Rules and regulation

ARTICLE 1: PURPOSE
The 1001degustations.com Guide, hereafter called the "Guide" or the "Website", is organised by Armonia, located at 331 Chemin de la croix de fer - 69400 LIMAS - FRANCE hereafter called the Organisation. It is open to all food products in the world. Each product must be in conformity with regulations in force in its country of origin. The goal of the Guide is to showcase high-quality products. The term “Product” indifferently designates wines and other products.

ARTICLE 2: PRODUCTS AUTHORISED TO COMPETE
WINE GUIDE: the following Wines are authorised: still wines, liqueur wines, sparkling and semi-sparkling wines. All vintages may be entered in the selection. In France, the following Wines are authorised: AOP, IGP, VDF, sparkling wines, semi-sparkling wines, liqueur wines, etc.
PRODUCTS GUIDE: all food products in the world are authorised.

ARTICLE 3: PROFESSIONALS AUTHORISED TO PRESENT PRODUCTS
The professionals, hereafter called the “Participant(s)”, are authorised to participate: producers, groups of producers, wine traders, importers, associated cooperatives, sales offices, beekeepers, brewers, distillers, oil mills, manufacturers, mills and transformers, without this list being exhaustive.

ARTICLE 4: PRESENTATION OF SAMPLES
Samples may be presented by the owner of the lot or any person duly authorised by the owner.
Each sample submitted must fulfil the following conditions:
WINE GUIDE:
The Wine sample presented at the Competition must come from a “homogenous lot”. The lot is made up of a wine produced for human consumption and stored in individual containers or in bulk. A homogenous lot is defined as a number of sales units of packaged wine or containers of bulk wine that was produced and packaged wine must be packaged under practically identical conditions. The wine in all the sales units or containers must also have similar organoleptic and analytical characteristics.
PRODUCTS GUIDE:
- be identifiable
- have a sales label. Sales labels should conform to EU regulations for countries that are members of the European Union, to regulations in force in the country where made, and to importing regulations for third countries.
- comply with current health legislation.
Regardless of the Product being submitted, Participants guarantee that their Product is safe to consume. If ever a Product is found to be in breach of current regulations and/or health and safety rules, the Participant who submitted the Product shall be solely liable for any consequences that may arise, in addition to any penalties that the Organisation reserves the right to impose (see Article 21).
Any Product with a name considered sexist, racist, discriminatory, or degrading, the Competition, or the industry concerned will be immediately excluded from the competition, without the possibility of reimbursement of registration fees or compensation from the Organisation. Furthermore, if a distinction has been awarded under another name and the name has been changed after the distinction has been awarded, the distinction may no longer be used.
The Competition reserves the right to refuse participation or disqualify a sample and/or a Participant in the event of non-compliance with the rules, attempted cheating, and more generally for any behaviour deemed inappropriate and/or wrongful by the Participant.
The fact that a Product meets the eligibility criteria mentioned in Article 2 does not guarantee that it will automatically be entered into the Competition.
The Organisation reserves the right to review each entry and to refuse an entry or exclude a Participant on the basis of objective criteria, relating in particular to the Product's compliance with the rules, spirit, and values of the Competition.
The Participant has a right of appeal against the Organisation's decision under the conditions set out in Article 25.

