Harpers to partner in Sommelier Wine Awards revival for 2024

By Andrew Catchpole

Published: 03 July, 2023

Harpers is delighted to announce that owner Agile Media has teamed up with Imbibe Live to bring back The Sommelier Wine Awards (SWA) for 2024.

Pre-pandemic, SWA had built up an unrivalled reputation as the wine reference point for sommeliers and on-trade buyers seeking individual, quality wines for their lists.

What makes SWA unique and of such value is that this competition is judged by respected UK sommeliers – precisely the people who understand what is required of a given wine to add value and interest to the wine list.

Furthermore, as the UK’s only on-trade wine competition, SWA focuses entirely on wines aimed at the on-trade. Wines with general distribution on the high street are not permitted to enter, except for sparkling and fortified wines, or merchants' online-exclusive wines.

Shona Thomson, event manager from Imbibe Live said: “We’re thrilled to be working with Agile Media to bring back the mighty Sommelier Wine Awards. Combining Agile Media and Imbibe Live’s drinks industry expertise and working with the world’s top sommeliers, the SWA 2024 is set to be the most exciting one yet.

“We are delighted that the awards will stay true to their roots – on-trade only wines, assessed exclusively by on-trade judges, and we can’t wait to see which wines will feature in the Gold Book and in customer’s wine glasses.”

Lee Sharkey, publisher and SWA Event director at Agile Media, added: “We are very excited to be partnering with the Imbibe Live team to bring back The Sommelier Wine Awards. We have long respected this competition and now cannot wait to get to work on running the 2024 Awards.

“With our expertise in producing industry leading publications and tasting events for the drinks trade, we know we can work together with the brilliant team at Imbibe Live to make The Sommelier Wine Awards even bigger and better than before.”

The SWA will be open for entry from the beginning of September with Gold, Silver and Bronze medals being announced in April 2024 and Trophy winners in July 2024, to coincide with the Imbibe Live show and the publication of the Gold book which will include all the medal winners.

For more information, please contact Lee Sharkey at Agile Media: lee.sharkey@agilemedia.co.uk / 01293 558 136.

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