London, the town that taught the world to drink is pleased to announce the winners of the 2020 London Wine Competition. Here are the top wines that London wine drinkers can now shop in their favorite pub, restaurant or supermarket.

Here are the highlights of the 2020 London Wine Competition.

Wine Of The Year - The Dead Arm Shiraz 2017, Australia, McLaren Vale - 97 points.

Winery Of The Year - d'Arenberg, Australia, McLaren Vale

Best Wine By Quality - The Dead Arm Shiraz 2017, Australia, McLaren Vale - 97 points.

Best Wine By Value - Villa Saletta Chianti 2015, Toscana IGT, Italy - 96 points.

Best Wine By Packaging - Silverado Vineyards SOLO Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Napa Valley, United States - 95 points.

Best wines by country award are as follows:

France - Beaune Toussaints 1er Cru 2017

Italy -    Fattoria Villa Saletta Società Agricola srl Chianti

Australia - The Dead Arm

United States - Silverado Vineyards SOLO Cabernet Sauvignon

Argentina - Alpasión Grand Cabernet Franc

Spain -Fruto Noble Roble

Chile - Since 1825

Portugal - Perspectiva Reserva

Best wines by varietal are as follows:

Shiraz / Syrah - The Dead Arm from Australia

Merlot - Shaw Wines Estate Merlot from Australia

Chardonnay - Grevino Chardonnay from United States

Pinot noir - Beaune Toussaints 1er Cru 2017 from France

Cabernet Sauvignon - Silverado Vineyards SOLO Cabernet Sauvignon from United States

Sparkling Wine - Domaine Du Chant D’éole from Belgium

View full results here

No 1 spot.

The Dead Arm - Shiraz 2017 McLaren Vale, Shiraz (100%) won the best wine of the year scoring 97 points. The results of the third London Wine Competition shows a resounding success for Australia as the country offers more quality for the money. The awards were introduced to represent how consumers buy wines, based not just on their quality, but what they look like on shelf, and what value for money they offer.

Here are the top wines to look out for in London bars, supermarkets, wine stores, and pubs.

London is also home to Masters of Wine and Court of Master Sommeliers. 

The Institute of Masters of Wine is the home of exceptional expertise in the wine world. What started more than 65 years ago as an exam for the UK wine trade is now a globally recognised title collectively held by a worldwide family of Masters of Wine. Today, there are 394 MWs based in 30 countries, each making their own contribution to the world of wine. Becoming an MW means gaining entry into a unique wine community; one that brings enriching personal and professional opportunities – as well as lifelong friendships.

Demetri Walters MW,Wine Educator, Berry Bros. & Rudd was one of the Masters of Wines judging the 2020 London Wine Competition along with Tim Triptree MW, Victoria Burt MW, Peter Mitchell MW.

The Court of Master Sommeliers was established to encourage quality standards for beverage service in hotels and restaurants. The first Master Sommelier examination was held in London, in the United Kingdom in 1969.

Kathrine Larsen MS, UK Sommelier of the Year 2014 was also a judge at the 2020 London Wine Competition. You can access the full results of the London Wine Competition here.

The London Wine Competition is an international wine competition organized by Beverage Trade Network. The competition looks to recognise, reward and help promote wine brands that have successfully been created to identify with and target a specific wine drinker. For any wine brand to earn its place on a retailer’s shelf or a restaurant’s wine list -  and then vitally stay there - they need to be marketable and consumer-driven and not just produced in the general hope it can find enough people willing to sell and buy it.

That is why the London Wine Competition is different. It will single out and shine the spotlight on those wine brands that consumers really want to buy and have a clear market value for trade buyers.

A competition that will judge wines in three key areas:

Their quality.

Their value for money.

What they look like.

To be an award winner you will need to have a top-quality wine, that offers both the trade and the consumer great value for money, and you will need to look good and truly stand out on the shelf and on the back bar.

Quality

The London Wine Competition is not about recognising wines that achieve the best quality scores, but you would struggle to drink more than a glass of. We want to celebrate wines that are both enjoyable and easy to drink. Wines that are well balanced, where their acidity, tannins and alcohol levels all work seamlessly together. That’s the quality factor.

Value for money

You don't need to be the cheapest wine on the shelf to offer the best value for money. Far from it. A wine may have a high price tag, but can still offer great value providing it delivers the right quality and taste for a wine at that price point. The London Wine Competition will assess each wine for how much value it is offering its customers.

Package and Design

This is arguably the most important part of a wine brand to get right. For, after all, what a wine brand looks like is how every consumer chooses the wine they want to drink. With their eyes first. Up to 65% of consumers will try a new wine just because it looks good and if you can match that with a price and quality of wine that offers great value for money, then you are more than halfway home. The London Wine Competition will reward those brands that show they understand their customers, and the price category they are operating in, and have produced a design and package with the right personality to attract and keep their attention. 

In picture: Adriana Valentini, Judge at London Wine Competition.

Adriana Valentini is Head of Beverage at Oxford and Cambridge Club in London, UK. Raised in Milan, Italy, she worked for Milan’s top restaurants, the two Michelin starred ‘Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia’ alongside chefs Fabio Pisani and Alessandro Negrini. Her passion and ambition to become one of the top female sommeliers has led her to travel the world gathering experience, from pressing grapes in the Chateau Pommard vineyard, France, to the science of the ‘New World’ wines in Australia and New Zealand. She has pursued a career in wine because honestly ‘When you have a fond memory of a specific occasion it normally involves a glass of wine and this is what drives me - happy memories’! As one of London’s leading female sommeliers, her role at Balthazar brings her back to ‘the floor’ where she is working closely with Executive Chef, Robert Redi, sharing her knowledge of food and wine and spirits pairing. She had previously worked for the luxury Corinthia Hotel London as Head Sommelier and Deputy Restaurant Manager and for the most famous Women Club ‘ Grace’ nested in Belgravia as Executive Food and Beverage Manager. Her professional qualifications do include; the Wine and Spirit Educational Trust (WSET) Level 3 Award in Wines, the ONAF Certificate for Cheese Tasting, and a professional qualification awarded by the Italian Sommelier Association (A.I.S). Her future plan whilst in London is to achieve her lifetime goal of completing her Master Sommelier certification.

London Wine Competition judges include top wine buyers of London, Masters of Wine, Master Sommeliers and leading Sommeliers of the London drinks trade.