As we bid farewell to Dry January now seems the perfect time to announce the winners of the International Wine Challenge 2016. This year 222 of the medals were awarded to supermarket own-brand wines, so we can get our hands on world-class wines with an affordable price tag!
If you’ve been shopping for wine at your local supermarket recently, you may have noticed the aisles are paved with bottles marked with gold, silver and bronze medals. These own-brand and exclusive wines are the winners of the world-renowned International Wine Challenge 2016, so get taste-testing!
In total, 222 medals were awarded to supermarket wines and in top spot were Marks & Spencer with a whopping 58 medals. Of these, ten were gold medals and included four Sherries from the Marks & Spencer Very Rare range, each costing an affordable £8.00 per half bottle.
A selection of their sparkling wines also won gold and are well worth a taste:
Marks & Spencer Graham Beck the Rhona Blanc de Blancs 2010 (£13.00)
Marks & Spencer Champagne Oudinot Sparkling Rosé (£27.00)
Marks & Spencer Oudinot Brut Vintage 2007 (£31.00)
In close second were Morrisons scooping up 36 medals and named the IWC Supermarket of the Year. The stand-out gold medal was for Morrisons Signature Chablis 1er Cru 2013, and at just £15, it should fly off the shelves.
Next up were Asda with an impressive haul of 34 medals, including a single Gold for their Noster Nobilis Priorat 2010, at a bargain price of £7.98.
Tesco followed suit with 31 gongs, including gold medals awarded to wines in their Tesco finest range, which we can say from experience has some delicious choices! The top two were the Tesco finest* Sancerre 2014 (£11.00) and its Tesco finest* Dessert Semillon 2009 (£6.00 per half-bottle).
Our favourite supermarket for finding decently priced food and drink, Aldi, took home 23 medals. They impressed across a range of styles and were awarded Golds for their exclusive ports, Maynard’s 40-Year-Old Tawny Port (£29.99), and Maynard’s LBV Port 2011 (£9.99).
For those Janes who aren’t port lovers, Aldi also picked up gongs for their red and white wines, keep your eyes peeled for them next time you shop.
Elsewhere, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and The Co-Operative also took home medals, head to the IWC website for the full list of winners and get taste-testing!
Charles Metcalfe, Co-Chairman of the IWC commented: “The results of the competition highlights how British shoppers really are spoiled for choice when it comes to picking up fantastic wines in their local supermarkets.
“Our judges have discovered some excellent own-brand and exclusive wines, whose quality often belies their modest price tags…These award-winning wines make great gifts. Or you can drink them!”
What is your favourite supermarket wine? Let us know! @tweetjanes
We had the chance to interview the wonderful Hannah, founder of Ava May Aromas. From…
On our list of recommended skills to learn in 2021, drawing had a pretty high…
2020 was a year of hardships for many of us. Millions of people saw their…
What Jane doesn’t love a bit of la Dolce Vita? Well, we found just the…
Famed fashion designer Virgil Abloh has teamed up with Nike to design a special outfits…
Though it may feel like it’s been going since Christmas, eight weeks of Love Island…