Designed and Manufactured in the UK While we’ve all had our moments when we’ve been a bit ashamed to take out a supermarkets own brand from the wine rack at a get-together, the days of embarrassment are soon to be a thing of the past, as some of the UK’s cheapest wine is declared ‘phenomenal’ by a panel of judges.
Too long have we been put out of pocket for a single bottle of wine that doesn’t even taste that great and too many of us have fallen victim to the invisible yet classic ‘buy me I’m expensive’ sticker plastered on the front of the bottle; now it’s time to fight back with Aldi and Asda standing proudly by our side.
With Aldi’s delicious £5.25 Caversham Cream Sherry being the most affordable to win gold and Asda’s £6 own brand Koru Sauvignon Blanc 2012 from New Zealand receiving the same praise at the IWC (international wine challenge) it proves that we don’t have to break the bank to get a decent bottle of wine anymore.
Co-Chairman of IWC, Charles Metcalfe, said: “The calibre of wines from the supermarket own-brand ranges has been phenomenal this year and it is great to see them picking up top prizes across all styles.”
“From delicious champagnes to tremendous sherries, shoppers can find some lovely wines in the aisles. Each year the quality of the supermarket own-brand wines gets better and better. Long gone are the days when you might be embarrassed to take an own-brand wine to a dinner party.”
Tesco, Waitrose, Morrison’s, Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury’s were also amongst the supermarkets who received gold medals for their collection of own-brand wines. The competition these supermarkets were entered into saw supermarkets presented with around 360 medals, wow!
M&S reached the top of the scoring board with an impressive six gold’s, 50 silvers and 82 bronzes while Waitrose received three gold medals for its selection of champagne including Brut Special Reserve Vintage (£30.99) and Blanc de Noirs Brut (£21.99).
Remarkably, these champagnes were compared with Pommery NV’s 2002 Cuvee Louise (£115) and was said to be just as good!
In addition, Britain’s wine developers enjoyed a record year at the 2014 awards with gold medals being awarded to vineyards in Kent, Cornwall and Sussex.
Out of all of the contestants, Cornwall had the most impressive and successful year and received two gold medals for its fantastic selection of sparkling wines. Mr Metcalfe commented: “The conditions in England’s Southern Counties are perfect for creating excellent sparkling wines and drinkers are increasingly discovering that our local vineyards have plenty to offer.”
However, it’s not just wines that Aldi wowed the judges with in this year’s competition, their dry gin proved incredibly popular in comparison to other more expensive brands including Dodd’s Gin and London No.1.
Managing Director for Corporate Buying at Aldi, Giles Hurley, said the award Aldi received was a “massive achievement” and added “As gin becomes increasingly popular, we’re pleased to show that you don’t need to pay superstar prices for excellent quality drinks.”
To see the full list of most affordable own-brand wines to receive a gold medal, please visit The Telegraph.
