JANE CLARE

and another from Romania.

Says Janet: “It is fantastic to see so much love and enthusiasm for the competition.”

This year, the wines up for judging doubled in number, with more national supermarkets involved, such as Aldi, Lidl, M&S, the Co-op, Booths and Waitrose.

On the night, all the nominated wines were lined up to taste, before the winners were announced. I was pleased to see several which have graced this corner of the written wine world.

It was also fabulous to meet

people from wine retailers, merchants and winemakers, who were over the moon that consumers had voted for them to be there. They can’t succeed without you.

As there were 28 categories, I can’t do all the winners justice here, so here’s a tasty handful of them.

First, a high five to Best Supermarket of the Year, Booths, while the Wine Society came out tops as Online Retailer of the Year.

I mentioned the Girls Night In award, and it was won by

Bird in Hand Pinot Noir Rosé

(£10,49, down from £13.99 until February 18 at Waitrose).

It’s an Australian pink, with notes of strawberry

and cherry blossom. Ah, lovely.

The wine which won the accolade for Food Friendly Wines – White for Easy Weekday Meals is another from Oz –

awards, including one for

Botham 76 Series Margaret River Chardonnay

(£9, down from £11 at Tesco until February 24).

The winner of Bargain Buys was created in Romania by Cramele Recas. You’ll find it at several retailers including online at Tanners (£7.50).

The Wine Society picked up three wine gongs and one that’s soft, low in alcohol and with a tease of a spring breeze and peaches, is

Paparuda Pinot Grigio, Moscato d’Asti, Elio Perrone, 2018

(£8.50). It won the Mindful Drinking prize, which embraces low/no alcohol. The Co-op also picked up three

Co-op Fairtrade Irresistible Organic Malbec

(£7.50) – one of my favourite reds – which was the winner of the Back to Nature category.

I gave you a nod last week that (£11, from Marks & Spencer) was nominated in a Fabulous Fizz category. It was beaten to the prize in the “sparkling wine, rest of the world” award by its sister wine,

(£15.99, or £11.99 in a buy six deal at Majestic).

■ For more details, and the full list of winners, go to peopleschoicewineawards.com

■ Jane is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers. Find her on social media and online as One Foot in the Grapes.

The Rhona Brut Rosé Rosé NV Graham Beck Brut