Record high in medals at English & Welsh Wine awards

Published: 16 June, 2011

Nearly 90% of entries gained a Gold, Silver or Bronze medal in this year's English & Welsh Wine of the Year Competition, showing another record high in medals awarded.

This year 274 wines were submitted from 78 vineyards, the highest number of entries the competition has ever received.

Trophy for Winemaker of the Year, was awarded for the third consecutive year, and now fourth time in five years to Sam Lindo of Camel Valley Vineyard.

The wines were tasted to international standards by a panel of 6 Master of Wine judges including: Susan McCraith MW, chairman, Patricia Stefanowicz MW, Maggie McNie MW, Robin Crameri MW, David Bird MW and Anthony Foster MW.

The white grape Bacchus gained just under half of all the Gold medals amongst aromatic still whites.

Introduced for the first time this year is a Trophy for Best Sparkling Rosé with the Bob Lindo Trophy, being awarded to relative newcomers Bluebell Vineyard Estates for their Hindleap Rosé 2008.

A gold medal and the trophy for Best Red Wine was awarded to Hampshire vineyard Titchfield for their Pinot Noir 2009.

The Sparkling wine category remains a strong performer, gaining just over a quarter of all the medals in the competition, and once again it is a sparkling wine that retains the Wine of the Year.

The star of the show in the competition is the Gore-Browne Trophy - The Wine of the Year - which was awarded for a fourth year in a row to Ridgeview Wine Estate, this year for their Grosvenor Blanc de Blancs 2000, bottled in magnums, which also scooped the trophy for Best Sparkling Wine.

A further new trophy has been introduced this year in recognition of the quality in sweet wines The Stefanowicz Trophy was won by Astley Vineyard Late Harvest 2009, produced from 100% Siegerrebe.

Chairman, Susan McCraith, said: "We were immensely impressed with the number of entries and the overall quality this year, which is why so many went on to win an award.

"I'm delighted to see so many smaller and new vineyards gaining some top awards - it just shows that quality is driven from the smallest producer to the largest. Once again the aromatic still whites shone out as a truly impressive style, and coming from two excellent vintages. There are some real stars from all parts of the country."

The official awards ceremony for the competition will take place in July at the House of Lords, hosted by the President of the United Kingdom Vineyards Association, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu.

Printer friendly version