Wednesday 11 May 2016 2:02 pm

Supermarket wines from Aldi, Asda, Tesco, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer and others uncork victory at International Wine Challenge

Supermarket wines won big yesterday at the 2016 International Wine Challenge (IWC), with budget grocers Aldi and Asda joining premium brands such as Waitrose and Marks & Spencer in the gold-winning big leagues.

Gold medals were award to 28 wines created for supermarkets in total at the world-renowned competition, which included offerings from Aldi, Asda, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Tesco, The Co-Operative and Waitrose.

Marks and Spencer topped the medal chart with 117 awards across the gold, silver (43) and bronze (61) categories. The upmarket retailer picked up 13 gold awards for its wines, which included dry white, sparkling, sherry and port, and included France and South Africa-sourced tipples.

However, cut-price supermarkets made headway into the champion stakes.

Aldi won four gold medals at the IWC, while Asda won a single gold medal, for its Extra Special El Meson Gran Reserva 2010, a Rioja red available for less than £10 – the third year running that the range has earned a top merit.

Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose each won two gold medals, while Morrisons won three and The Co-operative won gold for one of its Italian wines.

"We are so fortunate in the quality of the wines selected for UK supermarkets. Not all are winners, but if you stick to wines that have won IWC medals, you will find so many great wines, of all colours and styles. And even the Gold medals don’t have to cost you a fortune. There are great wines in UK supermarkets to suit every occasion and every budget," Charles Metcalfe, co-chairman of the International Wine Challenge said.

"By selecting an IWC medal winner from a supermarket shelf, you can buy with the confidence of knowing that wine has been tasted and judged by some of the world’s finest wine experts. Whether you want to impress friends and family, or just experiment with a new style, the IWC medal is the official stamp of approval you can trust."