ARTICLE 5: SENDING AND SAFETY OF SAMPLES
Samples should arrive at the Competition ‘franco domicile’, i.e., with shipping, customs duties and taxes paid by the sender, at the address on the Website https://www.1001degustations.com, hereafter known as the “Website”, as well as on the shipping documents. Bottles shall be sent at the Participant’s expense and at his or her own risk. Where applicable, the Organisation will re-invoice Participants for any taxes or customs duties they may owe. Upon reception, samples become the property of the Competition. If a sample is sent but has not had its shipping paid for, it will be refused. Samples received that do not correspond to registration information or were not previously registered will not be presented for tasting and will remain the property of the Competition. The Organisation shall not be held responsible in case of theft, loss, delay, or damage to samples during shipping.
The Competition will take all necessary measures to ensure that samples are preserved (temperature, hygiene, safety).
Participants are deemed to accept these general conditions of preservation, which apply equally to all Participants.
If a Participant nevertheless believes that specific measures are essential to preserve their Product, they must inform the Organisation within 24 hours after confirmation of their registration at the latest.
Any special request will be examined on a case-by-case basis by the Organisation and, if accepted, implemented exclusively at the Participant's expense, under the supervision of the Organisation.
However, the Organisation reserves the right to refuse any request deemed manifestly excessive, inapplicable, or contrary to the smooth running of the Competition. In this case, the Participant shall have the right to withdraw their application from the Competition, without however being entitled to a refund of their registration fees.
The number of samples requested depends on the product category. It is indicated on the Website.
Reception and cold storage (+2/6°C for fresh products; -20°C for frozen products) of samples will be provided from the time registration begins. Samples may be sent as packages and/or by transporter if the cold chain is not broken.
All appropriate HACCP measures aimed at maintaining food hygiene and ensuring the safety of Products sent to the Competition, including storage at the correct temperature prior to the Competition receiving the samples, are the responsibility of the Participant.
Any attempt to cheat, commit fraud, enter incorrect data, register under a false identity, or compromise the integrity of the Product presentation, with the aim of harming the Competition, the profession, or the production sector, or for any other reason, may result in penalties imposed by the Organisation under the conditions set out in Article 21.

ARTICLE 6: REGISTRATION RULES
Every Participant must provide all information required to open an account. Any incomplete registration, due to the absence of required information, will be automatically rejected without the possibility of appeal. The Participant must also fill in a registration sheet for each Product presented, known as a form.
a) The Participant must create an account on the site. He or she will then have a personal account that can be used to present Products. There is no charge for creating an account.
b) A form must be completed on the Website for each product submitted. This form is available on the Website from the Participant’s personal account.
Registration fees must be paid in accordance with provisions laid down in Article 7. Payment methods are also described in detail in Article 7.
The information provided on both forms is legally binding for the person who wrote it.
The Participant undertakes to provide accurate, complete and truthful information when registering, thereby assuming full responsibility for its content.
The Organisation cannot be held liable in the event of inaccuracy or concealment of information by the Participant.
The Participant is bound by an obligation of sincerity, good faith and loyalty, especially including the obligation to declare any direct or indirect link with a member of the jury.
Any breach of this obligation may result in the Organisation applying the penalties provided for in Article 21.
The Competition and/or the Organisation cannot be held responsible for the non-receipt of samples, forms, documents to be provided or payment of a Participant's registration fees within the prescribed time limit.

ARTICLE 7: REGISTRATION FEES
The registration fees are included on the participant form and on the Website. They are given in euros, include all taxes and are the same for all countries.
- For France, payment can be made by cheque to Armonia - 1001 Dégustations, or by bank transfer or credit card.
- For all other countries, in Europe and elsewhere, payment can be made by bank transfer or credit card.
In accordance with European legislation, services provided in France must include French VAT for 1) Participants located in France, and 2) Participants outside the European Union. Participants from all European Union countries except France will be billed without tax if they have a VAT number.
The choice of payment method for the registration fees is made online on the Participant’s account, after completing the sample registration process. Credit card payments are made on a secure online payment system (Visa, Mastercard).
Payment should be made to Armonia - 1001 Dégustations.
If registration fees for a product have not been paid, the product will not be allowed to take part in the Competition.
The Competition is not responsible for paying bank fees. Credit cards are charged, and cheques are sent to the bank on the day the registration is done.
Participants shall receive an invoice by email. If the Participant does not have an email account, the invoice will be sent by post, as requested.
Registration fees are definitively acquired by the Organisation upon validation of registration and are non-refundable. In particular, and without limitation, no refund will be made if samples or files arrive after the deadline set by the Competition, if the Product submitted is disqualified, or if the Participant does not receive a prize.
This rule also applies in the event of cancellation of registration for reasons not attributable to the Organisation, including in cases of force majeure as defined in Article 10 of the rules.

