In 14 years, more than 61,000 wines have been tasted, judged and marked
15-16 March 2027
A constant increase in the number of samples presented demonstrates the confidence participants have in these distinctions. The competition has become well-known in France and abroad as a guarantee of quality.
The competition follows strict rules concerning its organisation, optimal storage conditions, wine classification based on numerous criteria (designation, vintage, grape varieties, etc.), blind tasting, verification of the tasters selected, a 100-point marking scale based on the OIV (International organisation of vine and wine) model, etc.
In addition, each year the Sommellerie Trophy is awarded to students who have chosen sommellerie as a specialty.
Famous honorary Presidents
Each year the selection of an honorary president draws the attention of the press and puts the competition in the limelight.
2026 : Olivier Canal
Head chef at La Meunière restaurant and president of the Bouchons Lyonnais association
Olivier Canal is an avid chef and a dedicated figure in Lyon's gastronomic scene. Trained in top French establishments alongside renowned chefs such as Guy Savoy and Mathieu Viannay, he has been running La Meunière restaurant, a symbol of traditional Lyon cuisine, since 2014. He is committed to using local and seasonal produce and masterfully revamps great classics — pâté en croûte, œufs meurette and oreiller de la Belle Meunière — combining respect for the terroir with creativity. He has been president of the Bouchons Lyonnais since 2023 and strives daily to keep Lyon's culinary heritage alive thanks to a deep passion for sharing and connecting with his guests.
The Competition’s commitments
Jurors’ expertise
Communication on all fronts
Influential, committed partners
Famous honorary Presidents
Official validation and verifications
Communication tools
Professionals in the field guarantee conformity of the sample,
while enlightened amateurs represent consumer tastes.
Concours International de Lyon 2026 - Wine, Beer and Spirits
1 000 tasters from all over the world gathered at the Cité Internationale for the 17th Concours International de Lyon for Wines, Beers and Spirits on the 16th and 17th of March 2026. Under the watchful eye of the Commissioner General and the supervision of an independent inspector, more than 7,370 samples were judged by our professional tasters and connoisseurs. All samples were tasted in conformity with strict hygiene measures, competition regulations and our ISO9001 certification. At the end of the tasting, 68 trophies and around 2377 Gold and Silver medals were awarded to producers in all categories.
Testimonials
An incredible orchestra of tasters: that is what you see when you first enter the immense hall where the Concours International de Lyon is held. Each glass, each masked bottle, each spittoon is in its place, perfectly tuned and coordinated. All is precise, harmonious. When the symphony begins, there are no wrong notes, false starts or noise. The atmosphere is professional and the rythm just right: jurors concentrate on their tasting, glasses are tilted and turned, each person focuses on their own sensorial music score. One after the other, samples are methodically analysed and understood by the eye, nose and mouth, for each comment, each description, each mark. Respect for the product is always at the heart of this symphony of international taste buds. Sometimes all the jurors feel the same emotion at the same time; it’s a magic moment when time stands still and communication is spontaneous. Only a few wines, sparkling wines, beers and spirits will be awarded medals in their categories. It’s a wonderful experience for a taster and I highly recommend it.
Laurent BAUBY
Oenologue
As a wine professional and oenologist for more than thirty years and a winemaker as well I focus mainly on the wine growers' work and know-how, steering consumers in their purchases, and above all sharing all the pleasure that a wine can bring. Being a taster at the Concours International de Lyon gives me an opportunity to select the ‘best’ wines, in terms of typicity and quality, so that consumers are never disappointed with a wine that carries the Competition’s medal.
Gerard ESTABLET
Vigneron, Oenologue
Throughout the year, we are attentive to the needs of our vineyard. When the time comes to harvest grapes and make wine, we take care to extract the best from our raw material, which is simply the grape itself. Whether working in the vineyard or the cellar, our objective is to produce high-quality wines. So medals from the Concours International de Lyon are a wonderful reward! They represent recognition for all our efforts, and help showcase the value of our products. What a great way to communicate! Providing producers with tasters’ marks and comments is just one proof of the seriousness of the selection. As the years have gone by, the Concours International de Lyon has become an unmissable event for Le Château Le Bonalguet. Another factor that contributes to our pleasure in participating, is that competition organisers are always patient and welcoming, even after x phone calls with the same questions about registration. So see you next year...
Agnès Jouglet Sueur, Château Le Bonalguet
After winning the “Best Wine in the World” trophy at the Lyon International Competition for our Piano della Signora 2021 vintage, I was so thoroughly delighted and immensely proud that I immediately wanted to tell everyone about those who were involved in developing this vintage - the first with this grape variety!We focused our communication on social networks and sent out text messages to a wide audience. The impact has been very positive from all our customers and has boosted our visibility.This award also helped us position this brand new product from our Clos Lucciardi estate at the top of the range.
Clos Lucciardi