BKWine, wine and travel writer, photographer and tour operator. Co‑author of 13 books on wine, expert in wine tourism, long‑standing judge at international competitions and WTA jury member from the project’s inception.
Prof. Dr Gergely Szolnoki
Professor of marketing research at Geisenheim University. His work focuses on consumer behaviour, social media, organic wine and wine tourism. Delegated expert of the OIV and Great Wine Capitals, and a WTA judge since the first year.
Stéphane Badet
Lecturer at ISVV, University of Bordeaux; expert in wine economics, marketing and tourism. Engaged in international programmes for sustainable development in winemaking and an honorary WTA jury member since the award’s foundation.
Paul Wagner
A recognised leader in the wine industry, lecturer at Napa Valley College, wine tourism consultant for Expedia Cruise Ship Centers, founder of Balzac Communications & Marketing and author of Wine Marketing & Sales.
Dr Matthew Horkey
Author of three books, hundreds of articles and thousands of videos on wine; founder of a popular YouTube channel. His motto: “Bringing FUN back to the world of WINE!” A constant traveller and taster of thousands of wines each year.
Marinela Ardelean
Expert in wine and spirits, organiser of RO‑Wine – The International Wine Festival of Romania, ambassador of Romanian wines, author of several books and recipient of numerous professional awards.
Christian Zechmeister, MA
Managing Director of Wein Burgenland (Austria). Builds the region’s international image, develops partnerships with wine events and tourism, and is an active member of professional associations and international juries.
Voting Rules
We value fairness and transparency, so we kindly ask all participants to follow the rules:
✔ One IP address = one vote per nominee.
✔ You may vote for several nominees in different categories – one vote per device for each.
And please, do resist the temptation to “help” your favourite by casting a hundred votes from the same laptop – even if your enthusiasm is admirable.
✔ No vote manipulation.
WTA may not possess the cybersecurity capabilities of the Pentagon, but we do keep a close eye on unusual activity and reserve the right to disqualify any nominee if irregularities are detected.
As for bots – they may well appreciate wine, but they certainly cannot vote for it))).
✔ Voting data and jury deliberations remain confidential until the results are announced.
✔ Jury members do not vote for companies with which they have financial ties.
✔ WTA is not responsible for internet or equipment failures.
If your Wi‑Fi decides to go off on a tasting of its own, that, regrettably, lies beyond our jurisdiction))).
Finale and Awards Ceremony
Voting closes on 31 March. In April, the jury begins its work.
On 17 June, at The Cité des Climats et Vins de Bourgogne in Beaune, the winners will be honoured during the inaugural Global Wine Tourism Day 2026.
It will be the moment when the wine world gathers once again – this year for the fifth time – to celebrate excellence. And this time, on the grand «la scène bourguignonne».
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*With ticket numbers strictly limited, updates will be released the moment sales open on the Cité des Climats et Vins de Bourgogne website. To stay ahead of the announcement – and secure your place at one of the year’s most anticipated wine‑world gatherings – we invite you to join our social media community, where news always breaks first.
For participation enquiries regarding Global Wine Tourism Day, please contact:
+38067 4474578 WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram
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