Challenge Millesime BIO contest

                    - 17th International Challenge Millésime BIO Competition -

Created and managed by Sudvinbio, an inter-professional association bringing together producers and marketers of the Occitania organic wine area, Challenge Millésime Bio is the official contest of the Millésime Bio Fair, and the largest international organic wine competition.  

Created in 2007, it now gathers more than 2000 organic wines produced all over the world. The number of organic producers from France and abroad is increasing every year.

Since 2022, it is with great pleasure that the Challenge Millésime BIO competition has opened its doors to international organic beers with over 130 organic beers! The competition team is always accompanied by the SNBI (Syndicat national des brasseurs indépendants) in order to organize a professional tasting for the participating breweries but also with Elisabeth Pierre (beer expert, author, professional trainer in zythology, lecturer, international judge in beer competitions and founder of the cercle Bierissima).

Last year, for the 2023 edition of the challenge, we are honored to welcome Karine Valentin as president of the competition. Karine Valentin has been a wine journalist for 30 years and is an emblematic figure in the sector. After having directed the wine section of Cuisine et Vins de France for 26 years, Karine Valentin now works for the Revue du Vin de France, where she is a member of the tasting committee and taster of the Guide Vert. She also works for the newspaper Les Echos. She is also co-owner of the Château des Garcinières in Cogolin in the Var and member of the Ordre des Dames du Vin et de la Table.

Our goal : 

To promote quality organic wines and beers

Our commitments to achieve this :

• Organize a quality contest

At each edition, we put our expertise at the service of the participants in order to propose a professional tasting respecting the products which are entrusted to us. Tasting room ideally lit, tasting equipment adapted to the product tasted, controlled storage and serving temperature, anonymity of the bottles meticulously carried out, are part of our requirements.

• Surround yourself with an expert and enthousiaste jury

The selection of our jury is very important to us as it is the basis for the reputation of our competition and the value of the awards given to the wines and beers presented at the tasting. It is with a list of competent tasters that we organize the editions of the competition with confidence. The application of each new taster is examined by us and validated if it corresponds to our selection requirements. It is important for us to mix the professionals of the sector with  experienced amateur tasters in order to encourage the wealth of exchanges around the tasted products.

• To be represented by renowned presidents

Each edition of the competition is chaired by a personality who is convinced of the values of organic agriculture. They are the true spokespersons of the Challenge Millésime Bio competition and its medal winners.

We can also mention the presidents of the last competitions such as Andrew Jefford (2021 edition), a world-renowned journalist in the wine world (Evening Standard, The Times, The Guardian and the international reference monthly Decanter), the starred chef Jean Luc Rabanel (2020 edition), Philipe Faure Brac, best sommelier in the world (2019 edition), Klaus Hermann, director of the German trade magazine WEIN+MARKT (2018 edition), Joris Snelten, CEO of Delta Wines, one of the most important Dutch importers and parent company of Coenecoop (2017 edition) . ..

• Provide a dynamic and diversified communication to the winners

In addition to the communication supports made available to the winners (diploma, medals to be affixed to the packaging of the medal-winning products), the competition offers unparalleled communication thanks to its synergy with the largest international organic trade show, Millésime Bio, which brings together wines, beers and other alcoholic beverages. 

In addition to this media coverage, there is also a tasting area dedicated to the medal winners installed in the heart of the show, an event where nearly 7,000 professional buyers are expected. The list of prize-winners is also communicated to a database of more than 53,000 contacts of professional buyers (wine merchants, CHR, retailers, distributors, GMS, exporters, wholesalers ...). 

The results will also be communicated to a database of more than 53,000 contacts of professional buyers (wine merchants, CHR, retailers, distributors, GMS, exporters, wholesalers, etc.). 

The communication of the awards is completed by media relays, both specialized and general public.