The Froglet, Decanter World Wine Award Gold – Dragons’ Den-ial?

On 1 September, Decanter publishes the full results of The Decanter World Wine Awards 2010 online.  Since I judged the Loire and Portugal entries, I’ll be tuning in.  But I wonder if any of the multi-millionaire investors from the panel of Dragons’ Den, the BBC’s popular investment reality show, will be taking a peek?

Maybe so, because last year, independently of the show, Dragon Peter Jones invested in Gondola, an online wine retailer/wine club.  And earlier this year, on the show, Geoff Bowen of Pebblebed Wines persuaded Dragon Duncan Bannatyne to invest in a scheme at his Devon vineyard. 

On the other hand, maybe it would be just too galling for the Dragons.  Why?  Because James Nash, whose ‘Cup-a-wine” pitch was kicked out of the den didn’t just go on to get “Cup-a-wine Froglet” listed at Marks & Spencer.  He’s now bagged a Decanter World Wine Award Gold Medal for Le Froglet Shiraz 2009! 

As Decanter have been quick to clarify, though M&S stock Le Froglet Shiraz 2009 in a Cup-a-wine single-serve plastic goblet, the medal winner was from a standard 75cl bottle (also retailed by M&S), which has minor differences (see the report here).   Perhaps if it had been presented to Decanter’s judges in a lowly plastic cup they’d have been as dismissive as the Dragons!  But that would have given the game away in this blind tasting – I can assure you, the Decanter team go to great lengths to hide the identity of the wines to be judged.  It can make for interesting results!

Incidentally, M&S Wine Direct has a summer sale at the moment,with 25% off deals.  Last year I bought 6 bottles of Clairault Estate Cabernet which is on deal again and well worth £99 for 6 bottles.  Other well known Aussie names with wines on deal include Yalumba, St Hallett, Steve Pannell, Torbreck (see here for details).