2024 Santé Wine and Spirits Competition

Registration is closed for 2024.

Join us at the prestigious Santé Wine & Spirits International Awards as we celebrate the very best in the industry. Santé Magazine has a 28-year history of excellence in publishing and recognizing achievements and innovations in the hospitality industry.

Key dates:

  • Registration is closed.

  • September 4th: Judging, public tasting, winners announcement.

  • Winners are being announced in phases.

  • Fine Wine and Spirits Winners

Our Annual Awards differ from others in the industry because the wine and spirits are judged not only by restaurant managers and owners but also by a diverse selection of food and beverage enthusiasts, ensuring a well-rounded perspective on the products being evaluated.

During the day, esteemed hospitality professionals will meticulously judge the wines and spirits, as they bring their expertise and experience to the table. In the evening, the public will vote on their favorite products, as they explore and discover new flavors, enjoy delectable food pairings, and captivating entertainment.

“Both our on-premise and retail customers are impressed by our Santé Awards.”

– Patrick Durbin, Founder, Sea Bird Wines

Glassware Sponsor

The glassware sponsor of the 2024 Santé Wine and Spirits International Awards is NEAT.

After nine years, fifty-two design revisions, hundreds of tastings, and aroma profile studies we learned enough to release the perfect spirits glass – NEAT, to serious spirits drinkers. The tulip glass is now “old school” obsolete and proven to be non-functional as serious drinkers depend on the NEAT spirits glass to understand true spirit character and quality and make buying decisions. Learn more here.

New Categories

We have expanded our awards to include exciting new categories. In addition to the traditional wine varietals and spirit types, this year’s awards will include Sustainable Products, Ready to Drink (RTD), NoLo Alcohol, Sake, Wine Label Designs, and Best Bottle Design. To showcase exceptional products, we have dedicated specific categories to products from regions such as Croatia, Bulgaria, Spain, and New York State.

An Awards Evening and Public Tasting Event

The awards evening public tasting event will be held at Reserva Wine Bar at 173 Main Street in Beacon, New York on September 4th., 6:30 PM.

Taste a selection of over 100 wines from the 2024 Santé International Wine & Spirits Awards. Sample wines from all over the world and enjoy delectable small plates from the Reserva Wine Bar kitchen.

Live entertainment will create the mood as you participate in the People’s Choice Awards.

Njeri Grevious (she/they) is a distinguished violinist who has performed at prestigious venues such as the BU Tanglewood Institute, the Vianden Festival in Luxembourg, and with the New York Continuo Collective. With a B.A. in Applied Mathematics from Yale and an executive graduate certificate in music teaching artistry from the Global Leaders Institute, they also blend artistry and intellect through their dedication to music education and outreach. 

LIDIJA is a 24-year-old singer/songwriter who spent 10 formative years living in Latvia, where her family is originally from. She aims to capture the highs and the lows of the human experience through heartfelt lyrics and soulful melodies, often incorporating messages of mental health and social justice. Though the piano has been the pulse of Lidija’s songwriting since the age of seven, this past year, the guitar has unleashed a side of herself that she had long been in search of.

The evening will be capped by a public auction of fine wine and spirits. This is your chance to get some great, unique wine, for the upcoming holidays, and benefit a good cause. Auction proceeds go to Theodora Africa, an organization dedicated to helping women escape from sex trafficking and develop careers as virtual assistants.

The entry fee includes a free NEAT tasting glass (while supplies last) and entertainment. Food is sold à la carte. You must be 21 or older to taste.

As Beacon’s newest libation experience, Reserva Wine Bar features excellent food, a diverse wine menu, and live entertainment.

Conveniently located just a short train ride away from New York City, Beacon offers a unique escape from the bustling city and immerses guests in the rich cultural heritage of the area.

Public Auction and Social Benefit

The evening will be capped by a public auction of wine. Proceeds benefit Theodora Africa.  

Theodora Africa is a unique social impact project using the power of an outsourcing business model to facilitate African women escaping sex work. 

Theodora Africa uses a demand-based model to lift African women out of the sex trade, transforming them through training and real work, while providing highly in-demand virtual services in developed markets, where individuals and small businesses have difficulty finding reasonably priced and reliable professional assistance.

Women who are part of Theodora Africa, immediately begin earning wages that put them in the middle class, 2 to 3 times the average woman’s wage in their country. They become solid contributing members of their community. They become owners of their business through an Employee Ownership Plan.

Previous Winners of Santé Awards

Some of the most illustrious wine and spirits brands have won and been featured by Santé Magazine. Over the years they have grown and flourished – some are household names today partially thanks to the coverage by Santé Magazine.

