TASTE & DESIGN AWARDS 2025

The TASTE & DESIGN AWARDS 2025 will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 25th, 2025.

Like wine, water deserves attention. The FineWaters International Water Tasting Competition TASTE & DESIGN AWARDS 2025 will be conducted with a five-judge panel of professional and experienced international water sommeliers and experts. 

Water is not just water. It has terroir, comes from a real place, and has character. Representing the Fine Water Category, FineWaters and the Fine Water Society developed the blueprint for conducting water tastings, which is the professional industry standard.

ENTRY FEE

Current Fine Water Society members do not pay an entry fee. Non-members pay $900 per brand for three categories (still/sparkling/design).

RULES

• 5-6 water sommelier and expert jury
• Multiple competition categories (see below).
• Blind tasting at room temperature for all waters
• Sparkling water will be opened within 2 minutes of tasting
• Dedicated premium water-specific stemware
• Minimum points are 90, and maximum points are 100 for both TASTE & DESIGN categories, with one number representing the overall TASTE and one representing the brand's DESIGN.
• Awards: In each category, Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards are given to the brands with the highest score.
• Only natural, unprocessed waters as defined by the Fine Water Society, are eligible. 
• Participating brands need to be approved by the Fine Water Society.

COMPETITION CATEGORIES:

TASTE AWARDS

STILL Waters are separated into categories according to the Minerality (TDS)

SUPER LOW Category (<50 mg/l) 
LOW Category ( 50 - 250 mg/l)
MEDIUM CATEGORY (250 - 800 mg/l)
HIGH CATEGORY (800 - 1,500 mg/l)
VERY HIGH CATEGORY ( < 1,500 mg/l)

SPARKLING Waters are separated by the Source of Carbonation and Minerality (TDS)

ADDED CARBONATION

SUPER LOW Category (<50 mg/l) 
LOW Category ( 50 - 250 mg/l)
MEDIUM CATEGORY (250 - 800 mg/l)
HIGH CATEGORY (800 - 1,500 mg/l)
VERY HIGH CATEGORY ( < 1,500 mg/l)

NATURAL CARBONATION

SUPER LOW Category (<50 mg/l) 
LOW Category ( 50 - 250 mg/l)
MEDIUM CATEGORY (250 - 800 mg/l)
HIGH CATEGORY (800 - 1,500 mg/l)
VERY HIGH CATEGORY ( < 1,500 mg/l)

CURATED WATERS 
This is a new category consisting of waters from a natural source that have been curated for new experiences.

DESIGN AWARDS

With Fine Waters, the bottle design represents the brand and connects the consumer emotionally to the source of the water. The bottle is an essential aspect of a story told in PET, GLASS, ALUMINUM, and Bag in a Box. 

Awards are given in each design category.