Gold Medal Sparkling Wines That You May Have Never Heard of Before

One way to guarantee that you are purchasing a fine bottle of wine is to choose something that the wine judges themselves think is great, by this I mean selecting labels that have received awards / medals.

Sometimes the bottle itself will carry proudly its medal badge be it gold, silver, bronze or similar with an easy to see sticker on the front or if not by a mention on the back label. In most cases though the wine will not give you a clue that it is an award winner, be it the cost of printing and adding the medal badge or that the wine was already bottled and labelled prior to winning. Sometimes it pays to do some research before purchasing your wine to see what the experts say online, is it, in fact, an award winning wine? This can be done easily and quickly on your mobile phone if you are in store or a simply browse on Google via your home PC if online shopping is more your thing.

Champagne and Sparkling Wine Awards:

Globally there are 10,000’s of sparkling wines to enjoy with many different styles and tastes to be experienced. Having tasted over 10,000 myself I can certainly share with our readers that not every one was an experience to write home about, many are should I say OK or in a polite way interesting, very few are 5 stars or gold / trophy medal winning standard. This is what makes wine so exciting and such a deep subject to study and enjoy, from the half a dozen bottles you made from the vines in your back garden to the Champagne houses producing tens of millions of bottle annually, the bottle holds many surprises for the one popping the cork!

The 2019 Glass of Bubbly Awards had some amazing sparkling wines enter and we saw a very high standard with some eye catching and new tasting experiences for the wine professionals who were judging.

 

House of Wine Doppler – Diona Brut Nature 2010 – Slovenia:

There is no doubt in my mind that this sparkling wine from Slovenia deserves the gold medal it won for the category of ‘Oaky and Toasty’ as the flavours and aromas are exactly that. This classical method sparkling wine gives you a bold tasting experience with dry / crisp flavours. House of wine Doppler is a winery and vineyards located at 380 meters above sea level.

 

Champagne Royal Riviera – Brut – France:

With a gold medal in the category of ‘First Date’ the Champagne label of Royal Riveria simply by name sets its expectation standards high. This Brut Supreme Cuvée label offers plenty of Champagne characters that many love to enjoy, there are soft brioche, citrus, chalky flavours with a crisp and refreshing length. A wine of prestige and elegance and the perfect Champagne for creating a long lasting memory.

 

Lumiere – Delaware – Japan

Japan may be seen in high regard for its innovation and technology, though in amongst its achievements are also wines steeped in history. The Lumiere family winery dates back to 1885 and today produces some outstanding sparkling wines their vineyards set within Yamanashiand that are surrounded by mountains and rivers. Their label Delaware offers soft white pears, sweet citrus and hints of toffee / banana peel on the nose. A soft mixed fruit taste sensation including star fruit and dark green pears. A soft, smooth and relaxing wine.

 

Tenuta Amadio – Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut – Italy

With over 100 million bottles sold to the UK alone annually, no wine list would be complete without a fine example of a Prosecco. Many consumers will not be aware that there are different styles and makers of Prosecco, whereas they could manage a name or two that makes Champagne, there will undoubtedly be a blank expression if requested to name some from this famous sparkling wine making region of Italy.

The Prosecco labels from this producer are a real delight and hold a bunch of aromas and flavours to delight you. A delightful and innovative label that I am pleased to have visited myself, Tenuta Amadio have both old (in their very own chapel on the hill) and new (winery) to their estate.

Their Asolo DOCG Brut is a perfect character for this special wine region showing soft citrus, light green apple with cinnamon and minerals in flavours.

 

Wein und Sektgut F.B.Schönleber – Brut Nature Riesling – Germany

The German wine estate F.B. Schoenleber holds a proud 200 year tradition and today offers a production of 22,000 sparkling wines annually made by the classic bottle fermentation. The winery also offers a fabulous hotel and wine bar in the village of Winkel that sits near the bank of the Rhine River, west of Frankfurt.

Fruit is the main focus of the winemaker and this shows itself it their Brut Nature Riseling with an array of green fruits, yellow stone fruits and a floral length.

 

Familia Schroeder – Deseado – Argentina

Argentina produces some fine wines that have a global fan base and amongst them are some very fine sparkling examples. Here we have chosen a sweeter example and a gold winning dessert wine from the Familia Schroeder winery with their Deseado. A perfect fruity sweetness that makes it a fabulous partner to most dessert dishes from fresh fruits and cream to the cheeseboard.