Gallo's Barefoot brand triumphs at What Food, What Wine?

E&J Gallo's Barefoot label has fooled MWs who think "big equals bad" after winning three trophies and five 5-star awards in the blindly judged competition What Food, What Wine?

Judges at the competition, including Peter Richards MW and Susie Barrie MW, from BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen, and Guardian columnist Fiona Beckett paired wine with 16 of the UK’s favourite dishes, including Indian food and Christmas dinner.

Barefoot Moscato (rrp £5), took top gongs in both the apple crumble and strawberries and cream categories, while the Barefoot Shiraz won the trophy for best match with lamb rogan josh in the competition where judges only knew if the wine cost more or less than £10.

Chairman Peter Richards MW said: “In the wine lover’s mind there is a default setting ‘big equals bad’, which is why it’s always good to challenge your preconceptions once in a while.

“The big company perceived to be churning out oceans of dull, soulless, mass-produced wine is anathema to your average wine geek. By contrast, the attitude changes when it comes to your rustic type carefully manicuring his vines in a small, picturesque vineyard that just reeks of terroir.”

Other surprising results in the Indian categories included Hungarian rosé, Spice Trail 2011, a blend of Pinot Noir and the local Kekfrankos variety, which won the Outstanding With Curry trophy for consistently being well matched with all the Indian dishes.

Morrisons’ Best New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (rrp £7.99) took one gong for the fish and chips category, while Aldi’s Philippe Michel Cremant du Jura 2009 (rrp £6.99) took the Fizz and Chips trophy, while Bodegas Hidalgo took a special trophy award for its La Gitana Manzanilla.