RAISE A GLASS
HERE’S an opportunity to raise a very large glass of something to People Power!
On Monday, Britain’s Got Talent finalist and comedian Steve Royle, took to the virtual stage to announce the latest winners of the People’s Choice Drinks Awards.
It’s an awards process I have a lot of time for because it’s you, the consumers, who take the first steps to choosing these winning wines and spirits across the year.
This time around even a worldfamous pop idol, Kylie Minogue, “took away” a handful of gongs.
Kylie Minogue’s new Margaret River Australian Chardonnay came out tops in the Treat Yourself White category.
The wine has been described as having “layers of fruit flavours from fresh peach, to ripe pear and citrus zest” and is launched exclusively in this country in March (£20, online at winedelivered.co.uk).
The People’s Choice Drinks Awards were launched in 2017 to guide the average consumer to the occasion they are buying for – even if it’s a night in with a pizza.
Janet Harrison, co-creator of the awards, explains: “We believe linking these awards to ‘drinking moments’ is a simpler way of classifying wines to help shoppers make more informed decisions.”
Which explains why Kylie’s wine won the category “Treat Yourself White” and Kylie Minogue Signature Rosé (£9, Tesco and winedelivered.co.uk) is the winner of the Vegan Friendly section. I’m pleased you gave a ‘thumbs-up’ to a couple of wines I featured a few months ago, from Romanian producer Cramele Recas.
Incanta Pinot Noir 2019 (£7.99, or £5.99 in a buy six deal at Majestic) has won The Great Outdoors category, and its sister wine, Wine Atlas Feteasca Regala 2019 (£5.25, Asda) wins the top White for Aromatic & Asian Cuisine. And rightly so – it is lemony and peachy with a tiny bit of spice.
The People’s Choice Drinks Awards enlists enthusiastic consumers in the judging process. People apply to take part and are then helped in the judging process by members of the drinks’ trade.
This year, that included Helena Nicklin, Aidy Smith and Colin Hampden-white of The Three Drinkers and Amelia Singer from The Wine Show.
Back to the awards. Accolades also went to Aldi’s Veuve Monsigny Brut NV (£12.99) which was runner-up in the Fabulous Fizz – Best Champagne category, behind
The Society’s Champagne Brut Non-vintage (£34,
The Wine Society).
One of my favourite English sparkling wines,
Black Chalk Classic 2016 (RRP £35 atblackchalkwine.co.uk and The Wine Society) won the Fabulous Fizz – Sparkling Wine (UK) category.
This is the first year spirits have been included in the awards. Categories include Gin Fusion, Rum: Spice up your Life, Easy Weekday Whisky and The Classic G&T.
This last category received a bumper crop of entries and was won by The World’s Best Gin No3 from Berry Brothers (£36, available from Amazon).
■ For the full list of winners: peopleschoicewineawards. com
■ Jane is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers. Find her online as One Foot in the Grapes.