ARTICLE 8: CALENDAR
Opening and closing dates for registration, as well as the deadline for receiving samples and other key dates are available, can be obtained from the Competition Address by simple request. This information is also available on the Website.
The Organisation reserves the right to make changes to the location and/or schedule of the Competition, as indicated on the Website or in official documents.
These changes may only be made if unforeseen circumstances or logistical requirements dictate as such so that the Competition may run smoothly.
In the event of any changes, the Organisation undertakes to inform Participants by any means and as soon as possible. Tastings, where applicable, may be postponed or rescheduled to other dates, depending on the needs of the organisation.

ARTICLE 9: RULES FOR ORGANISING TASTINGS
Products are placed in categories. A category includes Products that have the same characteristics and are thus comparable. Categories can be viewed on the Website. It is Participants’ responsibility to ensure that their Products are entered into the most suitable category and that they do so in good faith.
Tasting dates shall be chosen by the Organisation. Each Product shall be tasted and marked individually.
The Competition appoints the members of each jury and ensures the smooth running of the tastings by preparing the samples and organising and conducting the tasting. It ensures the control, evaluation, and publication of the results using an appropriate judging form given to the members of each jury.
If a Product has an organoleptic defect during tasting, the judges will not be provided with a second sample.

ARTICLE 10: FORCE MAJEURE
In the event of force majeure, i.e., any unforeseeable, external, and unavoidable event, such as, without limitation, exceptional events such as natural disasters, pandemics, strikes, armed conflicts, acts of terrorism, economic blockades, service interruptions, or any other circumstance beyond the Organisation's control that prevents the Competition from taking place, the Organisation reserves the right to modify or cancel, in whole or in part, the Competition, its dates, location, or terms and conditions.
In such a case, the Organisation shall not be held liable for the consequences for the Participants, and the registration fees and samples already sent shall remain the property of the Competition.
The Organisation may, if necessary, ask Participants to return their samples at the Participant's expense in the event of a modification or resumption of the selection process.

ARTICLE 11: JUDGING MODALITIES
Products are entered in the Competition in the hope of obtaining an award. Products are judged on the basis of their organoleptic qualities, which are evaluated by the jury using a marking scale provided by the Competition. The Organisation alone determines how samples shall be tasted, and shall not be held responsible if a sample does not receive an award. Marks are confidential.

ARTICLE 12: COMPOSITION OF JURIES
Juries are composed of jurors who are designated and called directly by the Organisation.
Judges’ names are confidential. Their personal data is not communicated to any third parties.
The Organisation cannot be held liable for the selection of its judges, who are professionals or knowledgeable consumers whose skills have been independently assessed and verified by the Organisation.
The judges are then themselves independent in awarding their scores, which are assigned in accordance with the scoring grid provided and the applicable scoring guidelines.
The Organisation is in no way liable to a Participant in the event that a prize is not awarded.
However, the Participant has a right of appeal in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in Article 25 of these rules.
If a judge has given a score which is obviously an anomaly, whether intentional or not, the Organisation is entitled to reject his/her scores.
The Participant may not claim damages from the Organisation in the event of a proven scoring anomaly that has been rectified by the Organisation under the conditions set out in the previous paragraph.
In these rules and on the Website, the terms “taster”, "judge" and “jury member” refer indiscriminately to members of the juries.

