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People’s Choice Drinks Awards: Wine & spirits winners revealed

People’s Choice Drinks Awards: Wine & spirits winners revealed

If you wanted or needed an excuse to go on YouTube then this evening it was the host of the 2021 People’s Choice Drinks Awards with a virtual ceremony that may not have been quite like the real thing – with a night out in Manchester to boot – but they still had the same buzz and sense of fun that have made these awards such a breath of fresh air since they were launched in 2017. What other awards has Kylie Minogue walking off with two of the main prizes…?

Richard Siddle
8th February 2021by Richard Siddle
posted in Awards,

Here is the full list of winners in both the wine and spirits categories announced this evening. You can find out all the finalists in the wine categories by clicking here and for the spirits categories click here. You can also watch the recording of the awards night by clicking here.

The People’s Choice Drinks Awards founder Janet Harrison introduced the online awards ceremony and thanked all those who had supported the event by entering their products and its team of professional and consumer judges

Wine Categories

Kate Goodman of Reserve Wines in Manchester was once again one of the hosts for the evening introducing the wine categories

Mindful Drinking
Winner: La Gioiosa 0.0% Sparkling Non-Vintage: Submitted by: North South Wines

Fabulous Fizz Sparkling Wine Rest of the World: Sponsor The Best Life Project
Winner: Bird in Hand 2020 Sparkling Rosé. Submitted by: Seckford Agencies

Fabulous Fizz – Sparkling Wine (UK)
Winner: Black Chalk Classic 2016

The People’s Choice Wine Awards through the imagination of Private Eye cartoonist Tony Husband who creates an original cartoon for each award category

Fabulous Fizz – Best Champagne: Sponsored by LOFT Interiors
Gold Commendation: Veuve Monsigny Brut NV 2019. Submitted by Aldi
Winner: The Society’s Champagne Brut Non-Vintage. Submitted by: The Wine Society

Big Night In
Winner: The Lady – Pinot Grigio 2019 from Myliko International (Wines) Ltd

The Great Outdoors
Gold Commendation: The Copper Crew Rosé 2019
Winner: Incanta Pinot Noir 2019 from Cramele Recas

The Wine Show’s Amelia Singer and regular People’s Choice awards presenter was also back to announce some of the wine winners

Boxing Clever White/Rosé Sponsored by Smurfit Kappa
Gold Commendation: Bowl Grabber Alvarinho 2020 (wine from Casal de Ventozela, Portugal)
Winner: Mirabeau Belle Année 2020

Boxing Clever Red Sponsored by Smurfit Kappa
Winner: Côtes du Rhône Famille Jaume. Submitted by: The Wine Society

Bargain Buys Sponsored by Mid-Week Wines
Winner: Sheep Hill Shiraz Malbec 2019. Submitted by: Bibendum Off Trade

Back to Nature
Winner: Il Civettaio Sangiovese 2016. Submitted by: Jackson & Seddon Ltd

Vegan Friendly

She’s won a few Brits in her time, but this could be the first wine award she has picked up as Kylie Minogue is a double winner for her wines in both the Vegan and Treat Yourself categories

Winner: Kylie Minogue Signature Rosé 2019. Submitted by: Benchmark Drinks

White for Easy Weekday Meals
Winner: Waverider 2020. Submitted by Lanchester Wines

White for Aromatic & Asian Cuisine sponsored by the Yang Sing Manchester
Gold Commendation: Weingut Hirtl Grüner Veltliner Weinviertel DAC Ried Waldberg 2019. Submitted by: Antrey Wine Placement
Winner: Wine Atlas Feteasca Regala 2019 from Cramele Recas

New to Market White Sponsored by Wines of Portugal
Gold Commendation: Campelo Arinto Vinho Verde 2020
Winner: Herdade Moinho Antão Vaz 2018. Submitted by Ribafreixo Wines

New to Market Red Sponsored by Wines of Portugal
Gold Commendation: Gáudio Reserva 2016. Submitted by: Ribafreixo Wines
Winner: Baron de B Tinto, 2017. Submitted by: BCH- Comércio de Vinhos SA

