Award Methodology
The WinesDirect Consumer Choice Awards are decided entirely by shopper ratings, not by a judging panel. In 2026, over 1,700 wine and spirits drinkers rated the retailers, clubs and brands they've personally used. Each award is scored on the factors that matter most for that category.
Retailer awards (Wine Supermarket, Online Wine Supermarket, Wine Merchant and Spirits Specialist of the Year): shoppers give a combined score out of 10 across value, range, shopping experience, customer service, trust and more. This rewards consistent performance rather than popularity alone. Simply put, this is not a popularity contest.
Wine Club of the Year: members rate their club on the quality of the wines, discoverability (how well it introduces them to new wines), customisability, how easy it is to cancel or skip a case, and how much they've learned about the wines.
Brand awards (Wine Brand, Sparkling Wine Brand and Spirits Brand of the Year): voters tell us which brand they'd choose if cost were no object, which they buy most often, how they rate its value for money and which they'd pick for the overall brand of the year. We weight each answer to find an overall winner.