As the international wine trade prepares for another edition of the London Wine Fair, the team behind the London Wine Competition has officially opened entries for the 2027 competition and is inviting producers attending the fair to meet the team in person during the event.

The 2027 edition will also mark the 10th anniversary of the London Wine Competition, making it a significant milestone for one of the industry’s fastest-growing commercially focused wine awards programs.

For Malvika Patel, editor at Beverage Trade Network and London Competitions, the London Wine Fair remains one of the most important opportunities of the year to connect directly with wineries, importers, distributors, retailers, and hospitality buyers from around the world.

“London Wine Fair is where the global wine industry comes together to do business,” Patel says. “For us, it’s an important opportunity to meet producers face-to-face, discuss market trends, and help wineries understand how competitions can support their commercial growth.”

Taking place at Olympia London, the fair continues to attract thousands of trade professionals and exhibitors across the international drinks industry. (londonwinefair.com)

This year, the London Wine Competition team will be actively meeting exhibitors throughout the show while also encouraging producers to begin planning early for the 2027 competition cycle.

“Entries for the 2027 London Wine Competition are now officially open,” Patel explains. “We encourage producers exhibiting at London Wine Fair to enter online during the fair itself and speak with our team directly about the process.”

To simplify participation for international exhibitors already showcasing products at the event, the London Competitions team will also offer complimentary sample collection directly from producer stands during the fair.

“We know producers already have their wines in London for the exhibition,” Patel says. “So if they complete their entries online during the fair, our team can coordinate sample collection directly from their stand at no additional cost.”

According to Patel, the initiative is designed to make the competition process more efficient and practical for producers managing international logistics and export schedules.

“We’re always looking at ways to make participation easier and more commercially useful,” she says. “Today, wineries want platforms that understand the realities of export business, logistics, and international market development.”

London Wine Competition has increasingly positioned itself as a commercially focused competition that evaluates wines based on quality, value, and packaging — the three factors considered most important in influencing buying decisions within the trade.

“Our judges are active trade buyers, sommeliers, distributors, and hospitality professionals,” Patel explains. “Everything about the competition is designed around market relevance and commercial success.”

You will see us meeting our entrants, giving them stickers and winners' table tents at the 2026 London Wine Fair. Our ambassadors will be there to say hello to you.

At this year’s London Wine Fair, Patel expects conversations to focus heavily on changing buyer behaviour, premiumisation, sustainability, packaging, and how wineries can improve visibility in increasingly competitive export markets.

“Producers today need more than just a medal,” she says. “They need visibility, importer conversations, trade credibility, and tools that help them grow distribution.”

That commercial approach has led London Competitions to expand its broader ecosystem around the awards platform, including producer interviews, podcasts, trade media exposure, social promotion, and buyer outreach initiatives.

Patel also sees growing alignment between trade fairs, competitions, media platforms, and buyer matchmaking across the drinks industry.

“A producer might exhibit at London Wine Fair, enter London Wine Competition, feature in trade media, and then use those results in meetings with importers and retailers,” she says. “All of these touchpoints increasingly work together.”

As preparations continue for another busy edition of London Wine Fair, Patel believes face-to-face interaction remains one of the industry’s most valuable business tools.

“Wine is still a relationship-driven business,” she says. “Digital platforms help discovery, but real partnerships are still built through conversations, tastings, and personal connections.”

For producers attending this year’s fair, Patel says the London Competitions team looks forward to discussing both the current market and opportunities ahead for 2027.

If you are a producer exhibiting at the London Wine Fair, say hi to us on Instagram, and we will come and do a short interview with you and see you.

“We’re excited to meet producers at London Wine Fair,” she adds. “And as we prepare for our 10th anniversary in 2027, we invite wineries from around the world to enter early, secure Super Early Bird pricing, and be part of this milestone edition of London Wine Competition.”

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