The IWSC is among the world’s most prestigious wine and spirit competitions.
Photo courtesy International Wine & Spirits Competition
Every medal tells a story, but some producers turn those stories into a saga. With its new Top 50 Producers lists, the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) is shining a light on the wineries and distilleries that don’t just win big once, but show up on the podium year after year. Working with the IWSC team, I’ve also compiled an Honor Roll of individual wines and spirits that have managed the even rarer feat of taking home Gold at least three times in the past five years—a club that, surprisingly, includes fewer than 100 expressions worldwide.
To understand how these elite producers are chosen, and what their success says about the state of the global drinks industry, I sat down with Christelle Guibert, CEO of Fine Wine & Spirits, the parent company of the IWSC. Our conversation ranged from the competition’s roots in lab-based judging to the modern realities of whisky dominance, fragmented wine markets, and what it really takes to join the world’s most consistent medal winners.
The IWSC: A Brief History
The IWSC is one of the world’s longest-running and most influential awards for wine and spirits. It was founded in 1969 by Austrian-born, UK-based wine chemist Anton Massel. His original idea was to create a competition that combined blind tasting with scientific analysis, going beyond simple personal preference to include lab-based quality checks.
Initially linked to his Club Oenologique tasting circle, it evolved into the International Wine & Spirit Competition, adopting its name and structure in the late 1970s, and quickly gained a reputation as a global benchmark for quality.
Today, the IWSC is based in London and is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious global drinks competitions. It attracts thousands of entries across over 90 countries each year, covering every major wine region and spirits category.
Products are judged by panels of specialist tasters consisting of Masters of Wine, Master Sommeliers, distillers, winemakers, buyers, and writers, using blind tasting and a 100-point scale to award bronze, silver, gold, and “gold outstanding” (for spirits) medals, along with a wide range of best in category trophies.
The competition now runs dedicated judging weeks for different categories of wines and spirits, as well as no/low alcohol beverages, and hosts trade and consumer events around the world. It culminates in an annual awards ceremony in London, where top producers, distilleries, and wineries are recognized as category leaders on a global stage.
An Interview with Christine Guibert
JM: What was the inspiration for recognizing the Top 50 Spirit and Top 50 Wine Producers? What makes these producers so special?
Christelle Guibert, CEO Fine Wine & Spirits, the parent company of the International Wine & Spirit Competition
Photo, courtesy Christelle Guibert
CG: The IWSC Top 50 Producers celebrates the outstanding achievements of the most consistent and high-performing producers across wine and spirits. The initiative was inspired by a desire to spotlight those who demonstrate excellence across their portfolio — not just through one standout product. By analyzing results across all categories and global competitions, the Top 50 recognizes the people and passion behind the bottles.
These producers distinguish themselves through their commitment to quality, innovation, and authenticity. Many are pioneers driving new trends in production, sustainability, and style, while others continue to uphold generations of craftsmanship with remarkable consistency. Whether a boutique producer or an international name, each has impressed the IWSC’s expert judges with exceptional quality and a strong, unmistakable identity.
JM: What were the criteria that the IWSC used for determining the members of the Top 50 lists?
CG: The IWSC Top 50 Producers are determined using a transparent scoring methodology that rewards both consistency and performance. To be eligible, producers must have submitted entries in at least two of the last three years, with participation in the current year mandatory, and a minimum of three entries across this period.
Results are weighted by year, with the current year carrying the most weight, and additional emphasis is placed on higher medals; No Medals incur a small penalty.
These are rolling scores, updated at the end of each competition cycle, ensuring the ranking highlights producers who consistently deliver excellence while also recognizing the most recent outstanding performances — reflecting the IWSC’s commitment to fairness, rigor, and celebrating the very best in wine and spirits.
