The results for the International Wine Challenge™ 2023, have recently been released. Over 40 countries entered, with thousands of wines, all of which were evaluated in a blind taste test by a panel of international experts. Over 6,000 wines received accolades. While well-established wine-producing countries like France, Australia, and Spain secured a prominent position in the medal tally, unexpected surprises were seen with the Netherlands winning its first silver medal and Egypt and Denmark taking their first bronze medals.
There’s an article and search on the IWC web site. However, these details aren’t much use for those interested in knowing about the affordable medal-winning wines and their respective suppliers. I have managed to find a more comprehensive report, available as a press release PDF, that lists the more affordable wines.
UK supermarkets secured a total of 287 medals, of which 210 were bestowed upon their own-label wines. For own-label ranges, Asda and Tesco jointly topped the list with 63 medals each. Tesco and Aldi both took two Golds for their own-label wines, while Marks and Spencer, Co-op, and Morrisons were each awarded one. Fortified wines from Tesco, Aldi, and Morrisons also received recognition.
Marks and Spencer was the only supermarket to win a Gold medal for an own-label still wine, M&S Collection Susana Balbo Malbec 2022. Co-op uniquely received this honour for a sparkling wine with its Co-op Les Pionniers Vintage Champagne 2013. See the PDF to see what were considered to be the outstanding wines at affordable prices.
