Awards25

Reviewed wines that gained awards in 2025.

  • Co-op Irresistible 30° Casablanca Valley Pinot Noir

    Co-op Irresistible 30° Casablanca Valley Pinot Noir

    I tasted this Pinot Noir as part of my awards25 series and it’s already made a strong impression, with a Gold at the IWC and a Bronze at the IWSC. It also previously won a Silver in the Pinot Noir Masters. The name 30° refers to its Chilean roots, highlighting the 30 degrees south latitude…

  • Taste the Difference Bio Bio Chilean Pinot Noir

    Taste the Difference Bio Bio Chilean Pinot Noir

    This was a real star from Sainsbury’s Spring Summer 2025 press tasting and I knew I had to revisit it properly on its own. Sourced from the Bio Bio Valley in Chile, this wine is made by Diego Covarrubias of Viña Indómita, a respected name in Chilean winemaking and a producer often praised by critic…

  • North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2023

    North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2023

    I first discovered this wine last year and it quickly became one of my top picks. It stood out not just in character, but as one of my outstanding wines by value. I had the chance to try the new 2023 vintage at the Asda Summer 2025 showcase, and while it still shone, I wanted…

  • WineGB Awards 2025

    WineGB Awards 2025

    The ninth edition of the WineGB Awards marked a significant milestone, with still wines surpassing sparkling wines in both entries and total medals awarded for the first time. Still wines made up 54% of the entries and won 161 medals, compared to 151 for sparkling wines. However, sparkling wines continued to dominate in terms of…

  • Decanter World Wine Awards 2025

    Decanter World Wine Awards 2025

    This year’s Decanter World Wine Awards, the world’s largest and most respected wine competition, saw wines from 57 countries judged by a historic panel of 248 international experts, including a record 22 Master Sommeliers and 72 Masters of Wine. From over 16,000 entries, 50 coveted Best in Show medals were awarded (just 0.3% of entries),…

  • Marks & Spencer Classics No. 37 Shiraz

    Marks & Spencer Classics No. 37 Shiraz

    This wine is part of the M&S Classics range, a line that draws on trusted wine styles from celebrated regions, with an eye on quality and accessibility. This 2024 vintage is from South Australia and comes with a strong showing in this year’s awards, having earned a Silver from the IWC and a Bronze from…

  • Renewed Curiosity of Awarded Wines

    Renewed Curiosity of Awarded Wines

    Before I became so deeply involved with wine through this site, I used to rely heavily on awards as a shortcut when choosing new wines. They felt like an easy, reassuring way to make decisions without having to look too deeply into the specifics. When I began mentioning wine awards more actively on social media…

  • Exceptional by Asda Grüner Veltliner

    Exceptional by Asda Grüner Veltliner

    This Austrian white caught my attention at the Asda Spring 2025 press tasting. It stood out immediately in a strong line-up and I was keen to take a closer look before it hits the shelves. It’s already just picked up a Bronze at the IWSC and it’s easy to see why. Made by Markus Huber…

  • Taste the Difference Crémant d’Alsace

    Taste the Difference Crémant d’Alsace

    Taste the Difference Crémant d’Alsace is made from 75% Pinot Blanc and 25% Pinot Gris from Alsace in France. This non-vintage wine sits at 12% ABV and undergoes its second fermentation in bottle, in the same way as Champagne, and is aged for 18 months on its lees. I first discovered it at the Sainsbury’s…

  • IWC Results Announced

    IWC Results Announced

    The International Wine Challenge (IWC) results are out. The IWC has reported that the quality of wines submitted in its latest competition has reached new levels. Despite challenges posed by climate change, such as erratic weather patterns and reduced yields, renowned wine regions and producers continue to deliver exceptional wines. Notable names like Maison Albert…

  • IWSC 2025 Results

    IWSC 2025 Results

    The IWSC 2025 results are now available. The very top Gold winners, each awarded a score of 97, are: tekhi – Gurjaani Wine FactoryGuremani Otskhanuri Sapere 2022Imereti, Georgia Morris WinesOld Premium Rare Muscat NVRutherglen, Victoria, Australia Bolero & CompanySabado Grand Khikhvi Qvevri 2023Gurjaani, Kakheti, Georgia Lo SparviereSylvò Extra Brut 2015Franciacorta, Lombardy, Italy Georgian Wines &…

