INTRODUCTION

Tour entry in to this competition is governed by these terms and conditions (the “Terms and Conditions”). Promotional materials relating to the competition, including all entry instructions, also form part of these Terms and Conditions. In the event of any conflict between any terms referred to in such promotional materials and these Terms and Conditions, these Terms and Conditions take precedence.

The promoter is Moët Hennessy U.K. Limited, with company number 00371236 and its registered office at 18 Grosvenor Gardens, London, SW1W 0DH (“MHUK”).

To find out how MHUK processes your personal data in relation to this competition, please see the Data Protection Notice at the end of these Terms and Conditions. 

The competition takes place in two stages: (1) the selection of participants to participate in the Ruinart Sommelier challenge, which takes place in London on 30 June 2025 (the “Sommelier Challenge”); (2) the selection of the winner among the participants in the Sommelier Challenge.

ELIGIBILITY

This competition is open to legal residents of the United Kingdom who are aged 18 or over who must on the day of their registration and participation in the competition exercise the profession of sommelier in the United Kingdom, other than employees of MHUK and their immediate families, their associated companies, and anyone else professionally connected with the competition.

MHUK reserves the right to verify the eligibility of participants in this competition. MHUK may require such information as it considers reasonably necessary for this purpose and a prize may be withheld until MHUK is satisfied with the verification. If a winner is found to be ineligible, MHUK may award the prize to another participant and may require the return of any prize already awarded.

ENTRY

You will require internet access to register for the Sommelier Challenge. To register for the Sommelier Challenge, you must complete the online questionnaire which will be available on ruinart.com/en-uk. You submit your application online by filling all the fields of the questionnaire.

The registration period for the Sommelier Challenge starts on 10 March 2025 and closes at 23.59 on 16 May 2025 (the “Registration Closing Time”). All entries must be received by MHUK before the Registration Closing Time. MHUK accepts no responsibility for entries that are lost, delayed corrupted or not received by the Registration Closing Time for any reason. Proof of sending shall not be deemed proof of receipt.

Only one entry per person.

Entries not complying with these Terms and Conditions will be invalid.

SELECTION OF PARTICIPANTS FOR THE SOMMELIER CHALLENGE

All valid entries will be judged by a panel of independent judges. The judges will select a maximum of 25 participants for the Sommelier Challenge. The selection of the participants will be based on the following criteria:

• Function of professional sommelier
• Correct answers to closed-ended questions
• Motivation of the participant illustrated within the three open questions

The judges will declare as participants of the Sommelier Challenge the participants whose applications, in their opinion, best meet the criteria outlined in paragraph 11. The decision of the panel of judges will be final.

The selected participants will be contacted by 23.59 on 30 May 2025 using the details provided to enter the competition.

Participants must confirm their participation in the Sommelier Challenge no later than, 13 June 2025 by email sent to igarciaminaurortiz@moethennessy.com, failing which their participation will be automatically cancelled.

The transport and accommodation costs of the participants directly related to their participation in the Sommelier Challenge may be covered by MHUK (direct support or reimbursement on presentation of the corresponding supporting documents, at the choice of MHUK), subject to the receipt of a prior request from the participant by email with an estimate of the costs. Catering costs remain the responsibility of the participants (with the exception of lunch on 30 June 2025).

THE WINNER

The winner of the Sommelier Challenge will be selected from the participants on the day of the Sommelier Challenge by a panel of independent judges.

Participants in the Sommelier Challenge will participate in a technical challenge that will make it possible to decide between them. The technical challenge will consist of a written competition on the tasting of 4 wines. The challenge will be conducted anonymously.

The winner will be selected on the basis of the following:

• Correct answers to the blind tasting of the 4 wines (identification of the wines, the most detailed and rigorous technical description of the wines, suggestions on food and wine pairings and correct serving temperatures etc.)
• According to the correction grid established by the members of the jury.

At the end of the technical challenge, the jury will meet the same day and determine the winner based on their analysis of the 4 wines and the scoring grid defined by the jury. The winner will be informed during the day of 30 June 2025.

THE PRIZE

There is one prize consisting of a training session (from Tuesday noon to Friday afternoon) in Champagne and Paris with the other winners of the Ruinart Sommelier Challenge from other countries in order to share and work on various topics (geology, tastings of different producers, sustainable development etc.) (the “Prize”). The training is meant to be global and not "Ruinart-centric". The dates of the Prize will be communicated to the winner at a later date. The training session will take place in English.