ARTICLE 13: AWARDING DISTINCTIONS
The Guide reserves the right to judge Products and comment on them on the basis of its own criteria.
The Guide grants the following awards:
1: WINE DISTINCTIONS
4 stars: Exceptional
3 stars: Excellent
2 stars: Remarkable
1 star: Successful
Judges’ favourites: These wines provide good value for money, or drew special attention from the jury.
2: PRODUCT DISTINCTIONS
- Gold Medal
- Silver Medal
The Organisation is the sole judge of how distintions are awarded and cannot be held responsible if a sample is not given an award.
If a brand name was not declared at the time of entry, only the owner of the batch may request that it be added to the Competition. The new brand name may only be used after confirmation by email from the Competition.

ARTICLE 14: PUBLICATION OF RESULTS
Participants will be notified of the results by email at a later date if their Products are selected.
Information relating to the Product and provided by the Participant during registration (category, certification, etc.) may be published (in print or digital online) and communicated to the public. In the event of an error in the publication, no financial compensation will be granted to the Participant.
Participants with at least one award-winning sample, hereinafter referred to as the “Winners,” authorise the Competition to publish their results, names, contact details, and information about their award-winning sample(s).

ARTICLE 15: USING AWARDS
WINE GUIDE: Distinctions representing the awards may be put on the bottle or its packaging and will only be available for award-winning Wines. The number of distinctions will be provided based on the volume declared at the time of registration, to which a maximum tolerance of 5% may be added to compensate for any losses or damage that may occur during labelling.
PRODUCT GUIDE: Medals representing the awards may be put on the bottle or its packaging and will only be available for award-winning Products, whose characteristics correspond entirely to those of the product for which the distinction was awarded. Medals may be displayed on Products for two years from the date of the announcement of the results.
The adhesive material used to manufacture the distinctions may contain metal compounds as well as non-food compounds. When placing an order, the Participant must inform the Guide of any manufacturing constraints relating to its packaging lines.
In the event of a problem when using adhesive stickers delivered by the Guide or the service provider, the latter cannot be held liable for any loss of productivity or commercial damage, given the many parameters involved in packaging and putting the stickers on products.
However, the Guide or the service provider will take all necessary steps to replace any rolls of stickers with manufacturing defects.

ARTICLE 16: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
1001degustations is a brand belonging to the Armonia company. It may be accessed via the Website.
Any reproduction or representation, in whole or in part, of the distinction, logo, name 1001 Dégustations, or any other element present on the Website or on any other medium distributed by the Guide is strictly prohibited without the prior authorisation of the Organisation.
To this end, Winners must submit a final proof at least 48 hours before production to the Competition's email address. Any use must strictly comply with the graphic charter provided by the Organisation, without modification or addition, unless expressly authorised in writing by the latter.
The Winner may purchase advertising materials offered by the Competition. The Winner may create their own advertising materials, provided they have obtained the written consent of the Competition and the approval of the final proof prior to any production.
The use of the distinction and logo is strictly regulated. It is authorised exclusively:
- By affixing self-adhesive stickers purchased from the Organisation.
- By printing the distinctions on the packaging of the award-winning Product (label, collar, bottle, primary packaging, secondary packaging, cardboard box), after first acquiring the corresponding printing rights from the Organisation.
The reproduction rights and self-adhesive stickers acquired are not transferable to other products. Failure to pay the printing rights excludes any right to use the brand or logo.
Any printing of the distinction on packaging must be carried out exclusively by printers approved by the Organisation. Any printing or use outside the conditions defined by these regulations, the graphic charter, or any other applicable document will be considered fraud.
Finally, any unauthorised use of the distinction, logo, or “1001 Dégustations” trademark constitutes an act of counterfeiting for which the perpetrator will be held liable. The Organisation reserves the right to take any necessary measures, including legal action, to stop any violation of this article.
The producers(s) of the award-winning Product(s) also undertake to inform the Organisation of any fraudulent use of the distinction by a third party of which they become aware.
Participants undertake to inform the Organisation of any infringement proceedings brought against them or any infringements against them in relation to their award-winning samples.
In any event, any breach of any of the provisions of this article by the Winner or a Participant shall result in the penalties provided for in Article 21 of these rules, as imposed by the Organisation.

