Rules & regulations

The London Tasting Awards, hereafter called the "Competition", is organised by Armonia, hereafter called the "Organisation", located at  Armonia Group UK LTD, Unit 2.9 159-163 Marlborough Rd, London, N19 4NF - UNITED KINGDOM. The Competition is open to all wines, beers and spirits in the world. Each product must be in conformity with regulations in force in its country of origin. The goal of the Competition  is to showcase high-quality products. The term “Product” indifferently designates wines, beer or spirits.

WINE COMPETITION: The following wines, from anywhere in the world, whether or not they have a geographical indication, may take part in the Competition: still wines, liqueur wines, sparkling and semi-sparkling wines. All vintages may be entered in the Competition.

BEER COMPETITION: all drinks in the world sold as “beer” are authorised to compete.

SPIRITS COMPETITION: all spirits, brandies and liqueurs from across the world are authorised to compete.

The following professionals are eligible to participate, and this list is not necessarily exhaustive, and they are hereinafter referred to as the ‘Participant(s)’:

WINE COMPETITION: The wine industry professionals, hereafter called the “Participant(s)”, are authorised to participate: winemakers, wine cooperatives, associated wine cooperatives, groups of producers, producers, wine merchants and importers, retailers, without this list being exhaustive.

BEER COMPETITION: all professionals in the brewing sector: commercial agencies, brewers, manufacturers, importers, retailers.

SPIRITS COMPETITION: all professionals in the spirits sector: producers, producer groups, distillers, manufacturers, importers, commercial agencies, retailers.

Samples may be presented by the owner of the lot or any person duly authorised by the owner.

Each sample submitted must fulfil the following conditions:

- come from a uniform batch

- be identifiable

- have a sales label. Sales labels should conform to EU regulations for countries that are members of the European Union, to regulations in force in the country where made, and to importing regulations for third countries.

- comply with current health legislation.

The Competition reserves the right to refuse participation or disqualify a sample and/or a Participant in the event of non-compliance with the rules, attempted cheating, and more generally for any behaviour deemed inappropriate and/or wrongful by the Participant.

The fact that a Product meets the eligibility criteria mentioned in Article 2 does not guarantee that it will automatically be entered into the Competition.

The Organisation reserves the right to review each entry and to refuse an entry or exclude a Participant on the basis of objective criteria, relating in particular to the Product's compliance with the rules, spirit, and values of the Competition.

The Participant has a right of appeal against the Organisation's decision under the conditions set out in Article 25.

Samples should arrive at the Competition ‘franco domicile’, i.e., with shipping, customs duties and taxes paid by the sender, at the address on the Website https://londontastingawards.com, hereafter known as the “Website”, as well as on the shipping documents. Bottles shall be sent at the Participant’s expense and at his or her own risk. Where applicable, the Organisation will re-invoice Participants for any taxes or customs duties they may owe. Upon reception, samples become the property of the Competition. If a sample is sent but has not had its shipping paid for, it will be refused. Samples received that do not correspond to registration information or were not previously registered will not be presented for tasting and will remain the property of the Competition. The Organisation shall not be held responsible in case of theft, loss, delay, or damage to samples during shipping.

The Competition will take all necessary measures to ensure that samples are preserved (temperature, hygiene, safety).

Participants are deemed to accept these general conditions of preservation, which apply equally to all Participants.

If a Participant nevertheless believes that specific measures are essential to preserve their Product, they must inform the Organisation within 24 hours after confirmation of their registration at the latest.

Any special request will be examined on a case-by-case basis by the Organisation and, if accepted, implemented exclusively at the Participant's expense, under the supervision of the Organisation.

However, the Organisation reserves the right to refuse any request deemed manifestly excessive, inapplicable, or contrary to the smooth running of the Competition. In this case, the Participant shall have the right to withdraw their application from the Competition, without however being entitled to a refund of their registration fees.

All appropriate HACCP measures aimed at maintaining food hygiene and ensuring the safety of Products sent to the Competition, including storage at the correct temperature prior to the Competition receiving the samples, are the responsibility of the Participant.

Any attempt to cheat, commit fraud, enter incorrect data, register under a false identity, or compromise the integrity of the Product presentation, with the aim of harming the Competition, the profession, or the production sector, or for any other reason, may result in penalties imposed by the Organisation under the conditions set out in Article 21.

Every Participant must provide all information required to open an account. Any incomplete registration, due to the absence of required information, will be automatically rejected without the possibility of appeal. The Participant must also fill in a registration sheet for each Product presented, known as a form.

This may be done by post or online.

