Germans give best Riesling trophy to Tesco

What a walkover! In this year’s International Wine & Spirit Competition, the annual wine competition that has been held in the UK for decades and has steadily been gaining gravitas and recognition, nine out of the available 21 trophies were won by Australian wines – even the German Wine Institute’s trophy for the best Riesling! This went to a supermarket’s own label wine, Tesco’s Finest Great Southern Riesling from Western Australia. Did the Germans not enter? Or was it the usual problem of sweeter Rieslings seeming a bit soft and flabby next to dry ones?

France’s only showing in the...