  • Toro Loco Superior Rosé

    Toro Loco Superior Rosé

    When you have seen Toro Loco at Aldi you would be forgiven for thinking it’s one of their brands invented just for the supermarket shelf, but it’s very much the real thing. It’s produced by NVC Bodegas in Utiel-Requena, a region just inland from Valencia in Spain. This wine is the result of a community…

  • People’s Choice Wine Awards Results

    People’s Choice Wine Awards Results

    The results of the People’s Choice Wine Awards are out. These consumer-friendly categories attract wine submissions from all over the world, embracing all packaging formats and price points. Entries come from a wide range of sources, including importers, independent retailers, restaurants, bars, supermarkets, and producers. The judging process is a unique blend of expert knowledge…

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Did You Know?

In 2024, the UK was the second-largest export market for Champagne globally, after the United States. More

Local UK bottling of wine which represents about 40% of imported wine. More

Around 1% of people, typically severe asthmatics, have a sulphite sensitivity. More

A large 80% of Australian wine arrives in the UK in bulk. More

Only about 0.02% of Australia’s landmass is dedicated to vineyards. More

In 2024, New Zealand produced only 1% of the World’s wine. More

In 2024, the US imported 37% of World production of Pinot Grigio and the UK was is in second place at 27%. More

In 2024, the UK was South Africa’s largest export market, with 40% of total exports. More

In 2024, the United Kingdom imported 22.3 million bottles of Champagne, a decline of 12.7% compared to the previous year. More

Larger Champagne producers source grapes from as many as 80 different vineyards throughout Champagne. More

Champagne houses and growers collectively produce around 300 million bottles annually. More

In 2025, the Champagne region was home to about 2,124 Champagne houses and approximately 19,000 growers. More

Provence is one of the leaders in the conversion to organic viticulture, with 61% of vineyards certified. More

8% of the South Africa’s grape production is Fairtrade-certified. More

Up to 80% of wine aroma compounds come from grape skins. More

Glycerol is the third-largest component of most dry wines after water and alcohol which is why they so often feel ‘smooth’ or ‘silky’ in the mouth. More

Humans are more than 400 times more sensitive to bitter than sweet. More

Humans can detect the earthy molecule geosmin at about 100 parts per trillion and camels are so sensitive to it they can locate damp ground from roughly 50 miles away. More

During the phylloxera crisis of the nineteenth century, 90% of Europe’s vineyards were destroyed. More

In 2025, for La Vieille Ferme, also known as “The Chicken Wine”, sales surged by 49.4% to £110.8 million. More

In 2025, in the UK, Yellow Tail held the top position with sales, marking a 9.8% increase over the previous year. More

In 2024, the UK was the second-largest wine importer in volume and value. More

In 2024, the UK was the fifth-largest wine-consuming country globally. More

In 2025, global wine consumption continued its downward trend, estimated at 214.2 million hectolitres, the lowest since 1961. More

In 2025, online alcohol sales had a 20% increase in value over five years. More

In 2025, the number of UK vineyards rose to 1,104 and wineries to 238, with land under vine expanding to 4,841 hectares, a 510% increase since 2005. More

Moët Hennessy alone commands nearly 46.66% of the Champagne market, with the top three producers together holding about 61%, and the top five controlling over 72%. More

In 2024, the Champagne market was worth roughly €3.92 billion. More

In the marketing year 2023/24, white wine accounted for roughly 55% of Spain’s output, whereas red and rosé together made up about 45%. More

In the UK, 92% of wine is consumed within 48hrs of purchase. More

The majority of wines, 95%, use commercial rather than wild yeast. More

Between 0.5 and 10 litres of water, per litre of wine, are needed for cleaning during winemaking. More

Machine harvesting can achieve up to 100 tons of fruit per day vs 1 ton for a human. More

In Germany, 2025 was the smallest wine vintage since 2010. More

The majority of vineyards, 90% in 2019, are farmed with heavy chemical interventions. Only 6% are organic. More

90% of low and coastal areas in south Europe and California will no longer be able to produce good wine by the end of the century. More