The year 2025 marks the 12th anniversary of the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships.
Tastings are now underway, with a panel of judges meticulously sampling sparkling wines from across the globe. Over the next two weeks, around 1,000 sparkling wines from every continent will be evaluated, celebrating the artistry, diversity, and sparkle that make these wines truly special.
More Than Medals: The Why Behind the CSWWC
“Part of the CSWWC’s mission is to promote the best sparkling wines at every price-point and from every area of the world” – Tom Stevenson, founder of the CSWWC
The competition proudly aims to be “the most rigorous yet fairest wine competition in the world”—fair not only to producers but also to consumers. This commitment to fairness is a core principle that guides every aspect of the CSWWC and remains a point of great pride.
Inside the Judging Process
The panel consists exclusively of highly skilled sparkling wine experts with extensive and continuous tasting experience focused specifically on sparkling wines. All three judges taste every wine blind—without knowing the brand or even seeing the bottle—ensuring an unparalleled level of consistency.
A refined process is in place to eliminate the impact of bottle variation on results. Judges can request a second bottle at any time, and uniquely to the CSWWC, all wines that do not receive a Gold or Silver medal are automatically re-tasted from a second bottle to guarantee fairness and accuracy.
Light-strike prevention is taken extremely seriously throughout the judging process. Wines in clear glass bottles are handled with particular care, as DMDS—the primary volatile compound responsible for light-strike—can begin to develop after just 60 minutes of light exposure. The effect is cumulative and irreversible once it starts. Professional precautions are taken to ensure no wines are affected, maintaining the integrity of every entry.
Entries in magnum are actively encouraged, as the most significant quality leap is consistently seen between standard 75cl bottles and 150cl magnums. Although magnums represent just 17% of all entries, they account for no less than 50% of all Gold medals and 50% of all Best in Class awards—year after year.
Wines must be available for purchase, but there are no minimum requirements regarding production volume, stock levels, or number of sales outlets.
“CSWWC is a niche competition that seeks out the very best sparkling wine wherever they happen to be available and however restricted that availability is. If we find something truly special and there are only six bottles available from a tasting room in the middle of nowhere, we fully expect that there will be at least one fanatical fizz geek who is willing to jump on a plane, drive a thousand miles in a 4×4 and climb a mountain to buy the last bottle!”
More about the judging process champagnesparklingwwc.co.uk/how-we-judge/depth-judging-process/
From Tasting to Results
A short look at the journey from first impressions to final decisions.
Initial Judging: Terroir First
Medal judging begins strictly by terroir. Wines are grouped by origin and then assessed within those groups according to style—such as Blend, Blanc de Blancs, Rosé, Library Vintage, and others.
Assessment Categories
Every wine is evaluated and internally categorized as Gold, Silver, Bronze, No Award, Possibly Faulty, or Definitely Faulty. However, only Gold and Silver medals are formally awarded and communicated—except in emerging regions, where Bronze may be recognized to encourage development. Importantly, all three judges must agree on every medal awarded.
Elevating the Best: Awards Progression
Best in Class
All Gold medal-winning wines are re-tasted side by side to determine the Best in Class in each style and region—for example, Best Australian Blend NV or Best Cava Rosé Vintage.
Regional Champion Trophies
Best in Class winners from each origin then compete for Regional Champion titles, such as Champagne Champion or Cava Champion.
National Champion Trophies
Regional Champions and any outstanding, non-aligned Best in Class wines go on to compete for National Champion Trophies—like Best French Sparkling Wine, Best US Sparkling Wine, or Best English Sparkling Wine.
World Champions by Style
Next, the top wines are judged globally by style, including (full list):
- Classic NV Brut Blend
- Classic Vintage Brut Blend
- Classic Blanc de Blancs Brut (Vintage & Non-Vintage)
- Classic Rosé Brut (Vintage & Non-Vintage)
- Sparkling Red (any sweetness)
- Sparkling Aromatic (any sweetness)
Supreme World Champion
Finally, all National Champions compete for the ultimate accolade: the Supreme World Champion – Best in Show.
Who Gets to Decide? The Experts Behind the 2025 Judging Panel
Tom Stevenson
“Champagne’s higher divinity.” —Anthony Rose, The Independent
Founder of the CSWWC and author of the World Encyclopedia of Champagne & Sparkling Wine. Tom is one of the leading authorities on Champagne and sparkling wines, with extensive expertise in their history and production. Over his career, he has served as a judge for prestigious competitions such as the Decanter World Wine Awards and the International Wine Challenge.
Essi Avellan MW
“Mind like a steel trap.” —Karen Palmer, Champagne Editor, Galaxy Guides
Master of Wine and Champagne specialist, Essi Avellan has authored several books on Champagne and sparkling wine and actively contributes to various magazines. She judges sparkling wines also at other prestigious competitions such as the IWSC, and is the creator of the annual Grand Champagne event. Throughout her career, Essi has maintained a strong focus on education, working tirelessly to share her knowledge and passion for sparkling wines.
George Markus
One of Austria’s most respected wine writers, George has authored several books on wine and gastronomy. His expertise spans Austrian and Central European sparkling wines. He has participated as a judge in notable panels such as the Austrian Wine Challenge and the International Wine & Spirit Competition. George holds formal education in oenology and wine marketing.
Timeline and 2025 Key DATES:
- 1st December: Open for entries
- 19th April: Entries Close
- 28th April : Deadline for getting samples to Hellmann’s if using this service
- 20th May: Deadline for wines to arrive at Sensible Wine Services
- June: CSWWC 2025 two weeks judging
- September: Results announced
- 30th October: Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships Awards Dinner
For more information
- The judging process champagnesparklingwwc.co.uk/how-we-judge/depth-judging-process/
- Full list of of classes champagnesparklingwwc.co.uk/how-we-judge/trophies/
- For more information on the competition and differentiating factors champagnesparklingwwc.co.uk/about/unique-to-our-competition/