Registration by post: The completed registration form and Product form should be sent to the following address: London Tasting Awards - Armonia Group UK LTD, Unit 2.9 159-163 Marlborough Rd, London, N19 4NF - UNITED KINGDOM, hereafter known as the "Competition Address". Forms are available on the site, or upon request.

Online registration:

a) The Participant must create an account on the site. He or she will then have a personal account that can be used to present Products. There is no charge for creating an account.

b) A form must be completed on the Website for each product submitted. This form is available on the Website from the Participant’s personal account.

Registration fees must be paid in accordance with provisions laid down in Article 7. Payment methods are also described in detail in Article 7.

The information provided on both forms is legally binding for the person who wrote it.

The Participant undertakes to provide accurate, complete and truthful information when registering, thereby assuming full responsibility for its content.

The Organisation cannot be held liable in the event of inaccuracy or concealment of information by the Participant.

The Participant is bound by an obligation of sincerity, good faith and loyalty, especially including the obligation to declare any direct or indirect link with a member of the jury.

Any breach of this obligation may result in the Organisation applying the penalties provided for in Article 21.

The Competition and/or the Organisation cannot be held responsible for the non-receipt of samples, forms, documents to be provided or payment of a Participant's registration fees within the prescribed time limit.

The registration fees are included on the participant form and on the Website. They are given in pounds, include all taxes and are the same for all countries. Payment can be made by bank transfer or credit card.

Les participants qui se trouvent au Royaume-Uni devront s'acquitter de la TVA au taux britannique. Participants located in the United Kingdom will be required to pay VAT at the UK rate.

The choice of payment method for the registration fees is made online on the Participant’s account, after completing the sample registration process. Credit card payments are made on a secure online payment system (Visa, Mastercard).

Payment should be made to Armonia - London Tasting Awards.

If registration fees for a product have not been paid, the product will not be allowed to take part in the Competition.

The Competition is not responsible for paying bank fees. Credit cards are charged on the day the registration is done. 

Participants shall receive an invoice by email. If the Participant does not have an email account, the invoice will be sent by post, as requested.

Registration fees are definitively acquired by the Organisation upon validation of registration and are non-refundable. In particular, and without limitation, no refund will be made if samples or files arrive after the deadline set by the Competition, if the Product submitted is disqualified, or if the Participant does not receive a prize.

This rule also applies in the event of cancellation of registration for reasons not attributable to the Organisation, including in cases of force majeure as defined in Article 10 of the rules.

Opening and closing dates for registration, as well as the deadline for receiving samples and other key dates are available, can be obtained from the Competition Address by simple request. This information is also available on the Website.

The Organisation reserves the right to make changes to the location and/or schedule of the Competition, as indicated on the Website or in official documents.

These changes may only be made if unforeseen circumstances or logistical requirements dictate as such so that the Competition may run smoothly.

In the event of any changes, the Organisation undertakes to inform Participants by any means and as soon as possible. Tastings, where applicable, may be postponed or rescheduled to other dates, depending on the needs of the organisation.

Products are placed in categories. A category includes Products that have the same characteristics and are thus comparable. Categories can be viewed on the Website. It is Participants’ responsibility to ensure that their Products are entered into the most suitable category and that they do so in good faith.

The Competition appoints the members of each jury and ensures the smooth running of the tastings by preparing the samples and organising and conducting the tasting. It ensures the control, evaluation, and publication of the results using an appropriate judging form given to the members of each jury.

If a Product has an organoleptic defect during tasting, the judges will not be provided with a second sample.

In the event of force majeure, i.e., any unforeseeable, external, and unavoidable event, such as, without limitation, exceptional events such as natural disasters, pandemics, strikes, armed conflicts, acts of terrorism, economic blockades, service interruptions, or any other circumstance beyond the Organisation's control that prevents the Competition from taking place, the Organisation reserves the right to modify or cancel, in whole or in part, the Competition, its dates, location, or terms and conditions.

In such a case, the Organisation shall not be held liable for the consequences for the Participants, and the registration fees and samples already sent shall remain the property of the Competition.

The Organisation may, if necessary, ask Participants to return their samples at the Participant's expense in the event of a modification or resumption of the selection process.

Bottles are numbered, uncapped and uncorked, then recorked anonymously and covered with opaque wine socks. The Organisation will take all the necessary measures to ensure that submitted samples for tasting remain entirely anonymous. He or she may proceed to transfer the wine to another container, change or mask the packaging, or perform any other operation required to ensure the anonymity of samples.

Products are entered in the Competition in the hope of obtaining an award. Products are judged on the basis of their organoleptic qualities, which are evaluated by the jury using a marking scale provided by the Competition. The Organisation alone determines how samples shall be tasted, and shall not be held responsible if a sample does not receive an award. Marks are confidential.

