Wine and Dessert Pairing Contests
MENIU
Rules and Regulations of WINE+DESSERT 2025 – wine and dessert pairing contest
ABOUT WINE + DESSERT 2025
Wine + Dessert - wine and dessert pairing contest is an annual championship where sommeliers and pastry chefs' teams present perfectly matching wine and dessert combinations. The best pairings are announced, and special awards named by the Jury.
The contest is part of a wider programme of national wine and dessert pairing contests: Wine + Dessert Lithuania, Wine + Dessert Latvia, Wine + Dessert Lithuania and others to come in the near future. Goals of the event include:
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promotion of dessert culture
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encouraging creativity of local pastry chefs
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making sweet wines more popular, encouraging collaboration across different sectors of hospitality and promoting moderate consumption of wine and sweets.
The championship will be held:
LITHUANIA: 27 October 2025 (Monday) Vilnius, Dūmų fabrikas.
ESTONIA: 16 November 2025 (Monday) Tallinn, Kultuurikatel.
LATVIA: February 2026 Riga.
Entries close:
20 October Lithuania
10 November Estonia
Organisers: Wine+Dessert International
01
ORDER OF THE PRESENTATION DURING CONTEST
1.1. Each participating Team must serve 10 identical portions of dessert with 10 identical glasses of wine for judging. Teams must use their own dishes, glasses, cutlery and serving utensils.
1.2. There is no requirement to make desserts from scratch during the Contest. Organisers will provide a table for preparation and plating at the competition site. Freezers, refrigerators, and basic kitchen equipment: oven, stove, and sink will be available for the common use of Teams.
1.3. Eight (8) portions are to be submitted to the jury at the set time, one for photography and one portion to be left for the other Teams to taste.
1.4. Teams present their wine and dessert pairing publicly on the stage. Both the pastry chef/chef and the sommelier may speak, or only one of them. Time limit of presentation - 10 min. The language of the presentation is English.
1.5. Service of the dessert and wine to the jury, photographer and other Teams is the responsibility of the Team, while cleaning up of the jury tables after the dessert and wine pairing has been evaluated is the responsibility of the Organisers.
1.6. Preparation, plating, presentation, and the award ceremony are open to the public, and will be photographed, filmed and streamed live on the internet.
02
THE JURY AND JUDGING
2.1. The Jury shall have at least 7 members appointed by the Organisers, one of whom shall be appointed as chairman of the Jury. The Jury is made up of wine or food experts, journalists, educators, and representatives of partners.
2.2. The Jury will choose and announce the best pairings at the end of the competition: winners of 1 st , 2 nd , 3 rd places
and special awards.
2.3. Evaluation criteria for choice of the best pairing:
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70% - for matching of the appearance, taste and aroma of the wine and dessert.
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25% - for aesthetics and explanation of the dessert, explanation of the choice of wine.
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5 % - for professional and artistic elements of the presentation itself.
2.4. Evaluation criteria for special awards are not specified.
03
ENTRY AND REGISTRATION
3.1 .The Contest is open for Teams from restaurants, hotels, bars, shops, pastry shops, producers and distributors of wine and other establishments. The number of members in a Team must not exceed 5 persons.
3.2. The maximum number of teams participating in the contest is 20. If more Teams register, Organisers reserve the right to pre-select teams on the basis of the content of the application or on the basis of additional information.
3.3. Entries open on 1st September; Entries close: 20 October Lithuania, 10 November Estonia.
3.4 Registration for the Contest is online - by filling in the registration form on the official website of the event: www.bestdessertandwine.com. Registration information required: list of Team members, name of the pairing, composition of the dessert, name of the wine.
3.5. Registration fee – 50 euros. It should be paid before entries close.
04
IMPORTANT DATES (2025)
1st September – entries open (Lithuania, Estonia)
20 October Lithuania - entries close
10 November Estonia - entries close
27 October at 14:00 - 19:00 the Wine+Dessert Contest will take place in Lithuania, Vilnius, Dūmų fabrikas. Doors open for participants at 12:00. Doors open for spectators at 13:00.
16 Novemver at 14:00 - 19:00 the Wine+Dessert Contest will take place in Estonia, Tallinn, Kultuurikatel. Doors open for participants at 12:00. Doors open for spectators at 13:00.
Please note that filming and photography is allowed during the event. By agreeing to the rules on the registration form, it is also agreed that the photographs of the participants and the combinations (dessert, wine, team) will be used for the dissemination of the contest.