We are thrilled to announce that Jesse Becker MS, Master Sommelier, has joined the Sommeliers Choice Awards 2025 as our Regional and Category Ambassador for Germany and Austria region. With his extensive expertise and deep connections within the wine industry, Jesse is set to bring his passion and knowledge to this prestigious role.

Master Sommelier Jesse Becker has worked for some of the top restaurants in the United States, including Napa Valley's Tra Vigne, Chicago's NoMI at the Park Hyatt, and Colorado's Frasca Food and Wine. His training included three harvests in California and France, and he has worked in nearly every facet of the wine trade for over two decades. Jesse's interest in wine began while working in restaurants as a college student.

Master Sommelier, Jesse Becker

He passed the Certified and Advanced exams in 2006 and 2007 and the Master Sommelier exam in 2008 while under Bobby Stuckey, MS's tutelage at Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder. Jesse is an ambassador for Germany's VDP and is the first American to pass the German Wine Professional exam from the Deutsches Weininstitut. He's an Austrian Wine Marketing Board educator and writes about German and Austrian wines on his website: Wine in Germany & Austria. In addition to teaching and writing, Jesse is the US Sales Manager for Veritable Wines & Estates, a premium portfolio of German and Austrian wines. He is a partner at ROCKWERK Grüner Veltliner. Jesse resides in Chicago, Illinois.

Image Source: Österreichs generische und spezifische Weinbaugebiete © Austrian Wine / Austrian Wine

Jesse Becker MS will be growing the awareness of Germany and Austria 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 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.

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The Sommeliers Choice Awards Regional and Category Ambassadors 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.

As Regional and Category Ambassador, Jesse Becker MS will represent Austria and Germany. His upcoming webinar, titled "Austrian and German Wines: Strategies for Growing Market Share in the U.S.," promises to provide invaluable insights for sommeliers of the USA and also wineries in Germany and Austria.

You can learn more about the Sommeliers Choice Awards experts and ambassadors here.