
🍷 Alko's Wine Evaluation Process What You Need to Know!
🔎 How Alko Evaluates Wines
✔️ Fair & Impartial: All wines are judged without bias – either via blind tasting or open evaluation.
🎯 Goal: Select the wine that best matches customer demand and complements Alko’s assortment.
📊 Category 🏷️ Standard Products ❄️ Seasonal Products
👅 Taste 40% 30%
💡 Added Value 40% 50%
♻️ Sustainability & Cert. 20% 20%
👅 1. Taste (30–40%)
-
Evaluated by trained experts, blind or open depending on the tender type.
-
Rated 1–5 points, with 5 for best matching the tender profile.
-
❗ If >30 offers, a two-phase tasting may apply: screening + final evaluation.
-
⚠️ Any fault (e.g., cork taint) leads to a new sample being tested.
💡 2. Added Value (40–50%)
-
Measures uniqueness, concept, packaging, suitability, and price.
-
Also scored 1–5 points, relative to best fit.
-
📸 Visual sample is mandatory! No image = no added value score = ❌ ineligible.
♻️ 3. Sustainability & Certifications (20%)
🌱 Based on the Certified Option system, replacing "Green & Ethical" in March 2025.
Categories (max 1 pt each):
-
🌾 Farming
-
🏭 Production
-
👷 Working Conditions
Extra Points:
-
🧴 Lightweight/eco packaging ➡️ +1 pt
-
🔄 Finnish recycling system member ➡️ +0.5 pt
➡️ Max total score: 4.5 points (scaled to 20%)
📝 Certification levels:
-
🔘 No cert = 0 pts
-
🟡 Basic = 0.3 pts
-
🟠 Intermediate = 0.7 pts
-
🟢 Comprehensive = 1.0 pt
📌 Best score per category counts (not cumulative)
🧪 What Happens After Scoring?
🏅 Top product wins
🥈🥉 2nd & 3rd = backups
🧫 Lab-tested by Alcohol Control Laboratory
🚨 If winner fails → next-highest selected
✅ Producer Tips
✅ Send the best-quality sample
✅ Include bottle design or label mock-up
✅ List valid certifications
✅ Use eco packaging
✅ Offer reliable supply & competitive price
✅ Join the Finnish recycling system
🚀 Big Change Coming in March 2025 – Certified Option
🛑 Green & Ethical product communication is ending
🆕 Certified Option will replace it with 3 certification categories:
🌾 Farming
🏭 Production
👷 Working Conditions
💡 Products can hold certifications in one, two, or all three areas!
📊 Accepted certifications will be determined by the Nordic Benchmark Study annually.
🔗 For more information about Alko’s sustainable labelling system, please follow the link below:
👉 Learn more about Alko’s Certified Alternative sustainability labelling