Whisky judging at the IWSC
Photo, courtesy IWSC
JM: The top 10 on the Top 50 Spirit producers list are companies that are either exclusively in the whisky business or are heavily exposed to it and are predominantly British companies. The IWSC has always played a significant role in judging whiskies. What is it about whisky that has historically made it figure so prominently in the IWSC?
CG: Whisky has always been at the heart of the IWSC — and remains its largest category today. Since the competition’s inception, the IWSC has been deeply connected to the whisky world through its British roots and long-standing relationships with some of the industry’s most respected producers, blenders, and experts.
Over the decades, the IWSC has developed unrivalled expertise in whisky evaluation, attracting leading distillers, blenders, and judges from around the world. As the category has grown globally — while remaining anchored in Scotland — the IWSC has become a trusted benchmark for excellence. Its rigorous judging process and deep understanding of the spirit continue to set the standard for quality and credibility in whisky competitions.
The dominance of whisky producers in the Top 50 is no coincidence — it reflects the IWSC’s historic role in championing the category and the enduring strength of world-class whisky producers, particularly from the UK, on the global stage.
JM: By comparison, the Top 50 Wine producers list is much more diversified. Although European wine producers dominate the top 10 producers, it also includes winemakers from as far afield as Australia, South Africa, and Georgia. Is wine still more of a craft producer’s industry than spirits? Is that why it is more diversified internationally?
CG: Yes — wine remains a far more fragmented and craft-driven industry than spirits, which naturally results in greater diversity among the IWSC’s Top 50 Wine Producers. While the top 10 continues to be led by Europe’s great winemaking nations, the list also features outstanding producers from Australia, South Africa, and Georgia — a reflection of wine’s truly global landscape.
The IWSC’s global judging program has been instrumental in driving this diversity. By taking our judging panels to key wine-producing regions, we make participation more accessible — particularly for smaller, independent producers who might find sending samples to the UK a logistical challenge. Hosting judging locally not only broadens the range of entries but also helps uncover some of the most distinctive and exciting wines being made today.
This global approach allows the IWSC to highlight both established and emerging talent, reinforcing its role as a platform that celebrates excellence, authenticity, and innovation in winemaking worldwide.
Richard Paterson at a IWSC judging session
Photo, courtesy IWSC
JM: What advice would you give a wine or spirit producer that wants to make the Top 50 Producers list?
CG: Consistency is everything. A single standout product doesn’t define the Top 50 Producers, but rather a sustained commitment to excellence across their range. To be considered for the list, producers must enter at least three products — this allows our judges to assess the breadth and consistency of their portfolio.
Equally important is entering the competition year after year. The Top 50 celebrates producers who demonstrate ongoing excellence, not one-off success. Regular participation helps producers showcase their evolution, stay visible to our expert judges, and build a proven track record of quality.
We also encourage producers to make the most of the IWSC’s expert feedback. Our judging panels provide detailed, independent insights from some of the world’s leading specialists. Those who take this feedback on board and refine their work often see their results improve year after year.
Ultimately, making the Top 50 isn’t just about winning medals — it’s about demonstrating authenticity, consistency, and an unwavering commitment to quality at every level.
JM: Thank You
For a detailed look at the top 50 wine and spirit producers, see the IWSC website.
The IWSC Top 50 Producers and Honor Roll make one thing clear: in a crowded global market, the real differentiator isn’t a single headline-grabbing vintage or a spirit expression voted “World’s Best”, but relentless, measurable quality over time. Whether they are historic Scotch whisky producers, cutting-edge craft distillers, or family-run wineries far from the traditional heartlands, the producers who appear on these lists have proved they can deliver excellence across styles, categories, and seasons.
For ambitious brands, the path to joining them is straightforward but demanding—enter regularly, submit a range of products, and treat detailed judge feedback as fuel for improvement rather than a final verdict. For drinkers, the IWSC Top 50 and Honor Roll offer something equally valuable: a curated shortcut to bottles that have impressed some of the most demanding palates in the business, not just once, but again and again.
