Setting the Gold Standard Since 1922
For the ancient Greeks, who started modern wine culture, competitions served to drive excellence and forge new connections among people. Today, competition can bring people together as they celebrate the best of the best – including wine, distilled beverages, aged cheeses and extra virgin olive oils.
For more than 100 years, the Los Angeles International Competitions have bestowed gold medals to the best wines, spirits, olive oils and dairy products from around the globe, showcasing the winners at the LA County Fair.
Judged by an array of the finest palates in the world, the ensuing scrutiny can result in catapulting a little-known product to worldwide fame or reiterate the staying power of a traditional label.
Why Enter the Los Angeles International Competitions?
Combining an impressive list of the world’s finest judging professionals and an international array of entries, the Los Angeles International Competitions has cemented itself as the premier wine, spirits, evoo and dairy competition.
- LAIC hosts the original Los Angeles Wine Competition, celebrating its 89th anniversary in 2024
- We have staying power and a sterling reputation: we’ve been operating the Dairy Competition since 1922
- Exposure to more than nearly 100,000 visitors to our websites and 375,000 followers on social media
- Opportunity to participate at Cheers: LA’s Wine, Spirits & Beer Festival, a fundraiser for The Learning Centers at Fairplex that draws an audience of more than 1,000 guests in June
- Featured at the LA County Fair, one of the largest fairs and festivals in the U.S., with more than 750,000 guests annually
- The opportunity for your product to be featured in The Marketplace, the Fair’s hub for all things wine, spirits, evoo and dairy. Your product can be tasted by thousands of Fair guests!
- The Marketplace also offers public education classes featuring select LAIC medal winners and industry experts
- Marketed in the Fair’s public relations and marketing collateral, including it’s $2.4 million earned media (2023) and $2 million paid media efforts (2023)
2024 COMPETITION CALENDAR
Competition Live – December 1
Early-Bird Deadline – February 3
Entry Deadline – April 5
Entry Take-In – April 8-12
Competition Judging Day – Saturday, April 13
LA County Fair – May 3-27, 2024
Display of all award-winning wines, spirits extra virgin olive oils and dairy products in the competition. The tasting of gold medal wines and extra virgin olive oil tasting. Public education seminars featuring award-winning wines, spirits, extra virgin olive oil and dairy products in The Marketplace.
Fairplex Presents Cheers – June 2024
A special public event celebrating the winners of the Los Angeles International Wine, Spirits, Dairy and Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competitions.
2024 Traditional Competitions Documents
2024 Guidelines and Information | 2024 Dairy Entry Form | 2024 Dairy Calendar |
2024 Special Competitions Documents
2024 Dairy Sticker Request Form |
Categories
Cheese Categories | Cultured Liquid Products and Butter Categories | Fluid, Milk and Cream Categories | Frozen Dairy Dessert Categories |
2024 International Rules and Shipping Guidelines
Coming Soon
2024 COMPETITION CALENDAR
Competition Live – December 1
Early-Bird Deadline – February 3
Entry Deadline – April 5
Entry Take-In – April 8-12
Competition Judging Day – Saturday, April 13
LA County Fair – May 3-27, 2024
Display of all award-winning wines, spirits extra virgin olive oils and dairy products in the competition. The tasting of gold medal wines and extra virgin olive oil tasting. Public education seminars featuring award-winning wines, spirits, extra virgin olive oil and dairy products in The Marketplace.
Fairplex Presents Cheers – June 2024
A special public event celebrating the winners of the Los Angeles International Wine, Spirits, Dairy and Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competitions.
2024 Traditional Competitions Documents
2024 Guidelines and Information | 2024 Dairy Entry Form | 2024 Dairy Calendar |
2024 Special Competitions Documents
2024 Dairy Sticker Request Form |
Categories
Cheese Categories | Cultured Liquid Products and Butter Categories | Fluid, Milk and Cream Categories | Frozen Dairy Dessert Categories |
2024 International Rules and Shipping Guidelines
Coming Soon
Judges
Kain Marzalado
Kain Marzalado
Los Angeles International Dairy Competition
Chairman
Kain Marzalado is a cheese professional residing from Chicago, Illinois. Since 2012 he has held numerous roles in the industry and has worked alongside such prestigous organizations as the American Cheese Society and IDDBA. He served as Judge of the Los Angeles International Dairy Competition in 2023 and is honored to preside as Chair of the competition in 2024.
Phil Lawrence
Phil is an American Cheese Society (ACS) Certified Cheese Professional (2014), and resident of Oak Park, IL. He has 14 years of experience as a Cheese Monger with Whole Foods Market in the Midwest Region. He competed in the Cheese Monger Invitational (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019) and is honored to have been selected as a judge for the historic and prestigious Los Angeles International Dairy Competition.
ENTRY FORMS
How to enter
- Determine the products(s) you wish to enter.
- Note entry deadline and entry fee.
- Determine Division and Categories.
- Complete the online entry form once available.
2024 Shipments Accepted: April 8-12
Ship or deliver your product(s) with entry form and fees to:
Los Angeles International Dairy Competition
1101 W. McKinley Ave.
Pomona, CA 91768
Shipping Label Coming Soon
2024 Dairy Entry Form
2024 Dairy Guidelines and Information
2024 International Rules and Shipping Guidelines
2024 Dairy Awards
Thank you to all of the producers in the 102nd Anniversary Los Angeles International Dairy Competition. The 2024 Dairy competition was held on April 13th and received 275 products. There were a total of 48 Best of Class, 131 Gold Medal Awards, 69 Silver Medal Awards and 30 Bronze Medal Awards. A special congratulations to Joseph Farms Cheese, Special Reserve, Extra Sharp, Aged Cheddar Cheese, USA received the Best Cheese of the Competition Award. The 2024 competition received dairy products from the United States of America.
2024 Dairy Winners
Competition Awards | Downloadable Medals | Downloadable Packaging Design Medals |
2024 Awards by Brand | Best of Class | Gold |
2024 Awards by Medal | Best of Division | Silver |
2024 Awards by Product Type | Gold | Bronze |
Silver | ||
Bronze |
2023 Dairy Winners
Competition Awards | Downloadable Medals | Downloadable Packaging Design Medals |
2023 Awards by Company | Best of Class | |
2023 Awards by Medal | Gold | Gold |
2023 Awards by Product Type | Silver | Silver |
Bronze | Bronze |
News & Publicity
2020 Dairy Competition Winners
2019 Dairy Competition Winners
2018 Dairy Competition Winners
Sticker Request Form
2023 Dairy Sticker Request Form
2022 Dairy Sticker Request Form
Downloadable Medals & Logos
Gold |
Silver |
Bronze |
If you have any questions or require additional information please contact:
Leah Duran
Phone: (909) 865-4260
Email: duran@fairplex.com