ARTICLE 17: TASTING COMMENTS
Comments are written by the Guide. Participants agree de facto to accept comments published on the Products submitted. They may request that the text be amended if they find it inadequate. However the Organisation, and they alone, shall determine whether or not changes should be made, and if so what changes.

ARTICLE 18: PHOTOS
Each Product presented for the selection may be photographed by the Organisation or its intermediaries. These photos may be published on the Website or in a Guide to awarded Products that the Organisation would like to offer for sale. The Participant declares that he or she is aware of and accepts this fact.
Any photos of Products submitted that are provided by participants must be free of copyright. The Participant guarantees the Organisation against any legal action in this regard. The Organisation may make any use of the photos it feels necessary in the framework of promoting the selection of award-winning products and for its activities.

ARTICLE 19: AUDITS
The Organisation shall establish an internal auditing system under its responsibility to ensure strict compliance with these regulations.
As such, it shall ensure, without this list being exhaustive, the conformity of the documents provided at the time of registration and the awarding of distinctions in accordance with the provisions of Article 13.
Depending on the findings of the audit, the Organisation reserves the right to cancel any entry that is incomplete or contains incorrect information, to eliminate any sample that does not comply with the rules and/or the entry details, and/or to temporarily or permanently exclude a Participant from the Competition, and more generally to implement the penalties provided for in Article 21 of these Rules.
In addition, the Organisation reserves the right to have analytical checks carried out on the submitted samples by an independent analysis laboratory of its choice. It may take random samples at the points of sale of the Products and verify that the samples tasted correspond to those marketed or offered for sale at the property.
To this end, all Winners/Participants undertake to provide the Organisation with any information required to exercise its right to audit without delay.
If a sample is eliminated for breaching the rules, the Participant must collect it at their own expense from the Organisation's headquarters within one week of notification of non-compliance. After this period, the Organisation may destroy the samples, without the Participant being entitled to any compensation.

ARTICLE 20: OBLIGATION OF PARTICIPANTS AND AVAILABILITY OF THE REGULATIONS
Participants in the Competition must fully and completely accept these Rules and Regulations, legal information and the policy for managing personal data that can be obtained from the Competition Address by simple request.

ARTICLE 21: PENALTIES
Any breach by a Participant or Winner of the provisions of these Rules, and in particular any reproduction and/or use of the distinction or any other distinctive sign belonging to the Guide in violation of the conditions set out in these Rules or in any other document to which they refer, will result the following penalties being applied, as defined below.
These penalties may be imposed by the Organisation, regardless of the reason for the infringement (whether intentional or not, and regardless of its severity), as soon as it occurs and without prior notice.
If there is any breach, the Organisation may impose, cumulatively or separately, the following penalties:
- Immediate payment of fees: full payment of the fees due for the use of the distinction on the entire lot concerned.
- A fine: a fixed penalty of €5,000 paid as a penalty clause. The Organisation reserves the right to request a reassessment of this penalty by the judge if it proves to be manifestly underestimated. The offender will also bear all costs incurred by the Organisation in this regard (attorney's fees, bailiff's fees, etc.).
- Immediate suspension of use of the distinction: prohibition to use the distinction until proof of total destruction of stocks of self-adhesive Medals and/or any other infringing material not yet affixed to the Product(s) concerned.
- Withdrawing the infringing Products: obligation to immediately withdraw, at the sole expense of the offender, all products bearing the infringing distinction , regardless of the point of sale or distribution channel.
- Temporary ban from participating in the Competition: exclusion of the Participant from the Competition for a period of between 1 and 10 years.
- Prohibition on referring to past awards: where applicable, prohibition on mentioning the award of a distinction in previous editions of the Guide.
- Penalty for non-compliance: in the event of a breach of the provisions of these rules, a penalty of €200 per day of delay will be applied from the date of notification by the Organisation demanding the cessation of the breach.
Any penalty imposed pursuant to this article shall in no case give rise to compensation for the Participant or Winner concerned, regardless of the reasons leading to the infringement, and even if it is subsequently cancelled.
The application of the penalty clause and the sanctions set out above does not deprive the Organisation of the right to take legal action to obtain compensation for direct or indirect damage suffered, in particular in the event of infringement of its rights to the Logo and the Competition Brand as a result of acts of counterfeiting committed by the Participant or Winner.