Juries are composed of judges who are designated and called directly by the Organisation from a list of judges who have voluntarily registered on the Competition’s Website.

For each Product category the jury will be composed of professionals in the sector and/or knowledgeable consumers.

If one or more members of the jury are absent on the day of the tasting, the Organisation may designate substitute judges.

Judges’ names are confidential. Their personal data is not communicated to any third parties.

The Organisation cannot be held liable for the selection of its judges, who are professionals or knowledgeable consumers whose skills have been independently assessed and verified by the Organisation.

The judges are then themselves independent in awarding their scores, which are assigned in accordance with the scoring grid provided and the applicable scoring guidelines.

The Organisation is in no way liable to a Participant in the event that a prize is not awarded.

However, the Participant has a right of appeal in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in Article 25 of these rules.

If a judge has given a score which is obviously an anomaly, whether intentional or not, the Organisation is entitled to reject his/her scores.

The Participant may not claim damages from the Organisation in the event of a proven scoring anomaly that has been rectified by the Organisation under the conditions set out in the previous paragraph.

In these rules and on the Website, the terms “taster”, "judge" and “jury member” refer indiscriminately to members of the juries.

Registering as a judge in the Competition constitutes a commitment and express acceptance of the following:

- Access to the Competition is only authorised to the recipient of the invitation sent by email, text message, or given as a paper document. As the selected judge has been appointed intuitu personae, the invitation is nominative and cannot be transferred without the agreement of the General Commissioner.

- By registering and upon arrival at the event site, the judge agrees to read and comply with the safety instructions.

- No accompanying persons, adults or minors, will be allowed in the Competition room. The Organisation reserves the right to refuse access to any judge who does not comply with this rule.

- Judges are strongly advised not to ingest the alcoholic beverages they taste. In accordance with customary practice, spittoons are provided for this purpose, as well as water to rinse the mouth between tastings.

Any failure to comply with this recommendation will result in the judge being held personally liable in the event of an incident or damage caused to themselves or to third parties, without the Competition and/or the Organisation being held liable.

In addition, judges are advised to plan their travel arrangements in advance to avoid driving under the influence of alcohol. To this end, the Organisation may provide breathalysers to judges who wish to use them.

- A judge may not judge his or her own products.

The Organisation collects a sworn statement from jury members mentioning their direct or indirect links with companies, establishments, professional organisations, or associations whose activities, products, or interests may relate to the Products presented in the Competition. Failure to comply with this provision will be considered fraud. The Organisation may reject any judge in order to prevent a competitor who is a member of the jury from judging their own Products.

Any breach of this obligation will be considered fraud and may result in penalties, including the immediate exclusion of the judge and the invalidation of his or her scores. The Organisation reserves the right to reject a judge at any time in order to guarantee the impartiality of the Competition.

- The Competition reserves the right to refuse the participation of a judge, in particular in the event of repeated absences or late cancellations, inappropriate behaviour, failure to comply with these rules, or for any other reason without having to justify its decision.

- The Competition recommends that judges take out cancellation insurance for any travel reservations (hotel, transport, etc.). In the event of outright cancellation of an edition of the Competition for a reason not attributable to the Organisation or due to a case of force majeure within the meaning of Article 10 of the rules, the Competition cannot be held liable in any way whatsoever to the judge for the costs incurred in traveling to the Competition. These costs will not be reimbursed.

- Participating in the tasting may require the use of sharp objects, in particular knives. Judges are strongly advised to use these objects with caution. Under no circumstances can the Competition be held liable for any injury resulting from the use of these objects.

- Participation is not recommended in the event of allergies, intolerances, food hypersensitivity or immunodeficiency. The Competition cannot guarantee the absence of allergens and cannot compose the juries taking into account food allergies, intolerances, or hypersensitivities. Some products may be tasted before they are commercially available. Consequently, their stability cannot be guaranteed (fermentation not complete, germs present, unfiltered product, traces of allergens, microbiological risks, etc.). In the event of an allergic reaction, indigestion, poisoning, or infection following the tasting of a product, the Competition cannot be held liable in any way whatsoever towards the judge.

- As part of the Competition, the judge expressly authorises the Organisation to photograph or film them free of charge. These images may be used exclusively for promotion and communication related to the Competition, on any type of media, including advertising, in France and abroad, and without any time limit.

The Organisation appoints a jury president. The president makes sure the tasting is carried out properly, and in particular that all samples remain anonymous. He or she shall make sure the marking sheet is used when samples are judged. He or she shall preside over the collection of marking sheets. Juries are placed under his or her responsibility.

