£7.99 Morrisons branded sweet wine and £9.99 Sainsbury's bubbly win International Wine Challenge Supermarket bargains top prestigious lists of best picks Alsace Gewirztraminer 2012, sold under the Morrisons name, is only store-own label to win a gold medal Sainsbury's Taste The Difference Vintage Cava deemed perfect for 'party quaffing' by judges of the prestigious awards Morrison's Alsace Gewurztraminer 2012, which retails at £7.99, was the only supermarket own-label to be awarded a gold medal at the International Wine Challenge A £7.99 own label wine from Morrisons and a £9.99 bottle of bubbly from Sainsbury's have won prestigious medals in the International Wine Challenge. The Alsace Gewurztraminer 2012, sold under the Morrisons name, was the only supermarket own-label to win a gold medal in results announced yesterday. Described as spicy and aromatic by the judges, it is said to be a perfect accompaniment to smelly cheeses and French onion soup. A host of cheaper supermarket wines were awarded silver medals, suggesting drinkers will not need to spend a fortune on high end vintage bottles to enjoy Christmas. Sainsbury's got three silver medals, including one for its Taste the Difference Vintage Cava Brut 2011, which is £9.99, its Taste the Difference Riesling 2013 at £9.99) and its Fairtrade Sauvignon Blanc 2013 at £7.99. The judges said the cava was perfect for "party quaffing" or with a smoked salmon breakfast on Christmas Day. Marks & Spencer came out as head and shoulders above the other high street chains with 22 silver medals, including four sparkling wines. Silvers went to its Josef Chromy from Tasmania, and three champagnes, Charles Orban Blancs de Noirs, Louis Chaurey, and Didier Ducos Absolu Meunier . The chain also claimed 23 bronze medals, giving it the highest medal count from a supermarket own-brand range. Eight bronze medals also went to Morrisons, Sainsbury's received five, Waitrose picked up three, and Asda and the Co-op were awarded two bronze medals each. Asda Extra Special Marques del Norte Rioja Reserva 2009, which is £8.50 a bottle, was awarded a silver. Charles Metcalfe, co-chairman of the challenge, said: "We've discovered some tremendous wines during this brand new tranche for the 2014 season. It's great that such good value, high quality wines are readily available at supermarkets. The quality of supermarket wines is improving year on year. Sainsbury's Taste The Difference Vintage Cava, priced at £9.99, was deemed perfect for 'party quaffing' by judges The Morrisons Alsace Gewurztraminer and the Asda Rioja were two of ten good value wines for under £10 identified by the judges. The list also includes two gold medal winners from Chile - Viña Cono Sur's 2013 Reserva Especial Sauvignon Blanc and Casillero del Diablo Carménère (2012) from Concha y Toro. One other from Chile, which was awarded a silver, also features on the list - the Oveja Negra Reserva Cabernet Franc. At £6.99, Bodegas Castillo De Fuenmayo's Gran Familia Rioja (NV) from Spain was the best-priced silver medallist. There are two South African wines from M&S; its Honeycomb Journey's End Chardonnay and Helderberg Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon. There are also two from Sainsbury's, including its Taste the Difference 2013 New Zealand Riesling and 2012 Héritages Lirac from French winemaker Ogier. The head of wine operations at Morrisons, Mark Jarman, said: "We're delighted to be the only supermarket to win a gold medal for an own-brand wine in the International Wine Challenge We've completely overhauled our wine range this year and this is a fantastic acknowledgement of all the hard work put in by the wine team. Not only have the wines been subjected to the toughest selection criteria by our wine experts, but we've also introduced straight forward "signposts" on the back labels to make it as easy as possible for our customers to choose wines they know they're going to enjoy."