An English red wine has scooped a coveted gold medal at the International Wine Challenge for the first time. The Red Miller 2018 is produced in Kent by Hush Heath, which used 100% Pinot Meunier grapes. This grape is generally used along with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to make sparkling wine and it is rarely seen as a key component in still red wine. Yet…

Australia is in the doldrums after slumping to its worst Olympics performance in decades and finishing 10th in the medals table. It followed a whitewash at the hands of Sri Lanka in the cricket and has sparked fury among the press Down Under, particularly as Great Britain did so well. “The poms are tearing us to Brits and pieces,” roared Fox Sports in an angry…

Morrisons is celebrating after being named Supermarket of the Year at the International Wine Challenge for the second year running. Last year was the first time the supermarket had won the coveted gong in the competition’s 29-year history. It was a reward for the way Mark Jarman’s wine sourcing team has overhauled its own label offering and packed the shelves full of medal winners at…

Asda and Morrisons have unveiled plans to fight back against the discounters by revamping their drinks retailing strategies. Aldi and Lidl’s aggressive march into the grocery channel has seen them steal large chunks of the BWS market in recent years, and Kantar figures for the year to March 2016 show them in growth as the traditional big four all suffered declining sales. Asda and Morrisons…

Supermarkets dominated the 2016 International Wine Challenge Great Value Awards, scooping 14 of the 17 gongs given out by the expert panel of blind tasters. Marks & Spencer led the field with four awards, while Asda, Tesco and Aldi all scooped two apiece. In 2014 and 2015 Tesco was top of the pile but Marks & Spencer is now reigning supreme. It won the best…

The Co-op’s Truly Irresistible wine range has picked up five medals at the latest International Wine Challenge (IWC) awards. The convenience retailer’s premium tier own-label range secured a Gold award for its Truly Irresistible Fiano 2014 (£6.99) at the Tranche 2 event. It also picked up two Silvers: one for its newest addition the Truly Irresistible Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2014 (£15.99), and also for its Bio Bio…

The International Wine Challenge has launched a mobile phone app to help consumers baffled by the so-called wall of wine. An IWC poll found that 61% of consumers describe their wine knowledge as beginners, while 64% said they would love to learn more about wine. The new iPhone and Android app, created by Appetise and connected to wine-searcher.com, gives consumers access to…