British supermarkets take top medals at International Wine Challenge andmedal results show UK wine industry expanding beyond the south
With lockdown restrictions easing and social diaries quickly filling up with picnics, BBQs and dinnerparties, we’ll all be looking to find the perfect bottle to share with friends and family. Luckily, theInternational Wine Challenge, the world’s most influential, impartial and rigorously judged winecompetition, has just announced the winners of this year’s competition, many of which are available
to pick up at your local supermarket or independent wine merchant.
Thousands of wines from over 50 countries were judged by a panel of international wine experts in arigorous two-week blind tasting, run under Covid safe measures, in London, this April, with the bestwines awarded medals to help consumers make great wine choices.
Award-winning consumer choice at UK supermarkets
UK supermarkets revealed the quality available on their wine aisles, with 591 medals awarded
overall, 430 of which were for own label wines. Morrisons lists the highest number of award-winners– 109 in total – with Tesco hot on its heels with 108.
Aldi and Tesco achieved the most Gold Medals for own label wines, bringing home two Golds each,
Aldi for its Pinot Vigilante Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019 and Fletchers 40 Year Old Tawny Port NVand Tesco for the Tesco Finest Tingleup Riesling 2020 and Tesco Finest Margaux 2015. Morrisons
took home Gold for Morrisons The Best Amarone 2017 and Waitrose was awarded the only Gold
medal for an own-label sherry, Waitrose & Partners Nº1 Fino del Puerto Don Luis.
‘Each year, a dedicated, expert team of judges at the International Wine Challenge tastes thousandsof wines in order to find the very best in class. An International Wine Challenge medal sticker helps
consumers navigate the wide range of wines available on supermarket shelves in the UK and gives
them confidence to make informed wine choices every time they buy.’ Helen McGinn, Co-Chair of theInternational Wine Challenge.
The Magnificent Seven: Supermarket Gold Medal Winners

Tesco Finest Tingleup Riesling
2020, £9.00 Tesco

Paul Mas Réserve Languedoc
Blanc 2020, £9.39 Waitrose

Pinot Vigilante Central Otago
Pinot Noir 2019, £9.99 Aldi

Morrisons The Best Amarone2017, £16 Morrisons

Waitrose & Partners Nº1 Fino delPuerto Don Luis, £11.99 Waitrose

Fletchers 40 Year Old TawnyPort, £34.99 Aldi

Tesco Finest Margaux 2015,£22 Tesco

Overall own label supermarket medals
Supermarket Own Label Wines GoldMorrisons
1Tesco2Aldi
2Marks & Spencer
0Asda
0Waitrose
1Co-op0SPAR0Silver20
16
21
124
94Bronze
46
49
33
35
24
15
110

13

Commended Total
30
97
25
92
1773
1259
1240
429
520
720Great Value, Guaranteed
The IWC also announced the winners of its IWC Great Value Award winners, which saw three
Waitrose own brand wines receiving Great Value Awards, closely followed by Morrisons and Tesco.
IWC Great Value Award winners 2021
IWC Great Value Awards
2021
White under £8White between £8 and £12

White under £15

WineMorrisons Soave 2020
Paul Mas Réserve Languedoc
Blanc 2020
Klein Constantia Sauvignon Blanc
2019

PriceStockist£4.35 Morrisons£9.39 Waitrose£14.99 Majestic, LokiWines, The
Drinkshop.com

Rosé under £8
Rosé between £8 and £12
Rosé Under £15
Red under £9
Red between £9 and £13
Red Under £15
Sparkling under £12
Sparkling between £12 and£20
Sparkling between £12 and£20
Sweet under £8
Sweet under £8Fortified between £8 and £12

Pierrick Harang Wine, Le Rosé deBalthazar 2020
Maison Mirabeau, Pure 2020
Les Domaines Paul Mas, Jardinde Roses 2020
Côtes du Rhône Plan de Dieu
2019
Bodega Norton, Winemakers
Reserve Malbec 2019
C.V.N.E, Maruxa Mencia 2019
Waitrose & Partners No.1
Castillo Peralada Cava Brut 2018
Tesco Finest Premier Cru
Champagne NVLouis Vertay Brut Champagne NVMorrisons The Best Botrytis
Semillon 2017
Tesco Finest Dessert Semillon2017Waitrose & Partners Nº1 Finodel Puerto Don Luis NV
Graham's LBV 2015