Our salute goes out to these brands and the thousands more who have graced our pages.

Benefits for Entrants

By entering the Santé Wine & Spirits International Awards, you will not only gain recognition for your exceptional product but also receive valuable exposure. Your product will be reviewed and published in Santé Magazine, reaching an audience of over 200,000 passionate food and beverage enthusiasts. Furthermore, your product will be tasted by influential hospitality professionals who are key decision-makers for their organizations. This presents an invaluable opportunity to showcase your brand and build relationships within the industry.

Don’t miss your chance to be part of this extraordinary event. Join us at the Santé Wine & Spirits International Awards and let your product shine among the very best. Register now and seize the opportunity to have your product experienced by the discerning palates of our esteemed judges and the dedicated food and beverage enthusiasts who shape the market.

What Entrants Receive

  • All entrants will be reviewed and published in Santé Magazine, reaching 200,000 food and beverage enthusiasts.
  • Your product will be tasted by key hospitality professionals who are decision-makers for their hospitality, on-premise organizations. Detailed tasting notes will be published.
  • Your product will be experienced by food and beverage enthusiasts who are influencers in the market. They will vote on your products.
  • Local news will be invited to cover the event, potentially reaching over 2.3 million Hudson Valley residents.

In its 28th year, Santé provides concise, authoritative, award-winning editorials on food, beverage, equipment, and management. Santé produces content by experienced hospitality professionals who share insights and inspirations about the hospitality experience.

Judges

Professional judges are selected for their role in making purchase decisions for a hospitality organization such as a restaurant, bar, or hotel. Tastings are conducted double-blind so neither the pourer nor the judges know what is being tasted.

Consumer food and beverage enthusiasts will vote in the same categories during the evening taste-around.

Philip Kampe

Food and Beverage Writer and Consultant

Philip S. Kampe is a U.S.-based wine, travel, food, and spirits writer and consultant. At a very early age, following his palate, he became a consultant to food and ice cream shops. Philip spent four years in Europe in a VW camper following the wine and cheese trails of France, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Greece, and Spain. Upon returning to America, he opened an ice cream and candy shop with recipes he developed. He is credited as one of the co-founders of cookie dough ice cream. His chain of ice cream stores, Fabulous Phil’s, achieved a top ten rating of all ice cream shops in America. Philip holds several wine certificates from  Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria, and France. He is a certified Armagnac teacher. He has been a jury member in numerous prestigious worldwide wine competitions including Antiprima Amarone, Languedoc Millesime, The Bar Show, Star Chefs Sommelier Competition, Southwest Wines of America , Berkshire Tasting Panel, and TAP Airlines Business Class Wines. Phil is a current member of the Wine Media Guild and a wine consultant for Sparrow Wine & Liquor of New Jersey. Philip has taught several wine classes, created wine lists for restaurants, was a brand ambassador for Domodimanti Wines of Italy at Vinitaly, set up the cheese and gourmet food section of the Wine Library and renovated the cheese department at Sickles Market. He has published hundreds of articles, including in Santé. Phil lives in western Massachusetts and metro New York City with his wife, Maria, and their canine companion, Daisy Mae, a lovely Boston Terrier.

Dan Caporale

General Manager, Cathryn’s Tuscan Grill, Cold Spring, NY

Dan has been in food service and restaurants for more than 40 years. He’s played many roles from dishwasher, waiter, and bartender to sous Chef. He is now the manager at Cathryn’s Tuscan Grill. Cathryn’s Tuscan Grill is an upscale restaurant serving a large variety of locally sourced beers, liquor, and wines. Dan has the experience to sense what the dining public is looking for, while adapting to trends and fads of the industry.

Eliza Starbuck

Partner and Store Manager. Flowercup Wine, Cold Spring, NY

Eliza Starbuck is the creative and connective force behind Flowercup Wine. She has an extensive knowledge of tastemaking having worked for many years as a senior designer for leading luxury and lifestyle brands in the American fashion industry. In 2016 she left the industry to launch Flowercup Wine with her partner, Eric Wirth. They’ve created a shop that offers wines of brilliant character and unexpected deliciousness. Through wine, they explore the scents of distant places, feel the sunshine and breeze of far-off lands, and are fortified by the paradoxes of life.

How to Enter

  1. Click on the product categories (Wine, Spirits, or RTD) that you are entering below.
  2. After you have paid, you will be instructed on how to send your products. We require three 750ml bottles per entry.

Questions?

Please send questions via our contact form.

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