Going for gold at the SWA

The results are in from the Sommelier Wine Awards 2017, the only competition solely assessing the wines of the On-Trade. It’s judged by leading sommeliers and drinks buyers from across the trade, giving us the assurance that the competition only rewards the best wines available to restaurants, bars and hotels in the UK.

This year we have walked away with 25 gold medals and 162 medals overall, delighting our wine buyers after the hard work of pulling together a range of 1400 wines for our 2017 wine list.

We listed our first ever Greek wines in the Autumn after monitoring the growing interest in wines from the often forgotten European wine growing regions. Strofilia, White Dot was one of those wines. With its aromas of rose petal, orange blossom and citrus, a fresh and lively palate and loads of zingy citrus it’s perhaps no surprise it’s walked away with a Gold medal.

Other recent additions to take the top prize include Alpasión Malbec, a full-flavoured wine, with a classic Malbec palate, plenty of pure, ripe, red and black fruit aromas, backed with notes of vanilla and smoke; it shows a good balance between fresh acidity and supple, silky tannins.

Costetoste Aglianico, Terre di Chieti, Fontefico also took Gold, from the steep Le Coste vineyard in Abruzzo where Aglianico is not often found. The nose shows herbal notes, with rosemary, lavender and balsam overlaying ripe, dark brooding fruit. The palate has rich plum and sour cherry notes, then minerality, followed by hints of clove and cocoa on a tannin-rich finish.

We are delighted to be able to supply so many wines that had their quality recognised at the Sommelier Wine Awards this year, but why do they matter to you?

Making your customers aware of the award winning wines on your wine list demonstrates your desire to sell high-quality products and gives your customers a reason to spend more on a wine. Offering award winning wines by the glass’ can result in customers tasting more high-quality wines and increasing spend in the outlet. Your staff are your most valuable asset when it comes to upselling wine, with a range of staff training suited to your business needs, we can help your staff offer passion and knowledge fuelled recommendations which will see your bottom line increase. Our customers have seen the benefits of promoting award winning wines, with seasonal wines rotated throughout the year.

Click here to find the full list of Matthew Clark wines awarded a medal at this year’s awards or click here to browse our wine range in full. Get in touch with your account manager to find out more about we can help you market your award winning wines.