Christmas Sparkle: Supermarket Medal Winning Bubbles Announced to Give you some Festive Fizz this Christmas

December 4, 2013
The 31st International Wine Challenge announces its top bubbles for this festive period.

 
The International Wine Challenge today announces the medal winners from the first tasting session of the 2014 competition, including some very special sparklers, perfect for the party season and to suit every budget.
  • Silver medal winner Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage 2004 (RRP £42.99) is perfect for pushing the boat out this Christmas, but shoppers don’t need to break the bank to ensure their parties go with a bang.
  • Five supermarket own-brand sparklers were awarded much-coveted Silver medals at the prestigious competition. Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Vintage Cava Brut 2011 topped the great value chart retailing at £9.99 and is ideal for party quaffing.
  • Marks and Spencer also picked up four Silver medals for its own-brand bubbles. One that impressed the judges was the Josef Chromy NV sparkling Chardonnay from Australia, which retails at £20. Three exclusive non-vintage Champagnes from the premium retailer also scored highly. Marks and Spencer Charles Orban Blanc de Noirs (RRP £30.00), Louis Chaurey (RRP £32.00) and Didier Ducos Absolu Meunier (£36.00) were all rewarded Silver medals and are perfect for a touch of Christmas indulgence.
  • This string of medal wins completes a year of success for Marks and Spencer which was named the 2013 International Wine Challenge ‘Supermarket of the Year’.
  • Those keen to support British wine makers should seek out the Lily Farm Sparkling Rosé 2010 (£23.50), which received a Silver medal. This pink bubbly from a family-run Devon vineyard wowed the judges.
  • English sparkling wines have recently performed excellently at the International Wine Challenge, with three homegrown sparklers winning Gold medals at the 2013 competition.
  • After 30 years, the International Wine Challenge has made a fundamental change to its judging schedule, and will now be hosting two separate tastings throughout the year to accommodate the different production and sales schedules across the industry, giving winemakers a greater choice of when to enter their wines.
  • Tranche one has been added to the annual schedule and took place at the end of last month, and Tranche two will happen in April 2014, as in previous years.

Charles Metcalfe, Co-Chairman of the IWC commented:

“Nothing beats the sound of a sparkling wine cork popping during the festive period. Fizz is a must at Christmas! These fabulous fizzes are all great examples, and any one of them will delight your friends and family. Some of our medal winners are very reasonably priced, which proves you don’t have to splash out a lot of money to get some really special wines. These beauties should keep you smiling right into the New Year. We’re proud to have discovered some real bargains at this new November round of tasting.”

Charles Metcalfe continued:

“By hosting two separate tasting events across the year, we are ensuring that no matter where or when a wine is produced, it will be given the best possible chance for success. For some wines, six months of additional aging in bottle will be the difference between medal bands, and the implications of this could be huge for a winemaker. The quality of wine we saw at this new tranche has been excellent and we’re very excited about this new, improved schedule for the International Wine Challenge.”

To view the full list of results please visit the International Wine Challenge website: //www.internationalwinechallenge.com/

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S'inscrire
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