The Drinks Business
11 January 2021 By Patrick Schmitt
One of the favourite grapes of the true wine connoisseur, Riesling comes in many types, from sparkling to dry, from medium to sweet. But our annual blind-tasting test showed that there are delights in all categories. Read on for an analysis of the results and a list of all the medallists from the 2020 competition.
If you want proof of Riesling’s versatility, then look at the spread of top medals in this year’s competition. Held for pure Riesling only, we had fantastic entries for sparkling wine, dry still wines, medium dry and sweet ones, including an outstanding Icewine at the end of the tasting. It shows that not only can Riesling be used to make a wide array of wine styles, but in each case, it can achieve excellence. This is rare in the wine world, where noble grapes tend to create something exceptional in one or two styles, with only Chenin Blanc, and perhaps Furmint, being other grape varieties
Kylie strikes Gold with Aussie Chardonnay 7th January, 2021 by Patrick Schmitt
Pop star Kylie Minogue has gained a Gold medal for her first Australian wine – a Chardonnay from Margaret River.
The Kylie Chardonnay gained a Gold medal in December’s Global Chardonnay Masters
Made by Howard Park’s chief winemaker Janice McDonald, the Chardonnay is due to launch in March this year and represents the first Australian wine in the Kylie Minogue range, which comprises a French white, red and two rosés, including a Côte de Provence.
The judges – who were myself, David Round MW and Patricia Stefanowicz MW had no idea of the source region, country, or producer, but we liked what we tasted, and awarded it a Gold medal, declaring the wine very good, especially within its retail price category, which was £20-£30.
The Drinks Business
14 December 2020 By Patrick Schmitt
We’ve rounded up 10 brilliant Riojas from this year’s Rioja Masters competition, taking in the top-scorers from a range of styles including white and red, young and old, while revealing some bargains on sale right now.
Our 10-strong selection below has been chosen to highlight the wonders of Rioja, which manages to craft inexpensive, fruity and juicy reds at amazing prices; serious, concentrated drops for important occasions, and fine, fully-mature, unique wines without charging the earth.
It’s also why our featured wines incorporate those that have spent barely any time ageing in oak barrels to those that have benefitted from several years, and it’s why the bottles below include some that are priced a little more than £5, to others than cost almost 20 times that sum.