Fortified Under £15
Fortified Under £15

Waitrose & Partners No.1Reserve Tawny Port NV£7.99 Waitrose£11.99 Majestic£13.49 Waitrose£8.00 Asda

£12.99 Waitrose£13.75 Majestic£10.79 Waitrose£18.00 Tesco£17.00 Marks & Spencer£7.25 Morrisons£6.00 Tesco
Waitrose£11.99£13.45 Asda, The Whisky
Exchange,Morrisons,Waitrose£13.99 Waitrose

Quality of English and Welsh wine rises
While the south of England remains Britain’s wine heartland, medal-winning wines are now being
produced throughout the nation, extending out from the established south. Medals were awarded
to wines in Staffordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire and Derbyshire as well as Conwy, Powys andMonmouthshire in Wales.
With such a strong medal haul, Great Britain has once again ranked in 8th position worldwide forGold Medals. Wines from 21 counties across England and Wales were awarded medals including 12Gold, 48 Silver, 58 Bronze and 18 Commended.
Shropshire winery, Hencote, took this year’s only Gold medal for an English still wine, awarded to ared wine - Mark I 2018, made from a blend of Pinot Noir, Précoce and Rondo grapes. In particular,
there was a notable boost for Staffordshire, which received six medals this year, including one Silver,
two Bronze and three Commended, compared with only one Commended award last year.
Kent led the medal wins for English wines with 30 medals, three of which were Gold and also tookhome the English Sparkling Trophy with The Squerryes Partnership Squerryes Blanc de Blancs
2014, which also won the English Sparkling Blanc de Blancs Trophy. The English Sparkling Classic
Blend Trophy was awarded to Squerryes Brut 2011.

In Hampshire three Gold medals went to Hattingley Valley, Raimes English Sparkling Wine andGrange Estate Wines. The latter was also awarded the English Non-Vintage Sparkling Rosé Trophy
for The Grange Hampshire Pink NV.
Roebuck Estates and Artelium in Sussex, Greyfriars Vineyard and High Clandon Estate Vineyard in
Surrey and Camel Valley in Cornwall were also recipients of Gold medals. Roebuck Estates also
received the English Vintage Sparkling Rosé Trophy for its Rosé de Noirs 2016.
Oz Clarke, one of the six co-chairs for the International Wine Challenge and author of ‘English Wine’commented: ‘Over the past few decades, it’s been incredible to witness the progress Great Britain
has been making on the world stage for its wine, especially the sparkling wines from southern
England. What’s really exciting to see now however, is the quality of wines we are tasting from otherregions in the UK and the diverse styles being produced there.’
The full list of award-winners in the 2021 International Wine Challenge released on 17th May can beseen here. The IWC Champions 2021 winners, which are selected following a re-tasting of all trophywinning wines by the IWC Co-Chairs, will be revealed at the IWC 2021 Awards announcement onWednesday 30th June.
ENDS--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------NOTES TO EDITORS:The International Wine Challenge
In its 38th year, the International Wine Challenge is accepted as the world’s most rigorous, impartial and influential winecompetition. The International Wine Challenge assesses every wine ‘blind’ and judges each for its faithfulness to style, region
and vintage. Awards include medals (Gold, Silver, Bronze) and Commended awards. Trophies are awarded to the very bestwines in each category. The International Wine Challenge is committed to helping consumers discover great wine, and themedals displayed on winning bottles offer a trusted guarantee of quality.
For more information on the IWC, please contact the IWC team at Phipps
iwc@thisisphipps.com : +44 (0) 20 7759 7400

International Wine Challenge Results 2021: Top 10 Countries ranked by Gold medal wins
CountryGold

SilverBronze

Commended

France

77

419

681

205

Australia

49261

294

83

Spain

38

207

462

249

Portugal

26

165

288

116

Italy

17166

446

242

Argentina

1487

129

39

South Africa

1357

136

79

Great Britain

1248

58

18

Austria1135

24

9New Zealand

976

15154

Overall supermarket medals (including own label wines)
Supermarket

Gold

SilverBronze

Commended

Total

Morrisons

12054

34

109

Tesco

22156

29108

Asda

0

943

3284

Aldi

222

34

2179

Waitrose

2

1935

20

76

Marks & Spencer

0

1235

1259

Co-op

0

618

630

SPAR

02

17

1029

Lidl

03

12217