The Annual NOFFLA (National Off-Licence Association) Gold Star Awards were announced last week. It’s well worth heading into your local independent wine store and supporting the winning wines. It’s a good list.
Very interesting to see the inclusion of an aged Semillon from Santa Rita in Chile. (see the Winners Stable below).
Why (besides the fact that it’s a really excellent wine) is it ‘interesting’?
- We seldom find wines that have been aged before release and Semillon ages well!
- There are very few Semillons in the market at all and possibly no others from Chile.
- Semillon one of the great overlooked aromatic varietals. As EVERY wine in the winning white wine list is distinctly aromatic one wonders what might have happened if the judging panel had a hankering after a Chardonnay ie something non aromatic? Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc dominate here! Are the judges following the market or their noses? 600 wines entered should allow for diversity?
- One of the criteria of the competition is that there should be sufficient stock available to last at least into next year. How does Ireland (and I’m not complaining!) have that sort of stock of an aged Semillon from Chile? The world of wine works in mysterious ways – I suppose.
Let’s look at the reds.
Before going further – I have never been invited either as a WSET Diploma holder or as a long standing wine journalist to judge at the Gold Star Awards. I have never been sent samples of the winning wines. I am, as they say, distanced, independent and striving to be objective.
The Reds. Every single winning wine comes from Spain or Chile. Spanish Speaking wines!! Nothing from Italy, France, Australia, the US, Argentina, Canada, Croatia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Greece, Portugal, New Zealand and on and on. 600 wines entered and two countries take all. Following the Market or Tasting the Market?. Take note: I am NOT knocking these wines. They are excellent.
Wine of the Year is the Old World Red Wine of the Year BELOW €20.00 – Portia Crianza Tempranillo 2019 14.5%. It’s a fabulous wine from Ribera del Duero in northern Spain. Try finding it online from a NOFFLA member. It’s either €20.00 or €19.99 or not listed at all!!) Is it instore? That depends on who you shop with. These wines are entered into a competition and are not necessarily stocked beforehand. It’s a bit of a fishing exercise for the distributor (Richmond Marketing in this case). If it wins then its a scramble to get the stock in store at the right price to suit the competition. €19.99 probably indicates someone squeezing margin to satisfy. If it doesn’t win? No-one really cares! One store in Cork told me they had never heard of it, another in Dublin reported that it had just arrived in, while others such as the NOFFLA Off-Licence of the Year 2023 McHugh’s Malahide Road, Dublin sell it for … €19.99
Congratulations to all the Winners. Congratulations to NOFFLA. It’s a fine Competition and you keep it going year after year. Well done!
THE NOFFLA PRESS RELEASE
In excess of 600 wines were submitted to the Star Award adjudication panel of NOffLA judges and independent wine journalists. Points were awarded on the basis of appearance, smell, taste and value for money criteria, and the winning 54 were selected as the best wines from key suppliers across a number of price categories.
Each of the winning wines will be sold in NOffLA member outlets across the country and will be recognisable by distinctive Award symbols on each bottle. In the pre-Christmas period NOffLA members will promote the Irish Wine Show Star Awards 2023-2024 Collection as ideal Christmas gifts, in a variety of special gift packs.
(Highlighting is by me!: Kevin E)
2023-2024 GOLD STAR AWARD WINNERS
Category Wine Company
Old World White under €12 Hans Baer Riesling 2022 Ampersand Wines
Old World White under €15 Remy Pannier Cepage de Loire Sauvignon 2022 Ampersand Wines
Old World White under €20 Gabel Riesling Trocken Organic 2022 Febvre Wines
New World White under €12 Santa Rita Estate Reserve Semillon 2017 Bibendum Ireland
New World White under €15 Growers Touch Sauvignon Blanc 2022 MCM Spirits & Liqueurs
New World White under €20 KONO Sauvignon Blanc 2022 Mackenway Wines
Old World Red under €12 Rioja Vega Semi Crianza 2022 Ampersand Wines Spain
Old World Red under €15 El Perdiguero Crianza 2020 Mackenway Wines Spain
Old World Red under €20 Portia Crianza Tempranillo 2019 Richmond Marketing Spain
New World Red under €12 Carmen Premier 1850 Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 Bibendum Ireland Chile
New World Red under €15 Nuevo Mundo Cabernet Sauvignon, Organic 2020 Febvre Wines Chile
New World Red under €20 Cabernario No.8 Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 Bibendum Ireland Chile
Rosé under €15 Alpha Zeta ‘R’ Rosato Veronese 2022 Liberty Wines Ltd.
Sparkling under €25 Villa Conchi, Cava Brut NV Tindal Wine Merchants
Champagne under €60 Piper-Heidsieck Cuvée Brut NV Liberty Wines Ltd.
Non-Alcoholic Red Under €15 Zero-Point-Five Pinot Noir NV Mackenway Wines
Non-Alcoholic White Under €15 Leitz Eins-Zwei-Zero RieslingNV Mackenway Wines
Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Under €15 Faber Sparkling RoséNV Ampersand Wines
Wine Ireland 