The International Accolade Aldi's $4.99 Wine Just Nabbed

Yes, wine can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be. Certain wines will always depend on a level of prestige to help them sell at market and jump off of wine lists. For example, The Wall Street Journal reports that a bottle of champagne sold for $2.5 million earlier this year making it the most expensive champagne ever sold.

Most of us aren't going to be shopping in this range though, and thankfully we don't have to. CNET points out that there is an abundance of cheap wines on the market that should be avoided, but there are also value wines that over-deliver on their inexpensive promise. The trick is finding them.

Luckily, everyone's favorite value grocery store Aldi is there for all the oenophiles on a budget out there. According to Reverse Wine Snob, Aldi's store brands are able to keep their prices low by sourcing directly from manufacturers and cutting out middlemen. This allows it to bring quality wines to its stores at a quality price. Aldi's wines have even been known to garner high praise at wine competitions, a fact it is all too happy to brag about.

Most recently Aldi took home several prizes from the Melbourne International Wine Competition, per LADbible. The big winner, though, was a $4.99 bottle that took home the highest praise in the form of a Double Gold medal. The Melbourne International Wine Competition says that to earn this award, it must be a unanimous decision by judges during the blind testing. Aldi's South Point Estate Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir NV took home the top prize in its category.

It beat out many mid-range and luxury brands that were also in competition. LADbible reports that Aldi's value wine range also took home three Double Golds, four Gold, seven Silver, and 11 bronzes for its many other wines that were entered. With quality like this sitting on its shelves, it's not surprising that Aldi remains one of the best grocery stores in the U.S.

Grapevine Magazine notes that winning awards like these is one of the best ways for any wine brand to help guide its customers. Decoding a wine label, and sussing out the best value at a wine store can be a tall task. Seeing an accolade decorating a bottle can help guide consumers' hands to these highly rated products.