International Wine Challenge

Christmas wines 2020

White wines for Christmas 2020: Eleven festive choices over £10

The Raise a Glass feature is published every week … my countdown to Christmas wines 2020 began in November.  Here’s my selection of Christmas white wines to buy over £10. Yay, we’re allowed to have some family time at Christmas after all. Maybe it’s worth pushing the boat out with some smashing wines! First up, […]

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Asda Extra Special Louis Bernard Premier Cru Champagne review

December 8th: Extra Special Louis Bernard Premier Cru Champagne

Wine Advent Calendar December 8th: Extra Special Louis Bernard Premier Cru Champagne It’s my daughter’s birthday today which calls for FIZZ. I know it’s Thursday but I can’t think of a better excuse. Look, tomorrow’s Friday so I’ll do fizz again. That’s a good excuse too. I’m coming down from a couple of weeks of

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The Co-operative Truly Irresistible Fiano 2014

Six Italian wines from the Co-op (and one Trophy winner!)

THE Co-op white wine Truly Irresistible Fiano 2014 has picked up the Great Value White under £7 trophy from the International Wine Challenge.  I spent an afternoon with the man who brought the wine to the shelves,  the Co-op’s Italian wines buyer,  Ben Cahill. First, I asked Ben what he would say to people who don’t buy Italian wines.

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Have fun with wine on Christmas Day

Christmas Day wine ideas for blushing pink prawn starters

I’m keeping everything simple for my Christmas Day wine countdown. If you’re into off-the-wall Christmas Day menus then you won’t find a wine and food matching pair here. My menu? A glass of fizz.  Then into a seafood starter such as a prawn cocktail, or my favourite … flash-fried Thai prawns. Then moving on to turkey

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Verdicchio International Wine Challenge winners

Marks & Sparks’ wines top Gold table in International Wine Challenge gongs

KEEP your eyes peeled on the supermarket shelves for a new raft of medal winners which have impressed judges in the International Wine Challenge. A total of 184 gold, silver and bronze medals have been awarded to supermarket own-brand wines, with Marks & Spencer trouncing the competition picking up 73 gongs, more than twice as many medals as

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Wine Press: Provence rosé wines … who needs excuses to perk up with a pink

Let’s talk about pinks. Yes; perhaps we associate rosé wine with summertime; but as the September weather has been a pleasant surprise we have an excuse to perk it up even more with a pink. The lightest of light pinks are those from Provence in the south of France, a region which has a wine-making history

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