Tesco-owned Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market (US) wines have won 63 awards in less than six months, including a Best in Show, 90 Parker Points, and Platinum Medals. Fresh & Easy said it works directly with a Master of Wine to develop most of its 65 specially selected wines. Masters of Wine are highly regarded throughout the industry as extensively trained wine experts, and there are less than 300 in the world, according to the grocer.

“We believe our customers should not have to compromise on quality simply because they don’t want to spend a lot on wine,” said Simon Uwins, Fresh & Easy Chief Marketing Officer. Each store’s wines are shelved according to grape varietals instead of region, and all Fresh & Easy specially selected wines contain labels that indicate the source of the grapes, food pairing ideas, wine style, and storage details.

Click here to read our article on Practical Issues of Wine Department Design & Layout

Interestingly, most of the award winning wines are priced under US$10, including two that retail for US$1.99 in California. Fresh & Easy operates 64 grocery markets throughout Southern California and in Nevada and Arizona.

The 2008 San Francisco Wine Chronicle Competition evaluated 4,235 wines
entered by 1,500 wineries from across the county. Fresh & Easy winning labels include:

• Hilltown Vineyards Pinot Noir, Gold Medal Winner, US$8.99
• Napa Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Silver Medal Winner, US$10.99
• Hilltown Merlot, Bronze Medal Winner, US$6.99