LA RIOJANA WINS SILVER FOR CO-OP FAIRTRADE BONARDA-MALBEC

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La Riojana is thrilled to have won a series of awards for its wines in this year’s IWC and DWWA competitions, including a Silver Medal for the red dual varietal it produces for the UK’s largest Fairtrade retailer, The Co-op. 

Decanter World Wine Awards 2022, the results for which were announced 8th June 2022, awarded the Co-op Fairtrade Bonarda-Malbec 2021 a Silver Medal and 92 points. The wine itself, which was among the 18,244 wines judged at the competition, was described by the DWWA as “Floral and fragrant with red fruit, herb and olive aromatics, and the palate is laced with inky, dark fruit.”

The Co-op Bonarda-Malbec 2021 is one of La RIojana’s top sellers and currently retails for under £6 a bottle, which makes it a great value for money Fairtrade wine. The same wine also won a Bronze Medal at the International Wine Challenge 2022. 

In addition to this, Decanter World Wine Awards 2022 and the International Wine Challenge 2022 both awarded Bronze Medals to La Riojana’s Co-op Irresistible Fairtrade Organic Malbec 2020; Co-op Fairtrade Merlot 2021; Tilimuqui Fairtrade Organic Malbec 2021 and Ecologica Fairtrade Organic Shiraz-Malbec 2021.

DWWA gave further Bronze Medals to Ecologica Fairtrade Organic Torrontes-Chardonnay 2021 (89 points); Co-op Fairtrade Shiraz Rosé 2021 (87 points); Co-op Fairtrade Torrontes-Chardonnay 2021 (86 points); Co-op Fairtrade Pinot Grigio 2021 (86 points); Co-op Fairtrade Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 (86 points).

“This is a great set of results” comments Nick Day, Europe Sales Director for La Riojana “in particular the Silver Medal for our Co-op Bonarda-Malbec. Sales have been consistently buoyant for this wine, it seems the 70% Bonarda - 30% Malbec blend, the fact it’s Fairtrade as well as the attractive price point, makes it a popular choice for the UK consumer”. 

LA RIOJANA WINS TOP AWARD AT PEOPLE’S CHOICE WINE AWARDS 2022

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(pictured left to right): Steve Royle, Kate Goodman, Ameila Singer, Sarah Singer and Richard Siddle.
Image credit: Phil Tragen Photography

La Riojana was delighted to win The Story Behind The Label award for the best short film at this year’s People’s Choice Wine Awards held at Manchester’s Stoller Hall on Monday 25th April 2022. 

The People’s Choice Wine Awards, now in its fifth year, is a wine competition unlike any other, where the judging process involves both everyday wine drinkers with a knowledge of wine and professional wine trade judges. 

In this year’s competition, 120 people took part in the judging, 80 of which were consumers and 40 were trade professionals, judging wines in 30 different categories, including different wine styles / wine drinking occasions. 

In addition to entering wines, each entrant was given the opportunity to enter The Story Behind the Label video challenge, where producers are invited to make a very short film, maximum two minutes in length, that really brings their story to life.  

La Riojana’s film was shortlisted along with two other films and was voted for live on the evening of the awards, where it achieved a very convincing win, with over 70% of the audience’s vote. 

The Story Behind the Label award, sponsored by The Buyer, was presented by the evening’s hosts Ameila Singer and Richard Siddle to Sarah Singer from the Fairtrade Foundation, who kindly accepted the award on La Riojana’s behalf. 

In addition to the video category, this year the competition introduced a new category, the Drink Fairtrade Award category for which La RIojana had three wines shortlisted, including its Co-op Fairtrade Bonarda Malbec 2021, Co-op Irresistible Fairtrade Organic Malbec 2020 and Tilimuqui Fairtrade Organic Malbec 2021. 

Export Director for La Riojana co-operative, Walter Carol commented “It’s hard to express in words how thrilled we are with winning The Story Behind The Label award. We work with passion and love, and we believe that change is possible. We don’t do it for the recognition, but it means a lot when we receive support like this. Something which allows people to believe and see the difference Fairtrade can make to our growers and our local community. We are forever grateful.”


Visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPVFU8YMuTE to watch the winning film.