Year after year, the FLIWC draws a diverse panel of the highest quality judges from all over the world.

Judges for the Finger Lakes International Wine and Spirits Competition (FLIWC) are drawn from a wide set of qualified national (~ 75%) and international (~ 25%) wine and spirits professionals. They include Masters of Wine, Master Distillers, Sommeliers (CMS), Educators (SWE), journalists, winemakers, academicians, and other top internally certified judges, as well as WSET and MW students and graduates.

Judging Process

The FLIWC has earned great respect throughout the years. Those involved in the competition show consistent professionalism and altruism through the competition’s large monetary contribution to Camp Good Days and Special Times. The FLIWC has such a widely known reputation, we have evaluated up to 3,000 entries each year.

Judges are carefully selected and invited to apply. The competition typically involves 50 judges that are organized into panels of 3 or 4 that represent a mix of professions and geographic regions. Entries are judged ‘blind’ in flights by class with only non-specific information such as varietal, vintage residual sugar and % alcohol.

The FLIWC utilizes a ‘consensus’ judging process wherein each judge evaluates each wine or spirit independently. An experienced Panel Captain then conducts a discussion to arrive at a final determination for each entry.

Medals awarded include Bronze (commercially sound), Silver (meritoriously representative), Gold (exceptional in its class) and Double Gold (unanimously exceptional & remarkably distinctive). The newly added Platinum medal is awarded to the entry that holds extraordinary distinction during the "Best in Class" evaluation. Panel decisions are not altered or adjusted in any manner.

Wine Best-In-Class Awards Include: Riesling (Dry/Non Dry), Chardonnay (Oaked/Unoaked), Sparkling, Ice Wine, Fruit, Hybrid White, Hybrid Red, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Vinifera Red Blend, Rosé, Pinot Noir and Mead.

Spirit Best-In-Class Awards Include: Brandy, Gin, Vodka, Rum, Bourbon, Whiskey, Flavored Whiskey, and Liqueur.

How We Judge Your Entries

  • Each entry is judged on its own merit — its presence, balance and varietal character - not by how it compares to other entries in the flight.
  • While it is common knowledge that wines and spirits go through various stages of quality development, each entry in the FLIWC is judged for what it is at the time of judging - not for what it might become in the future.
  • Entries are blind judged in flights, with each wine identified only by a computer generated code number.
  • Each glass is labeled with this code number and the judges are given a scoring sheet with the number and the variety of the entry.
  • All flights are staged in a separate back room and delivered to the judging room. Re-pours, when necessary, from a second unopened bottle are also staged in the back room and delivered to the judging room.
  • All entries are presented to the judges in professional crystal stemware.

2025 FLIWC Committee

Name
Title

Bob Madill

Head Judge

Teresa Knapp

Flighting and Results

Greg Cutt

Set-up and Serving Captain

Shelby Knapp

Re-pour Captain

Jamie Varble

Event Director

Karl Rudolfs

Entry Manager

Amanda Anderson

Volunteer Coordinator

2025 Wine Judges

Name
Location
Title, Winery/Company

Maureen Bayer

NY
DipWSET, CWE, CS
Owner Bayer Beverage, Representative Opici Family Distributing

Peter Becraft

NY
Head Winemaker
Anthony Road Wine Company

Peter Bell

NY
Wine Consultant, Enologist, Lecturer, Former Head Winemaker
Fox Run Vineyards

Josh Carlson

NY
Master Sommelier Candidate, CMS, Americas
FLX Hospitality

Byron Davis

NY
DipWSET, MW Candidate
Consultant & Wine Educator

JoAnn DeGaglia

NY
CSW, Certified Advanced Sommelier, Wine Educator
International Wine Judge

Steve DiMora

ON
Sommelier, Owner of Canadian Wine Ambassador LLC
Director & Manager at Vieni Estates

Nick Dovel

VA
General Manager
Pollack Vineyards

Laurent Gills

KY
AWS Certified Wine Judge

Lorraine Hems

NY
WSET 3, CWE, CS
Senior Lecturer in the Deapartment of Hosptality and Tourism Management at RIT

Holly Howell

NY
CSW, WSET 3
Wine Educator and Consultant

Maiah Johnson Dunn

NY
WSET 2, Wine Writer, Beverage Education Manager
New York Kitchen

Sharyn  Kervyn

DC
dipWSET, CSW, CWJM
Founder KdV Wine Services

Dave McIntyre

DC
Associate Wine Editor and columnist at The SOMM Journal
Washington Post from 2008-2025

Doris Miculan-Bradley

ON
Sommelier, Author, Professor and Program Coordinator
George Brown College

Rhianna Millay

NY
WSET Advanced, Co-Founder, Saignée Wine Events
Territory Manager Winebow Imports

Phil Plummer

NY
Head Winemaker
Montezuma Winery, Fossenvue Winery, Idol Ridge Winery & Alder Creek Distillery

Gina Shay

MI
Sommelier, Business Development at Cadus_Ana Cooperages

Marshall Tilden

NY
CSW, Chief Revenue & Education Officer
Wine Enthusiast

Toshio Ueno

CA
DipWSET, Sake Samuri, Wine & Spirits Educator
Mutual Trading

Josef Valihrach, Jr.

CZ
Oenologist, Wine Maker and Winery Owner
Vinarství Josef Valihrach

Laura Winter Falk

NY
CS, WSET 3, President & Co-owner, Experience! The Finger Lakes

2025 Spirit Judges

Name
Location
Profession

Brian Butterfield

NY
Beverage Director and Certified Sommelier

Chris Carlsson

NY
Professional Judge, Spirits Instructor, Wine & Spirits Writer

Byron Davis

NY
DipWSET, MW Candidate, Consultant & Wine Educator

Lorraine Hems

NY
Senior Lecturer in the Deapartment of Hosptality and Tourism Management at RIT, WSET 3, CWE, CS

Chris Lindstrom

NY
Owner of the Food About Town Podcast and Blog, Co-found of Phrankly

Martin Nott

NY
Certified Specialist of Spirits, Certified Sherry Wine Specialist, Retired Spirits and Wine Educator

Ralph Vincent DiTucci

NY
Owner Bar Mecca, Cristallino Premium Ice, Good Deep Hospitality