- Gold Medal

- Silver Medal

The score for a sample is determined by calculating the mathematical average of the scores awarded by the judges who evaluated it. Scores are rounded to the nearest whole number, with 5 being rounded up to the next whole number.

The Organisation is the sole judge of how medals are awarded and cannot be held responsible if a sample is not given an award.

The distinction is awarded to the batch entered by the Participant. As a result, the brand name may be changed, provided that it is the same batch that was initially entered. If a brand name was not declared at the time of entry, only the owner of the batch may request that it be added to the Competition. The new brand name may only be used after confirmation by email from the Competition.

Participants will be notified of the results by email at a later date if their Products are selected.

Information relating to the Product and provided by the Participant during registration (category, certification, etc.) may be published (in print or digital online) and communicated to the public. In the event of an error in the publication, no financial compensation will be granted to the Participant.

Participants with at least one medal-winning sample, hereinafter referred to as the “Winners,” authorise the Competition to publish their results, names, contact details, and information about their medal-winning sample(s).

WINE COMPETITION: Medals representing the awards may be put on the bottle or its packaging and will only be available for award-winning Wines. The number of medals will be provided based on the volume declared at the time of registration, to which a maximum tolerance of 5% may be added to compensate for any losses or damage that may occur during labelling. This tolerance may not under any circumstances be used to award medals to a volume greater than that declared and awarded during the competition.

OTHER COMPETITIONS: Medals representing the awards may be put on the bottle or its packaging and will only be available for award-winning Products, whose characteristics correspond entirely to those of the product for which the distinction was awarded. Medals may be displayed on Products for two years from the date of the announcement of the results.

The adhesive material used to manufacture the medals may contain metal compounds as well as non-food compounds. When placing an order, the Participant must inform the Competition of any manufacturing constraints relating to its packaging lines.

In the event of a problem when using adhesive medals delivered by the Competition or the service provider, the latter cannot be held liable for any loss of productivity or commercial damage, given the many parameters involved in packaging and putting the medals on products.

However, the Competition or the service provider will take all necessary steps to replace any rolls of medals with manufacturing defects.

Prior authorisation must be obtained, and fees paid, before completely or partially reproducing or representing the medal or logo.

Any reproduction or representation, in whole or in part, of the medal, logo, name London Tasting Awards, or any other element present on the Website or on any other medium distributed by the Competition is strictly prohibited without the prior authorisation of the Organisation.

To this end, Winners must submit a final proof at least 48 hours before production to the Competition's email address. Any use must strictly comply with the graphic charter provided by the Organisation, without modification or addition, unless expressly authorised in writing by the latter.

The Winner may purchase advertising materials offered by the Competition. The Winner may create their own advertising materials, provided they have obtained the written consent of the Competition and the approval of the final proof prior to any production.

The use of the medal and logo is strictly regulated. It is authorised exclusively:

- By affixing self-adhesive medals purchased from the Organisation.

- By printing the medals on the packaging of the award-winning Product (label, collar, bottle, primary packaging, secondary packaging, cardboard box), after first acquiring the corresponding printing rights from the Organisation.

The reproduction rights and self-adhesive medals acquired are not transferable to other products. Failure to pay the printing rights excludes any right to use the brand or logo.

Any printing of the medal on packaging must be carried out exclusively by printers approved by the Organisation. Any printing or use outside the conditions defined by these regulations, the graphic charter, or any other applicable document will be considered fraud.

Finally, any unauthorised use of the medal, logo, or “London Tasting Awards” trademark constitutes an act of counterfeiting for which the perpetrator will be held liable. The Organisation reserves the right to take any necessary measures, including legal action, to stop any violation of this article.

The producer(s) of the award-winning Product(s) also undertake to inform the Organisation of any fraudulent use of the Medal by a third party of which they become aware.

Participants undertake to inform the Organisation of any infringement proceedings brought against them or any infringements against them in relation to their award-winning samples.

In any event, any breach of any of the provisions of this article by the Winner or a Participant shall result in the penalties provided for in Article 21 of these rules, as imposed by the Organisation.

Participants in the Competition must fully and completely accept these Rules and Regulations, legal information and the policy for managing personal data that can be obtained from the Competition Address by simple request.

Any breach by a Participant or Winner of the provisions of these Rules, and in particular any reproduction and/or use of the Medal or any other distinctive sign belonging to the Competition in violation of the conditions set out in these Rules or in any other document to which they refer, will result the following penalties being applied, as defined below.

These penalties may be imposed by the Organisation, regardless of the reason for the infringement (whether intentional or not, and regardless of its severity), as soon as it occurs and without prior notice.