ARTICLE 22: GDPR
The personal data management charter is available in the legal notices section of the Website.

ARTICLE 23: AMENDMENTS TO THE REGULATIONS
The Organisation reserves the right to amend these Regulations if unforeseen circumstances, including force majeure as defined in Article 10, or regulatory changes require compliance with applicable legislation.
Participants will be informed of any amendments by any appropriate means, including publication on the Competition Website.
The Organisation shall not be held liable for the consequences of such amendments, provided that they are made in accordance with the conditions set out in this article.

ARTICLE 24: LIABILITY
The liability of the Organisation, as well as that of its employees, agents, and operators, regardless of the legal basis, is governed by the following provisions:
a) The Organisation shall be liable without limitation only in the event of intentional misconduct and particularly serious misconduct, and in particular in the event of a breach of essential contractual obligations, i.e., obligations whose performance is essential to the proper conduct of the Competition.
b) In all other cases, the Organisation's liability is strictly limited to direct and foreseeable damages at the time of acceptance of these rules, in particular in the event of breaches resulting from minor negligence. Under no circumstances shall the Organisation be held liable for indirect, immaterial, or consequential damages, such as loss of opportunity, revenue, profits, image, or any other economic consequence suffered by the Participant.
c) The Organisation shall not be held liable for the non-performance or poor performance of its obligations when this results from a case of force majeure, as defined in Article 10, or any other circumstance beyond its control.
d) The Organisation shall not be held liable for any faults, omissions, or breaches attributable to third parties, in particular service providers, subcontractors, or partners involved in the organisation of the Competition.
e) The above limitations of liability shall not apply in the event of a claim for damages resulting from injury to life, physical integrity, or health.
The limitations and exclusions of liability provided for in this article also apply to:
- the Organisation's affiliates or partners,
- the members of its management bodies,
- its employees, agents, representatives, and auxiliary personnel,
- as well as service providers acting on its behalf in connection with the Competition.

ARTICLE 25: APPLICABLE LAW – LEGAL DISPUTES
Any Participant wishing to competition a decision of the jury, a change of category initiated by the Organisation or, more generally, any decision taken by the Organisation in connection with the Competition, must submit a detailed written request.
This request must be sent by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt to the Organisation at the Competition Address within four (4) business days of the announcement of the results or notification of the decision contested by the Organisation, under penalty of forfeiture of the claim.
The Organisation undertakes to examine any request made in good faith. If no response is received within one (1) month of receipt of the complaint, the Participant's appeal will be considered rejected.
In the event of any dispute relating to these Regulations, and in particular if a Participant's appeal initiated under the above conditions has been – explicitly or implicitly – rejected, the parties undertake to attempt amicable conciliation, which is a mandatory prerequisite for any legal action.
To this end, the Participant and the Organisation undertake to exchange written correspondence and, if necessary, to organise a meeting (in person or remotely) within fifteen (15) days of receipt of the request for conciliation by the other party. If no amicable agreement is reached within one (1) month of the initiation of the conciliation procedure, each party shall regain its freedom of action and may then refer the matter to the competent court.
If no amicable agreement can be reached, any dispute relating to the Competition shall be submitted to the competent courts of Lyon.
These rules are subject to French law. They are written in French, which is the only language that shall be considered authentic in the event of a dispute over their interpretation.