The Blue Roses
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The Blue Roses — Italian wine awards
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For producers

Enter The Blue Roses

An annual curated recognition for Italian wines, drawn from Paul Caputo’s year-round technical review work. Apply with a wine for review; selected wines appear in the October release.

Now open

Apply to the 2026 cohort

Submissions for the 2026 cohort close 13 Sept.

Apply now →

What you get

A published review

Every reviewed entry receives a tasting note and 100-point score on paulcaputo.wine — the same methodology used across Paul's wine criticism.

Curated award

Selected wines are awarded a Blue Rose in the annual October release and featured on theblueroses.com and paulcaputo.wine.

Independent recognition

No entry fee. No commercial conflict. The award speaks for the wine, not for whoever paid the most.

How it works

  1. Apply. One form per wine. No fee. Tell us which wine you’d like considered for the cohort.
  2. Send a sample. If approved, send a single bottle to a UK address for review. You cover the bottle and shipping; no other charges.
  3. Technical review. The wine is reviewed using Paul’s 100-point methodology — focused on aroma, flavour, structure, texture, tension, balance, energy and length — and published on paulcaputo.wine with a tasting note and score.
  4. Curation. From the cohort, a curated list of award winners is selected. Technical scores are the floor; additional criteria — value, story, regional interest — decide which wines become Blue Roses.
  5. October release. The Blue Roses list is announced each October at theblueroses.com/results and featured on paulcaputo.wine.

Eligibility

  • Italian wines: from any Italian denomination or IGT zone.
  • Any style: red, white, rosé, orange, sparkling, fortified.
  • Any producer: estates of any size.
  • Commercially available in the year of the award.
  • One bottle per submission.

Now open

Apply to the 2026 cohort

Submissions for the 2026 cohort close 13 Sept.

Apply now →