If there is any breach, the Organisation may impose, cumulatively or separately, the following penalties:

- Immediate payment of fees: full payment of the fees due for the use of the Medal on the entire lot concerned.

- A fine: a fixed penalty of £5,000 paid as a penalty clause. The Organisation reserves the right to request a reassessment of this penalty by the judge if it proves to be manifestly underestimated. The offender will also bear all costs incurred by the Organisation in this regard (attorney's fees, bailiff's fees, etc.).

- Immediate suspension of use of the Medal: prohibition to use the Medal until proof of total destruction of stocks of self-adhesive Medals and/or any other infringing material not yet affixed to the Product(s) concerned.

- Withdrawing the infringing Products: obligation to immediately withdraw, at the sole expense of the offender, all products bearing the infringing Medal, regardless of the point of sale or distribution channel.

- Temporary ban from participating in the Competition: exclusion of the Participant from the Competition for a period of between 1 and 10 years.

- Penalty for non-compliance: in the event of a breach of the provisions of these rules, a penalty of £200 per day of delay will be applied from the date of notification by the Organisation demanding the cessation of the breach.

Any penalty imposed pursuant to this article shall in no case give rise to compensation for the Participant or Winner concerned, regardless of the reasons leading to the infringement, and even if it is subsequently cancelled.

The application of the penalty clause and the sanctions set out above does not deprive the Organisation of the right to take legal action to obtain compensation for direct or indirect damage suffered, in particular in the event of infringement of its rights to the Logo and the Competition Brand as a result of acts of counterfeiting committed by the Participant or Winner.

The personal data management charter is available in the legal notices section of the Website.

The Organisation reserves the right to amend these Regulations if unforeseen circumstances, including force majeure as defined in Article 10, or regulatory changes require compliance with applicable legislation.

Participants will be informed of any amendments by any appropriate means, including publication on the Competition Website.

The Organisation shall not be held liable for the consequences of such amendments, provided that they are made in accordance with the conditions set out in this article.

The liability of the Organisation, as well as that of its employees, agents, and operators, regardless of the legal basis, is governed by the following provisions:

a) The Organisation shall be liable without limitation only in the event of intentional misconduct and particularly serious misconduct, and in particular in the event of a breach of essential contractual obligations, i.e., obligations whose performance is essential to the proper conduct of the Competition.

b) In all other cases, the Organisation's liability is strictly limited to direct and foreseeable damages at the time of acceptance of these rules, in particular in the event of breaches resulting from minor negligence. Under no circumstances shall the Organisation be held liable for indirect, immaterial, or consequential damages, such as loss of opportunity, revenue, profits, image, or any other economic consequence suffered by the Participant.

c) The Organisation shall not be held liable for the non-performance or poor performance of its obligations when this results from a case of force majeure, as defined in Article 10, or any other circumstance beyond its control.

d) The Organisation shall not be held liable for any faults, omissions, or breaches attributable to third parties, in particular service providers, subcontractors, or partners involved in the organisation of the Competition.

e) The above limitations of liability shall not apply in the event of a claim for damages resulting from injury to life, physical integrity, or health.

The limitations and exclusions of liability provided for in this article also apply to:

- the Organisation's affiliates or partners,

- the members of its management bodies,

- its employees, agents, representatives, and auxiliary personnel,

- as well as service providers acting on its behalf in connection with the Competition.

Any Participant wishing to competition a decision of the jury, a change of category initiated by the Organisation or, more generally, any decision taken by the Organisation in connection with the Competition, must submit a detailed written request.

This request must be sent by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt to the Organisation at the Competition Address within four (4) business days of the announcement of the results or notification of the decision contested by the Organisation, under penalty of forfeiture of the claim.

The Organisation undertakes to examine any request made in good faith. If no response is received within one (1) month of receipt of the complaint, the Participant's appeal will be considered rejected.

In the event of any dispute relating to these Regulations, and in particular if a Participant's appeal initiated under the above conditions has been – explicitly or implicitly – rejected, the parties undertake to attempt amicable conciliation, which is a mandatory prerequisite for any legal action.

To this end, the Participant and the Organisation undertake to exchange written correspondence and, if necessary, to organise a meeting (in person or remotely) within fifteen (15) days of receipt of the request for conciliation by the other party. If no amicable agreement is reached within one (1) month of the initiation of the conciliation procedure, each party shall regain its freedom of action and may then refer the matter to the competent court.

These rules shall be governed by English law and are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
In the event of any dispute or litigation arising out of or in connection with the Contest or the Organisation, regardless of the nationality of the parties to the dispute, the Courts of London (United Kingdom) shall have exclusive jurisdiction.