Other Fortified
2015: Gold 8 Silver 6 Bronze 2 Commended 6
2014: Gold 3 Silver 7 Bronze 0 Commended 5
Despite its catch-all title, this has been one of the most interesting parts of the Sommelier Wine Awards for several years. But even by its own elevated standards, this was exceptional. Eight golds and deliriously happy tasters throughout, with amazing wines from all over Europe. And our first ever mead Gold! A great place to sex up your wine list with something quirky.
FOOTNOTE: Includes a wide variety, from Moscatels to Madeiras to liqueur Muscats. While prices shown on these pages relate to the size of bottle on sale, for judging purposes, prices were given for the 75cl equivalent volume.
From the Tasting Teams
‘The Madeira flight was a fantastic way to finish a day’s tasting. Lots of intensity, flavours and spices.’ Laurent Richet MS, Restaurant Sat Bains
‘The sweet and fortified selection is going to be small, so it’s really critical to get it right.’ Julien Sahut, Wine Culture
‘If restaurants can push orange wine, surely they can try and sell more Madeira.’ Angela Reddin, team leader
‘I love mead, it’s a really good summer drink. We list them under beer and I pair it with ingredients like cheese and Jerusalem artichoke.’ Charles Pashby-Taylor, Dabbous
‘No customer has ever asked me for Madeira. Ever. But it’s something you can always talk about if you have it on the list.’ Laurent Richet MS, Restaurant Sat Bains
Star performer
What can we say about Justino’s four Golds and a Silver? It totally dominated the Madeira category.