The WineHunter Award 2025 guide, dedicated to the best food and wine selections by the 14 tasting panels led by Helmuth Köcher, has been online since August 16th. All 20 Italian regions are among the Top 100 wines nominated for The WineHunter Platinum Award for the first time. The eagerly awaited ceremony revealing the winners will be held on Friday, November 7th, during the opening day of the Merano WineFestival 2025, the 34th edition of which runs until November 11th.
The WineHunter Award 2025: Which wines are awarded?
The result of careful research and selection by tasting committees coordinated by Helmuth Köcher, The WineHunter Award 2025 guide recognizes the outstanding wines, foods, spirits, and beers tasted throughout the year, assigning them scores corresponding to The WineHunter Award Rosso and The WineHunter Award Gold. Among the latter are candidates for The WineHunter Award Platinum, for the first time representing all 20 Italian regions. This recognition is reserved for products of the utmost excellence with a score above 95.
A total of 4,392 wines received the coveted The WineHunter Award 2025, out of a total of over 8,000 wines tasted: 2,843 wines received The WineHunter Award Rosso, which distinguishes products that achieved between 90 and 92.99 points, while 1,549 wines received The WineHunter Award Gold (93-94.99 points).
In the Culinary section, a total of more than 500 products were tasted: in the Food category, 76 received the WH Food Award Red and 158 the WH Food Award Gold; in the Spirits section, 60 labels entered the 2025 selection, with 38 winners of the WH Spirit Award Red and 22 of the WH Spirit Award Gold. Finally, in the Beer category, 12 wines received the Award Red and 7 the Award Gold.
“For the first time in the history of The WineHunter Guide, the top 100 wines by score represent all 20 Italian regions,” emphasizes Helmuth Köcher. “This achievement strongly confirms how the connection between wine and territory is the true beating heart of Italian winemaking excellence.”
The extraordinary biodiversity, native varieties, and local denominations tell the story of a unique country, rich in nuances and identities. This achievement is not only a source of pride, but a call to action: we must increasingly strengthen the connection between wine and territory, because it is from this union that value is born. Value for international markets, where wine can become an ambassador for fascinating destinations, and value for wine tourism, which today represents one of the most promising levers for the sustainable development of our wine-growing regions. Wine is not just a product: it is culture, landscape, and experience.