The Prize includes travel expenses, no fuel allowance will be paid) from the United Kingdom, accommodation and catering strictly necessary for the participation of the winner in the training session, as follows:

Transport:

• Transport from the winner's place of residence to Reims on Tuesday morning (or Monday if strictly necessary)
• Transport Reims to Paris on Friday morning
• Transport return Paris to place of residence of the winner from Friday afternoon

Accommodation:

• Monday evening in Paris or Reims (if transport on Monday is strictly necessary)
• From Tuesday evening to Friday morning in Reims
• From Friday evening to Saturday in Paris for free time in the city (if the winner wants to)

Catering costs will be covered under the following conditions

• From Tuesday noon to Friday lunch (catering and other expenses in Paris will not be covered)

Unless otherwise stated, any expenses incurred by the winner in the enjoyment of the Prize are the sole responsibility of the winner.

Any further Prize details will be confirmed when the winner is contacted. 

MHUK reserves the right to substitute the Prize with another prize of equal or greater value if circumstances make this necessary.

If the Prize is declined, or a winner cannot take up a prize or does not claim the Prize once they have been notified by MHUK that they have won, the Prize will be forfeited, and MHUK reserves the right to offer the Prize to the next eligible entrant at MHUK’s sole discretion. MHUK will not be responsible for any inability of the winner to take up the specified prize.

The Prize is as stated and is non-exchangeable and non-transferable. No cash or other alternative will be offered.

To receive the full names of judges, please send a stamped addressed envelope to Marketing Department, Moet Hennessy UK Limited, 18 Grosvenor Gardens, London, SW1W 0DH within one month of the Closing Time.

MHUK is required to make available the surname and county of the participants in the Sommelier Challenge and the winner of the Prize. To find out the surname and county of the winner, please send a stamped addressed envelope to Marketing Department, Moet Hennessy UK Limited, 18 Grosvenor Gardens, London, SW1W 0DH within one month of the Sommelier Challenge. If you object to your information being made available, please contact MHUK. In such circumstances, MHUK must still provide the information to the Advertising Standards Authority on request.

GENERAL

If you win a Prize, then MHUK may ask you to sign a competition release so that MHUK may use your name, county and photographs or other recordings of you, or your entry to the competition in connection with the Prize in MHUK’s publicity concerning the competition and its products including on (or in) MHUK’s social media pages, websites, press releases and advertising.

MHUK reserves the right to suspend, cancel or amend the competition and / or revise these Terms and Conditions at any time without giving prior notice and, by continuing to take part in the competition subsequent to any revision, entrants shall be deemed to have agreed to the amended terms.

MHUK may, in its sole discretion disqualify entries deemed to be non-compliant with these Terms and Conditions or if it has any reason to believe that efforts have been made to distort the competitive process or the spirit of the competition. 

All decisions of MHUK in relation to the competition are final and MHUK is not obliged to enter into any correspondence with participants. No message whether written or electronic, will be sent to non-winning participants.

The unauthorised reproduction, representation or use in any way of all or part of elements relating directly or indirectly to the competition, and any brands, logotypes or trade marks is strictly prohibited. All trade marks, logos and any other intellectual property rights are and shall remain the property of their respective owners.

The Terms and Conditions may be sent by mail free of charge to any person who requests them from MHUK in writing at any time before the end of the Sommelier Challenge and for a period of one month thereafter.

If any provision of these Terms and Conditions is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the enforceability of any other provisions not held to be invalid.

All disputes, claims, issues and questions concerning the competition and these Terms and Conditions, or the rights and obligations of the participants and MHUK in connection with the competition, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the English law. Each participant agrees that the courts of England shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with the competition or these Terms and Conditions.

DATA PROTECTION NOTICE

MHUK will process your personal data (and if you win a prize for more than one person, the personal data of your guest(s)) to administer this competition and publicise the winner in accordance with these Terms and Conditions. The personal data may include your, or if you are a winner, your guest’s, name, contact details and any other information you provide to MHUK as part of this competition. MHUK will use this personal data for its own legitimate interests, such as to administer and manage the competition, or when required by law.

MHUK will keep the personal data for as long as is necessary to administer this competition and a reasonable period thereafter to deliver prizes, resolve disputes and comply with legal requirements.

MHUK will not share your personal data, or if you are a winner, the personal data of your guest(s), with any third party other than those engaged by MHUK to administer the competition and fulfil the prizes. MHUK will transfer and store personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

You have the right to be removed from this competition at any time or to object to any use of your personal data not required to administer the competition, unless MHUK has compelling legitimate interests. However, this may result in the removal of your entry from the competition, and if you are a winner or a guest of a winner, will mean that you cannot receive or take up a prize. You, and if you are a winner, your guest(s), also have the right to access, amend, erase or receive a copy of the personal data in a portable form, to the extent permitted by law. If participants or guests of winners wish to exercise these rights in relation to the competition, they may contact Privacy-UK@moethennessy.com and they have the right to contact a data protection authority if they have any unresolved complaints.

These terms relate solely to the use of your personal data (and if applicable, your guest’s personal data) in relation to the competition.