Spirits & Wine Award Winners, Top Scoring Products, Beverage Industry Trends and Best Wine and Spirits Lists

As the weather cools and we head into the holiday season, cocktails are taking a seasonal twist with classic fortified wines like Port, Sherry, and Madeira. The deep flavors offered by these powerful beverages create boldness while minding the overall alcohol by volume of a drink, which plays nicely into the ongoing trend of low abv cocktails. Each category of fortified wine has something uniquely delicious to offer, and while the list of fortified wines extends beyond, these three major players are a good place to start.

Prosecco has become a household name for sparkling wine, with good reason. The light and refreshing style of this bubbly is welcomed during any occasion, as an afternoon aperitif, as well as alongside a variety of food. Over the past few years the overall quality of Prosecco has been on the rise. In 2018’s Ultimate Wine Challenge 7 wines scored 91 Points or above.

While agave purists tend to gravitate toward unaged versions of tequila, the reposado tequila category has shown tremendous staying power. With light aging under 1 year, reposados embody the best of both worlds, with added complexity from barrels while still featuring a clean and bold agave forward profile. Equally loved for their versatility in cocktails and as a sipping beverage, it’s a spirit that has something to offer every tequila lover. Of 13 examples in the 2018 Ultimate Spirit Challenge these 6 scored 91 Points or above.