Lidl has achieved a hat trick at the World Drinks Awards, with three of its sparkling wines winning 'Best in Class' in what is coined 'the World Cup of Drinks Competitions'. The award-winning bottles are the £8.99 Crémant de Loire AOC Brut, £24.99 Champagne Bissinger & Co Premier Cru, and £7.99 Prosecco Superiore Extra Dry DOCG. This means consumers can now lift a glass of world-class wine for under a tenner.
What are the World Drinks Awards?
Launched in 2007, the awards aim to 'select the very best in all internationally recognised styles of drinks, through blind tasting with an expert panel of judges.' With over 35 categories including wine, spirits, beer, and no- and low-alcohol drinks, tastings are hosted globally in the UK, Germany, Brazil, Chile, Japan, Canada, and the USA. This is not Lidl's first success at the awards; in 2023, their £14.99 Montaudon Champagne was voted 'tastier than Moët'.
How can a cheap wine beat an expensive wine?
According to industry experts, supermarkets keep prices down by buying grapes in bulk, working with cooperatives that charge less than prestigious producers, and lowering alcohol content to avoid hefty duty rates. Supermarkets also own the rights to their own-label wines, allowing them to undercut brands on price. When it comes to well-known brands, consumers often pay for the reputation of a region or producer. This price-quality disconnect may explain why supermarket own-brands are growing three times faster than branded competitors in 2026.
Why is Crémant so cheap?
Crémant is made using the same method as Champagne but is typically cheaper due to the protected name status of Champagne, which commands luxury pricing. While most supermarkets sell Crémant for £12 to £15, Lidl and Aldi offer it for under £10. The UK imported 6.3 million bottles of Crémant in 2025, up 22% from the previous year. There are 10 officially recognised French regions where Crémant can be made, with Crémant de Loire being the most popular.
What do the winning wines taste like?
The Prosecco Superiore Extra Dry DOCG (£7.99) features lime blossom and clover honey on the nose, with melon seed and fresh blossom on the palate, finishing with cantaloupe melon and honeycomb balanced by mineral acidity. The Crémant de Loire AOC Brut (£8.99, £6.99 with Lidl Plus) is a lean, dry sparkling with white flowers and spiced pear on the nose, followed by stone fruit flavours of nectarine and tinned peaches. The Champagne Bissinger & Co Premier Cru (£24.99) also received an Outstanding at the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC), offering a lean, dry, clean style with apricot stone on the nose, peach and satsuma pith on the palate, and a lingering lime sherbet finish.
Which brands were Lidl's wines up against?
The World Drinks Awards do not disclose the names of wines that entered and did not win trophies, but reports indicate that 'luxury champagne houses and internationally renowned brands' were among the competitors. Lidl's Crémant de Loire was described by judges as having 'fresh apricots on the nose, a beautifully fresh, crisp palate balanced by nice astringent lime notes'.
My overall verdict
All three wines are top-tier for the money. Whether they deserved their awards is hard to say without knowing the competition, but they certainly hold their own against more expensive options.
