although their cordial actually tastes better
EXCLUSIVE: Australia?s biggest wine snobs have sniffed, sipped and spat their way through more than 2000 wines ? only to judge six bottles from Aldi as among the best the country has to offer.
The Sydney International Wine Competition found a $6.99 Cabernet Savuingnon from South East Australia and a $9.99 Semillon, blended specifically for the Aldi discount supermarket chain, to be in its top 100.
And Aldi?s $4.99 Spanish Tempranillo snagged a Blue Gold award ? the equivalent of a silver medal.
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A panel of 14 international and Australian judges presided over the competition with no knowledge of the identity or prices of the wines they were tasting.
Competition director Warren Mason said the final selection was quaffed alongside appropriate foods to ensure the results reflected the way most consumers drink wine ? with a meal.
?With some wines, it?s not until you get into a real situation as it?s being used at the dinner table, that you can see its merits,? Mr Mason said.
?The bold are not always the most beautiful.?
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Of the 2000 wines tasted, 280 earned top-100, Blue Gold (silver) or Gold (bronze) status.
Mr Mason said Aldi owed much of its wine success to Buying Director Jason Bowyer who had ?a fantastic palate?.
?He?s been the one who?s been blending a lot of the wine, and he?s really bearing in mind Aldi?s consumer base,? said Mr Mason.
?He?s thinking in terms of his market, given he?s able to offer wines at $10 a bottle or less.?
Australian Master of Wine Peter Scudamore-Smith said as an occasional taster of Aldi wine, he found them ?very relevant to the marketplace, in terms of being budget priced, freshly-made and excellent value?.
Aldi?s drops are ?budget priced, freshly-made and excellent value?. Picture: News Corp Australia. Source: News Corp Australia
?I am not surprised by the Blue Gold rating for this young Tempranillo from Spain, and the Aldi range under $12 are generally very dynamic, very fruity and widely appealing towards budget-led drinkers not very focused on where the wine may be grown or who made it,? said Mr Scudamore-Smith.
He said the Sydney International Wine Competition tended to attract ?both wine entrants of this genre and those with very high reputations?.
?The food-pairing exercise often proves to be the leveller,? Mr Scudamore-Smith said.
Mr Bowyer said they were delighted with the ?haul of prizes? from the competition but Aldi had always been confident in the quality of its wine.
?As the awards have demonstrated, affordably priced wine can perform well above the expectation a customer may have sometimes proving more popular than a much more expensive option,? Mr Bowyer said.
Aldi is delighted with the ?haul of prizes?. Picture: News Corp Australia. Source: News Limited
He said stock of the award winning wines was expected to last a few more weeks, or months in some cases.
Other than Aldi wines, New Zealand sauvignon blanc and pinot noir wines dominated their classes with Marlborough?s St Clair winery taking out four trophies.
The most decorated wine of the competition came from Coolangatta Estate on the New South Wales? South Coast.
Its Estate Grown Semillon 2006 bagged three trophies including ?best wine?.
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/fo...wine-competition/story-fneuz92c-1227135155749
Apologies, didn't realise they'd done the Classic. I still carry normal Fosters!