Treat Yourself White
Winner: Kylie Minogue Margaret River Chardonnay 2019. Submitted by: Benchmark Drinks

War of the Rosés
Winner: Forrest Wines The Doctors’ Rosé 2020. Submitted by: Seckford Agencies

Red for Easy Weekday Meals
Gold Commendation: Ramos Reserva 2019. Submitted by: J. Portugal Ramos Vinhos, S.A
Winner: Booths Gran Norte Rioja Crianza 2017

Pass the Crackers Sponsored by The Comedy Store
Winner: McGuigan Shortlist Riesling 2019. Submitted by: Australian Vintage

Fire up the BBQ
Winner: Aldi Special Release Shiraz 2018. Submitted by: Wakefield Taylors Wines

Red for Hearty Meals Sponsored by GRAZE
Winner: St Andrews Cabernet Sauvignon 2018. Submitted by: Wakefield Taylors Wines

Treat Yourself Red
Winner: St Andrews Shiraz 2018. Submitted by: Wakefield Taylors Wines

Out of the Ordinary sponsored by The Buyer

Out of The Ordinary category sponsored by The Buyer through the imagination of cartoonist Tony Husband who creates a new cartoon for each category

Winner: Nivasco Piemonte DOC Brachetto 2019. Submitted by: Vinchio – Vaglio Serra

Sweets for my Sweet
Gold Commendation: Valamasca Moscato d’Asti DOCG 2019. Submitted by: Cantina Sociale di Vinchio- Vaglio Serra

Winner: Blue Label 5 Puttonyos 2016 Submitted by: Bibendum Off-Trade

Heavy Duty
Gold Commendation: Paso-Vermú NV Submitted by: Paso-Primero
Winner: The Society’s Exhibition Vintage Port 1985. Submitted by: The Wine Society

New to Market Fortified
Winner: Quinta da Devesa Late Bottled Vintage Unfiltered 2015

Best Online Retailer
Winner: The Wine Society

The Best Independent Retailer Sponsored by Vintrigue by Lanchester Wines

Winner: Cambridge Wine Merchants

Best Supermarket 2021
Winner: Booths

Spirits categories

The spirits categories were presented by The Three Drinkers, aka Aidy Smith, Helena Nicklin and Colin Hampden-White

Mindful Drinking (no/low across all spirits)

Helena Nicklin introduced the Mindful Drinking category that was sponsored by The Three Drinkers

Runner up: Chambord. Submitted by: Brown Forman
Winner: Salcombe Distilling Company ‘New London Light’ Alcohol free gin

Out of the Ordinary Sponsored by The Three Drinkers
Runner up: Zymurgorium: Manchester Marmalade Gin

Winner: Nouaison Gin Reserve

The Classic G&T sponsored by Double Dutch Drinks.


Runner up: The Society’s London Dry Gin Submitted by: The Wine Society
Winner: No.3 Gin: Berry Bros & Rudd

Gin Fusion
Runner up: Bond Street Rhubarb & Custard Gin
Winner: Zymurgorium: Mandarin Dynasty Gin

Rum: Spice up your Life
Runner up: Diablesse: Clementine Spiced Rum
Winner: St Lucia Distillers Chairman’s Reserve Spiced. Submitted by: Emporia Brands Ltd

Rum: On the Rocks Sponsored by The Manchester Rum Festival
Runner up: Diablesse: Caribbean Rum
Winner: The Portsmouth Distillery: 1968 White Rum

Colin Hampden-White introduced the whisky categories

Easy Weekday Whiskey/Whisky
Runner up: Glen Scotia Distillery Double Cask
Winner: Great Drams Single Cask Series 8 year old

Treat Yourself Whisky/Whiskey
Runner up: Loch Lomond Distillery: 21 year old
Winner: Glen Scotia Distillery: Glen Scotia Campbeltown Malts Festival 2020 – Tawny Port Finish