In the interview below, Chiara Sieni DipWSET, Assistant Manager at Rise & Vine talks about How Winning Medals at the London Competition matters for a wine brand, Tips on how brands can use the professional tasting notes they get from judges, and How important are judges in a wine competition.

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Please introduce yourself and your work profile.

Recently I achieved DipWSET, am interested in marketing and branding, willing to start a career in Education. Down-to-earth, helpful. The shop is part of my mindset, we showcase wines from all around the world, organic or biodynamic or sustainable with a great story behind the label. Many wines come from family-run estates, low intervention as well as gastronomic as there is a big trend (and not just limited to restaurants) on pairing wine with food.

Chiara Sieni with Salvatore Calabrese.

London Judges: LWC prides itself in putting the best trade buyers, MW and MS. How important are judges in a wine competition and why?

The role played by wine judges is really important, and they greatly influence consumers' behaviors, advising which wine they should buy.

Digital Judging System: Comments on our online judging system.

Easy and accessible. Saves time and provides speed. Good to see everything getting online with LWC.

London Wine Competition’s Online Judging System 

Why does winning at the London Wine Competition matter for a wine brand?

I strongly believe, despite negative effects such as Covid and Brexit, London is still the wine hub of Europe. As we read, winning at the LWC does really matter, mainly raising their profile, increasing the exposure with distributors, importers, press, and last but not least consumers.

North Yorkshire, England Online Wine Shop showing medals on the products that won.

What makes a great wine judge according to you?

Knowledge, humility, flexibility, and personality.

Tips on how brands can use the professional tasting notes they get from judges

A tasting note should be very accessible and easy to understand, sometimes there is a need for only 3 key and memorable words. Brands can leverage these words and notes across their marketing and social media channels. 

It can become a part of their wine-selling process.

Each winner of the competition gets a shelf talker which includes professional tasting notes

How winning a medal can help the winery with exposure?

Winning a medal can act as one of the most powerful marketing tools. Consumers - belonging to different categories such as curious or lovers or with knowledge - are attracted by wines displayed on the label a medal won during competitions.