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Lidl champions at the 2021 Sommeliers Choice Awards

Discover Lidl’s world of award-winning wines, and you might find your next favorite wine there!

Retail chain Lidl took a total of 47 medals for its private label wines at the 2021 Sommeliers Choice Awards. Most of Lidl’s award-winning wines are priced under $10, proudly proving that good quality wines don’t always have to be ones with a large price tag. 

Over the past few years, many of us have stepped out of our comfort zone and started exploring wines from lesser-known areas or varietals we are not entirely familiar with. This has led to many realizing that good quality and high prices don’t always go hand in hand. In fact, private label wines have built quite a reputation for themselves, with their lower price points and high quality pours; Lidl being a case in point. Restaurants and retailers have successfully built their own private label brands - with many seeing a surge in demand for the same.

Out of the 47 medals procured by Lidl, 3 were gold medal winners, namely Dundalgan Irish Country Cream, Rosecreek Riesling Washington, and Allini Asti Spumante DOCG. 

lidl_awards_somm_choice_2021

Dundalgan Irish Country Cream

Irish Cream might not exactly be a wine, but who are we to turn away from some creamy goodness? The Dundalgan Irish Country Cream earned 91 points at the competition and is packed with notes of hazelnut, vanilla, and just the right amount of booziness. Many judges described it to be ‘fantastic on the rocks’. 

Rosecreek Riesling Washington

With 90 points to its name, the Rosecreek Riesling Washington is reminiscent of pleasant lime candy, with flavors of preserved apricot and chamomile. Judges at the Sommeliers Choice Awards recommend this wine to be paired alongside spicy food or seafood. 

2019 Allini Asti Spumante DOCG

Another 90 point wine, the 2019 Allini Asti Spumante DOCG is a great sparkling wine for the summer. Soft and creamy on the palate, the wine shows flavors of white peaches, white flowers, and lemon meringue. 

Now in its third year, the Sommeliers Choice Awards has become a benchmark for buyers and sommeliers when they are choosing wines for their lists. In fact, the competition’s Top 100 On-Premise wine list is one of the leading wine lists for sommeliers, buyers, and drinkers to rely on. If you’re looking for a wine recommendation before heading over to your favorite restaurant,  you know where to look. 

Each wine is judged on the basis of five parameters: food pairing ability, typicity, quality, value, and packaging. Just like every year, this year’s judging panel was built on strong ground, consisting of some of the best Sommeliers, Master Sommeliers, buyers, and wine experts. For the first time ever, the 2021 edition of the competition saw 20 Master Sommeliers come together to taste some of the most notable wines from all over the world. 

These judges come with years of experience in the industry and are responsible for making day-to-day buying decisions for their respective establishments. Therefore, they know what we like to drink, and know for sure what we would love to try next. 

Some of the preeminent names on the judging panel were Gillian Ballance MS DWS - Master Sommelier and Education Manager at Treasury Wine Estates; Ira Harmon MS - Master Sommelier and Fine Wine Specialist at Vin Sauvage, Las Vegas, NV; Rachel Lowe - Director of Beverage for Levy Restaurants, Chicago, IL; Koen Masschelein - Director Of Food And Beverage at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Yountville, CA, and many more

While this has been a great achievement for Lidl’s wines, the retailer is no stranger to awards. In 2020, Lidl took home a total of 69 awards at the USA Wine Ratings. Lidl’s wines also impressed judges at the San Francisco International Wine Competition in 2020 where they earned themselves 73 medals. 

Lidl’s triumph at wine competitions and awareness amongst drinkers has opened up a wider market for private label wines, with more and more retailers like Aldi and Trader Joe’s getting in the game. Master of Wine Adam Lapierre, who is the Wine Director at Lidl USA continues to curate shelves of top-quality wines from around the world for the retail chain. According to Beverage Trade Network, these wines typically sell out in a matter of days, since many people can’t get enough of the unbeatable quality and value. 

With more than 11,000 stores across 32 countries, Lidl continues to change the drinker’s perception of supermarket wines - making people want to stock up on the excellent $10 wines being offered. 

Product Award  
Dundalgan Irish Country Cream Gold  
Rosecreek Riesling Washington Gold  
Allini Asti Spumante DOCG Gold  
Caladeverde Nero d'Avola DOP BIO Silver  
Allini Prosecco Spumante DOC 2019 Silver  
Viajero Moscato Mediterráneo Silver  
Viajero Pink Moscato Mediterráneo Silver  
Sinful Grin Petite Sirah California Silver  
Rosecreek Bordeaux Superieur AOP Silver  
Allini Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG Silver  
Rosecreek Cabernet Sauvignon Australia Silver  
Northern Sky Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2017 Silver  
Allini Moscato Vino Spumante di Qualita Del Tipo Aromatico Dolce Silver  
Waldenhoff Pinot Chardonnay Vino Spumante Brut Silver  
Rosecreek Malbec Argentina N/V Silver  
Rosecreek Merlot Australia Silver  
Sierra Pines Pinot Grigio California Silver  
Rosecreek Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand Silver  
Giulio Pasotti Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie DOC Silver  
Rosecreek Saint Emilion Grand Cru AOP Silver  
Malbec Gran Reserva Valle Del Rapel Chile Silver  
Luxman Riesling German White Wine Silver  
Rosecreek Beaujolais Villages AOP Silver  
Hachon Verdejo Rueda DO Silver  
Giulio Pasotti Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie DOC Silver  
Northwest Vintage Chardonnay Columbia Valley Silver  
Rosecreek Cabernet Sauvignon Chile N/V Silver  
Rosecreek Shiraz Australia N/V Silver  
Chardonnay Reserva Privada Valle Central Chile Silver  
Cepa Lebrel Reserva Rioja DO Silver  
Sierra Pines Merlot California N/V Silver  
Allini Pinot Grigio Rose Sparkling Silver  
Merlot Reserva Privada Valle Central Chile Silver  
Sierra Pines Chardonnay California Silver  
Untamed Vine Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley Bronze  
Amorany Gran Cuvee Brut Cava Bronze  
Chevalier de Fauvert Chardonnay Pays D'oc IGP Bronze  
Conde Noble Vino Rosado Bronze  
Rosecreek Macon Villages AOP Bronze  
Rosecreek Chardonnay Australlia Bronze  
Sierra Pines Cabernet Sauvignon California Bronze  
Sierra Pines Shiraz California Bronze  
Viajero Moscato Tinto Mediterraneo DO Bronze  
Gold & Grape Sweet Red California Bronze  
Gold & Grape Moscato California Bronze  
Sangria Bronze  
The Blissful Bird Moscato California Bronze  

Header Image: LIDL, source: Supermarket News

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