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.
Drinks columnist Robertson Buckhaven, who has worked in the industry for more than a decade, said he has tasted many high-priced wines, some costing as much as £100, but Lidl's £8.99 Crémant holds its own and in some cases outperforms them. The judges described the Crémant as having 'fresh apricots on the nose, a beautifully fresh, crisp palate balanced by nice astringent lime notes'.
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 these awards. In 2023, their £14.99 Montaudon Champagne was voted 'tastier than Moët', proving that you can lead a champagne lifestyle on a lemonade budget.
How can a cheap wine beat an expensive wine?
Supermarkets keep prices down by buying grapes in bulk, working with cooperatives that charge less than prestigious wine 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, you are often paying for the reputation of a particular region or producer, which drives up the price.
Supermarket own-brands are growing three times faster than their branded competitors in 2026, according to industry reports.
Why is Crémant so cheap?
Crémant is made in the same way as Champagne but is cheaper because Champagne is a legally protected term synonymous with luxury and fine quality. Champagne producers have spent centuries curating their image, which has paid off. However, Crémant's popularity is rising: the UK imported 6.3 million bottles of Crémant in 2025, up 22 per cent on the previous year. There are 10 officially recognised French regions where Crémant can legally be made, with Crémant de Loire being the most popular.
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.
Tasting notes for the winning wines
Prosecco Superiore Extra Dry DOCG, £7.99
The 'G' in Prosecco DOCG means the grapes are grown in a much smaller, more premium, and higher-altitude site in the Prosecco region. The result is a well-put-together sparkling with lime blossom and clover honey notes on the nose, melon seed and fresh blossom on the palate, and an off-dry style with cantaloupe melon and honeycomb bolstered by a twang of mineral acidity on the finish.
Crémant de Loire AOC Brut, £8.99 (£6.99 with Lidl Plus)
A lean and dry style of sparkling wine with white flowers and notes of spiced pear on the nose. The palate is dominated by flavours of stone fruit, with nectarine and tinned peaches, and a hint of fuzzy Golden Delicious. Lean, tense, and nervy in a good way.
Champagne Bissinger & Co Premier Cru, £24.99
This wine received an Outstanding at the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) in addition to its World Drinks Award. It has a lean, dry, and clean style with a fresh nose of apricot stone, leading to peach and satsuma pith on the palate, with a lime sherbet note on the finish that goes on and on.
Overall verdict
All three wines are top-tier, especially for the money. Whether they were deserving of their awards is hard to say without knowing the competition, but they represent exceptional value.
