Affordable award-winning wines for Christmas: Aldi and Sainsbury's triumph
If you're looking for a special wine for Christmas, then you don't need a posh wine shop, because the supermarket own brands have taken an astonishing number of gold medals in the Oscars of the wine world.
The highly prestigious International Wine Challenge has released its medal winners of the best wines in the UK, and the supermarkets' own-brands have scored an incredible 222 wins. These aren't just fancy wines from Marks & Spencer (although they have done phenomenally well), there are also wines from mid-range supermarkets like Morrisons, and even discounters like Aldi.
Not only that, but you don't have to break the bank to bring home a medal winner either, because the winners include one white wine for less than £7 (from Aldi) and a sweet white wine for just £5 (from Sainsbury's).
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Charles Metcalfe, Co-Chairman of the IWC said: "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. With the festive period just around the corner, these award-winning wines make great gifts. Or you can drink them!"
Marks & Spencer topped the medals table - with 10 gold medals, and 58 gold, silvers and bronzes. The gold winners were:
Marks and Spencer Mineralstein Riesling 2014 (£10.00)
Marks and Spencer Oudinot Rosé (£27.00)
Marks and Spencer 10 Year Old Tawny Port (£16.00)
Marks & Spencer Da Vinci Vin Santo 2008 (£20.00)
Marks & Spencer Oudinot Brut Vintage 2007 (£31.00)
Marks and Spencer Very Rare Palo Cortado (£8.00 per half-bottle)
Marks and Spencer Very Rare Dry Old Amontillado (£8.00 per half-bottle)
Marks and Spencer Very Rare Oloroso (£8.00 per half-bottle)
Marks and Spencer Very Rare Pedro Ximenez (£8.00 per half-bottle)
Marks & Spencer Graham Beck The Rhona Blanc de Blancs 2010 (£13.00)
Next was Morrisons, with 36 medals - including three golds. It's worth noting, however, that two of the three golds were for sherries:
Morrisons Signature Chablis 1er Cru 2013 (£15)
Morrisons Signature Oloroso Dry (£6.00 per half-bottle)
Morrisons Signature Pedro Ximénez (£6.00 per half-bottle)
Asda was third, with 34 medals - including one gold:
Exclusive to Asda – Noster Nobilis Priorat 2010 (£7.98)
In fourth place was Tesco, with 31 medals - including two golds:
Tesco finest* Dessert Semillon 2009 (£6 per half-bottle)
Tesco finest* Sancerre 2014 (£11)
Fifth went to Aldi, with 23 medals - including four golds:
Aldi The Exquisite Collection Hunter Valley Semillon 2013 (£6.99)
Exclusive to Aldi – Lot 08 Colchagua Carmenere 2012 (£9.99)
Exclusive to Aldi – Maynard's 40 Year Old Tawny Port (£29.99)
Exclusive to Aldi – Maynard's LBV Port 2011 (£9.99)
Sixth was Sainsbury's. including one Gold:
Winemakers' Selection by Sainsbury's Moscatel de Valencia (£5)
Waitrose was seventh - with no golds, but 15 silver and bronze medals; and The Co-operative was eighth with no golds, but eight silvers and bronzes.
