TOP MEDALS FOR CO-OP FAIRTRADE DUAL VARIETALS

Despite the challenges set in 2020 by the world pandemic, the host of medals won this year in international wine competitions has certainly given La Riojana reason to celebrate, including two Silver Medals awarded to the red and white dual varietals we produce for the UK’s largest Fairtrade retailer, The Co-op.

“We are particularly pleased about these two medals,” comments Nick Day, Europe Sales Director for La Riojana “not only because both blends are amongst our top sellers, but these medals clearly show two Fairtrade wines, which currently retail under £6 per bottle, delivering fantastic value for money for the consumer.”

Decanter World Wine Awards 2020 awarded the Co-op Fairtrade Torrontés Chardonnay 2019 a Silver Medal and 90 points (results announced 22nd September 2020). This wine was described by DWWA as “Perfumed with notes of yellow fruits, wildflowers, honey and citrus. On the palate it is vivacious with beautiful underpinning freshness.”  

All the Torrontés we produce is made with the Torrontés Riojano grape variety, which itself is particularly well suited to La Rioja’s climate, producing wines with a distinctive, fresh, fruity aromatic and friendly character. 

More recently the International Wine Challenge 2020 Tranche 2 awarded the Co-op Fairtrade Bonarda Malbec 2019 a Silver Medal and 90 points (results announced 26th November 2020). This wine was described by the IWC as “Fragrant, delicate nose with coffee, wild strawberry and violets, generous and creamy on the long finish.”

In Argentina the Bonarda grape, characterized by its deep colour, is the second most cultivated red variety after Malbec. Its popularity has grown in La Rioja province over the last few years as it adapts well to hot regions. We have found at La Riojana that it also blends very well with Malbec.

TILIMUQUI FAIRTRADE MALBEC SCORES A HAT TRICK

2020 has really been a super year for La Riojana’s Tilimuqui Fairtrade Organic Malbec, winning a hat trick of medals in three of the world’s largest and most well-known wine competitions, as well as the much-coveted IWC Fairtrade Wine Award 2020. 

Being awarded top medals at three prestigious wine competitions, all of which were attended by some of the world’s finest wine judges, is itself no mean feat. The medals themselves are not only testament to the consistent quality of the award-winning Tilimuqui Fairtrade Organic Malbec but also to the high standard of Fairtrade wine being produced by La Riojana. 

However, this is not the only hat trick being celebrated by La Riojana co-operative. The most recent IWC Fairtrade Award makes it the third time that La Riojana has won this award in the last 7 years, with 2020 being the second year in a row after winning the same award for the Co-op Irresistible Fairtrade Organic Malbec in 2019. According to Nick Day, Europe Sales Director for La Riojana, “The fact that La Riojana has won the IWC Fairtrade Award three times really helps reaffirm the level of quality of our Fairtrade wines and interestingly all three IWC Fairtrade Awards have been for our Fairtrade Malbec, making it yet another hat trick.”

Tilimuqui Fairtrade Organic Malbec 2019 won the IWC Fairtrade Award 2020 and a Silver Medal at the International Wine Challenge 2020 Tranche 2 (results announced 26th November 2020). It also won a Bronze medal at the International Wine and Spirits Competition 2020 (results announced 5th October 2020) and a Bronze medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2020 (results announced 22nd September 2020).

MEDAL SUCCESS AT DECANTER WORLD WINE AWARDS 2020

After what has been a challenging year for the global wine industry in dealing with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, La Riojana is delighted to be celebrating its eleven medals won at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2020, the results for which were announced on 22nd September 2020. 

La Riojana’s top competition medal went to its ever-popular blend Co-op Fairtrade Torrontés-Chardonnay 2019, which was awarded a Silver Medal and 90 points. 

La Riojana also won four Bronze medals for its Tilimuqui Fairtrade Organic Malbec 2019 (87 points - available in Waitrose, UK); Co-op Fairtrade Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 (88 points), Co-op Fairtrade Bonarda-Malbec 2019 (87 points) and Ecologica Fairtrade Organic Shiraz-Malbec 2019 (87 points).

In addition to this, La Riojana won six Commended medals for its Raza Reserve Fairtrade Shiras-Malbec 2019 (84 points); Raza Reserve Fairtrade Torrontés-Chardonnay 2019 (83 points); Raza Selection Malbec-Shiraz 2016 (85 points); Ecologica Fairtrade Organic Torrontés-Chardonnay 2019 (85 points); Co-op Irresistible Fairtrade Organic Malbec 2018 (83 points) and Co-op Fairtrade Merlot 2019 (84 points).

The judging for the Decanter World Wine Awards, now in its 17th year, was held, whilst adhering to strict Covid safety guidelines and through socially distanced judging, over four consecutive weeks in August 2020. During which time, 116 expert wine judges tasted over 16,500 wines from 56 countries. South America won a total of 774 medals, with Argentina winning 383 medals, confirming its position as one of South America’s leading winemaking nations.

THE BUILDING WORK CONTINUES DESPITE COVID-19