Zane Holscher transitioned from a distinguished 21-year military career to the world of winemaking by purchasing a vineyard with his wife, Mindy, in the Uco Valley, Argentina. Their brand, VINUV, has grown from producing premium wines to importing select wines from small, outstanding producers in the region. Zane's commitment to showcasing the best of Argentina’s wine culture makes him an essential ambassador for this vibrant wine-producing country. Learn more about Zane Holscher and VINUV.

Zane Holscher will be growing the awareness of the Argentina wine category via education and content on the Sommeliers Choice Awards. You can also meet him at the USA Trade Tasting show in Chicago in 2025 where he will taste some of the German and Austrian wines and create awareness about the regions.

Sommeliers Choice Awards is an international wine competition organized by Beverage Trade Network that helps wine producers around the world grow in the on-premise channels of the USA market. The main objective of the competition is to benchmark wines that are great for restaurant wine lists and for by-the-glass programs.

Sommeliers Choice Awards was created with a clear vision to create a wine competition that truly reflects the expertise and preferences of sommeliers, and to reward wines that are a great fit for on-premise channels and wine consumption.

The wine competition has grown consistently over the last 6 years and now has become one of the most important wine competitions in the USA for wine brands that are looking to set them apart for on-premise channels.

The Sommeliers Choice Awards Regional and Category Ambassadors and Expert Program

The Sommeliers Choice Awards 2025 proudly introduces the Regional and Category Ambassadors Program, an initiative designed to promote excellence and innovation in the global beverage industry. This program offers industry leaders the opportunity to network, gain global recognition, and explore commission opportunities while championing the regions and wine categories they are passionate about.

You can check out his first educational article on Sommeliers Choice Awards ‘Argentina Unveiled: Discover Her Best-Kept Wine Secrets’that shows his passion for Argentina.

Argentina has long been known as the land of Malbec, with this popular variety dominating shelf space in the U.S. market. Lately, we have also seen Cabernet Franc, which is thriving in the Uco Valley, make a bold entrance into the international market with some high marks from wine critics. But as you travel the country, meet small producers, and discover different wine shops, you quickly learn that Argentina is more than Malbec and Cab Franc. Read the full article on Argentina wine here.

Why are Sommeliers Choice Awards different? 

Wines are judged in five categories: food pairability, typicity, quality, value, and packaging. Judges consider two overarching questions whilst considering these five categories: “Would we stock this?” and "Will the consumer buy the second glass?" In essence, then, the entire focus of the awards is finding wines that are a great fit for wine lists and by-the-glass programs. 

Sommeliers Choice Awards has created a reputation for bringing on-premise trade buyers wines that are a great fit for wine lists and by-the-glass programs. Sommeliers can see the winning wines and use them to curate their wine lists.

This is a great opportunity for wine producers from Argentina to enter the wines in the 2025 Sommeliers Choice Awards and get their wines in front of top restaurant wine professionals in the USA.

Who are the judges of the Sommeliers Choice Awards and how wine brands can benefit? 

The judges of the Sommeliers Choice Awards are top Restaurant Wine Buyers of the USA, Master Sommeliers, National and Regional Restaurant group buyers, and leading wine directors of the on-premise channels. The judging panel will also include leading and specialized wine importers and distributors. 

Each panel has a Master Sommelier which means each wine is also reviewed by one Master Sommelier. The judges are real trade buyers and come with direct buying responsibilities. One of the main commercial benefits wine producers have is that the wines are also judged by the package and thus the judges can see the wine bottles once the blind tasting is done which gives a brand solid visibility. 

Each brand also gets constructive trade feedback from these top trade professionals is very valuable. Feedback includes market feedback like Is your wine a good fit for on-premise channel? is the region or varietal in demand in the US market? Is it a good fit for the glass program? and if the judges are interested in your brand, they also have an option to ask for more details like pricing and sampling. 

Apart from the feedback, each wine gets a professional tasting note that they can use in custom shelf talkers of SCA. The 2025 SCA judging panel will also include importers and distributors specialized in restaurant wines which brings a solid benefit for international and domestic wine brands looking to get the attention of state distributors and importers. 

If you are looking to sell more of your wines to on-premise establishments such as restaurants, hotels, pubs, and bars, then Sommeliers Choice Awards is the right wine competition for your wines.

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More about Argentina Wines:

If you want to learn more about Argentina wines, you can also read the article on Unveiling the Essence of Argentine Wines: An Insightful Interview with Magdalena Pesce, CEO of Wines of Argentina where Sommeliers Choice Awards editor Malvika Patel chats with Magdalena Pesce on her vision to grow the category.

Wines of Argentina seeks to strengthen the positioning of the national product in focus markets and expand its reach and distribution to new export destinations. Under the slogan "Premium Diversity. Sustainable Future," the communication strategy focuses on highlighting the diversity of terroirs and styles of Argentina’s wines, which have begun to enjoy renowned prestige worldwide. A major emphasis is the sustainability of Argentine Wine and the commitment of wineries to the production of premium wines through sustainable practices for the benefit of future generations. Read the full interview here.

Stay tuned for Zane’s webinar on How Top Varietals of Argentina Wineries can work with the USA Importers in November. More information will come on the Sommeliers Choice Awards website soon.