Own label and Italy top the IWSC results
For those that don't know, the IWSC (International Wine and Spirit Competition) promotes the quality and excellence of the world’s best wines, spirits and liqueurs. Medals featured on winning bottles assure consumers that they are purchasing an award winning wine judged by some of the world’s leading drinks experts.
And so this year the results for the Northern Hemisphere show that own label brands from supermarkets and convenience stores were leading the results tables. Gold winners were as follows:-
A Gold Outstanding medal went to the following:- Tesco Finest Vintage Champagne 2007 retailing at £24.99 and Marks and Spencer's Manzanilla Sherry at £6.99. Gold Medals went to Sainsbury's Taste the difference Oloroso 12 Year Old at £12.99 and Morrisons Fino retailing at £5.49. So the sherries struck gold.
And elsewhere it was the Italian wine producers who topped the medal leader board with 780 medals, with 20 Gold and 13 Gold Outstanding. But is it quality or quantity? The reigning winners France although beaten by Italy this year with the number of medals (780 vs 765) still won the most Gold and Gold Outstanding medals overall.
Canada did well with 217 medals. Back in Blighty Nutbourne Vineyards Nutty Brut 2011 and Nyetimbers Blanc de Blanc 2007 both won Golds. And what of China the new boy on the block? Well they by no means swept the leader board but they won 8 medals this year which is an improvement on their 1 solitary medal last year! They are definitely a country to watch.
So look out for the IWSC medal winners stickers on bottles of wines to make sure you drink a winning glass of wine.