Alliance named Fine Wine Merchant of the Year
We're delighted to share that we have been named Fine Wine Merchant of the Year at the Sommelier Wine Awards 2026.
The SWA holds a particular place in the on-trade calendar. Run by Harpers, it's judged blind by sommeliers and on-trade buyers - people who taste for a living and buy for real wine lists. That makes it one of the most exacting measures of a portfolio there is, and one of the most meaningful for us to do well in.
Our results
- Fine Wine Merchant of the Year
- Shortlisted for 3 other Merchant Awards
- Best Pét-Nat of the Year
- Best Dessert Wine of the Year
- 11 gold, 26 silver, 43 bronze medals
Every wine we entered at a trade price of over £20 took home a medal, with a fifth of these winning gold. Fine wine is where quality has nowhere to hide, and we're thrilled the judges found it right across our range.
Alongside the win, we were shortlisted in three further categories:
- Classic Old World Merchant of the Year
- Central and Eastern European Merchant of the Year
- Large Merchant of the Year
To be recognised across such different corners of the portfolio, from the classics to Central and Eastern Europe, reflects what we've always tried to do: build a range with genuine depth, not just headline names.
Thank you to every producer we're lucky enough to work with, to the SWA judges, and to the sommeliers and buyers who put our wines on their lists year after year.
Explore the full results at sommelierwineawards.com, or read the announcement in Harpers.
