From Pam to Coop, from Migross to Gruppo Végé: the labels and wines awarded in Amsterdam

At a historical period when consumers have to deal with the phenomenon of inflation, choosing a product that strikes the right balance between quality and price becomes increasingly relevant. It is no coincidence that we are witnessing the growth of “private label” products, a phenomenon on a general level with the overall share of private label reaching 38.2% based on data for the first quarter of 2024, marking an increase of 0.9% over the first quarter of 2023. A trend that also concerns Italy, with an increase of 30%, and, of course, among the leading products in this performance is wine. And it was precisely private label wines that were the protagonists of the “International Salute to Excellence Awards” 2024 of Plma (Private Label Manufacturers Association), in recent days, in Amsterdam, an important category event: 33 wines presented by 14 distributors from 6 countries were recognized for “Best Quality” and “Best Value Wine Products”. And among the awardees, there is a lot of Italy.
Starting in the “Reds of Central Italy” category with Coop Italia’s Fior Fiore, Brunello di Montalcino 2018 produced by La Poderina (“best quality”) and Casale del Duca Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Doc 2022 from Gruppo Végé (“best value”). For reds from Northern Italy, a product found on the shelves of Pam Panorama wins, namely Von Steiner Südtirol Alto Adige Doc Lagrein 2023, which beats all in both quality and price. As for Southern reds, awarded Aldi Inc. (USA) with Grande Alberone Vino Rosso d’Italia (Provinco Italy), judged with “best quality” while Aldi Inkoop Bv (The Netherlands) with Almoso Vino Rosso d’Italia, also with Provinco, is “best value”. For the category “Italian Whites incl.Pinot Grigio”, Migross is awarded with Tenuta Sorgimento Lugana Doc 2023 (“best quality”) and Coop Italia with Assieme Terra Lavoro Piacere Vermentino di Sardegna Doc 2022 from Cantina Santa Maria La Palma. As for “Sparkling”, Prosecco category, Migross stands out with the Tenuta Sorgimento Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Docg Extra Dry (best price and best quality); Pam Panorama with the Cilium Prosecco Doc Rosé Millesimato 2022 Brut (Sparkling rosé, “best quality and best value”); for the “Sparkling Whites” category, Pam Panorama Spa with “Cilium Ribolla Gialla Vino Spumante Brut” (“best quality”) while the VéGé Group returns with “Colli del Duca Pignoletto Doc Spumante Brut” (“best value”). Closing with the “Organic”, where there is always Pam Panorama with the “Von Steiner Südtirol Alto Adige Doc Lagrein 2023” (“best quality”) and the “Cilium Ribolla Gialla Vino Spumante Brut” (“best value”).
So there are five winning wines for the Pam group, the most awarded tied with Dutch distributor Albert Heijn. According to the tasting committees, the wines’ value for money exceeded all expectations, receiving praise from the judges. During the tasting, the judges noticed more uniformity in terms of quality so much so that Master Of Wine Cees van Casteren said that “I would definitely serve these wines at a dinner with friends without any doubts or reservations”.