English wines showed star quality at Tranche One of the International Wine Challenge 2015 with a total of 26 medals being awarded to home grown wines. Three Gold medals, 10 Silver medals and 13 Bronze medals were awarded in this round of the competition, with the majority being awarded to wines from Sussex vineyards.
Charles Metcalfe, Co-Chairman of the IWC commented:
“These 2010 and 2011 sparkling wines from Sussex are delicious. I really recommend them. These special wines are the result of unusually good conditions in the region in those years, combined with the passion and talent of our Sussex winemakers. We see a few rainbows over Sussex; now we are finding the pots of gold.
“IWC medal stickers are there to help shoppers navigate the sometimes confusing world of wine. If they spot a medal sticker on the bottle, they can buy with confidence, knowing it has been tasted by the best wine judges in the world.”
- Three English Sparkling wines from Sussex received Gold medals, showing the potential for top fizz from this part of England: Court Garden received two Gold medals for its 2010 Vintage Blanc de Blancs and its 2010 Vintage Blanc de Noirs (both retail at just £26.75).
- South Downs-based vineyard Wiston Estate picked up the third English Gold medal for its 2011 sparkling Rosé (RRP £35.99).
- Wiston Estate also received a pair of IWC Silver medals for its 2010 Blanc de Blancs and its 2010 Cuvée Brut. Court Garden Limited Vintage Rosé 2011 was awarded a Bronze medal at the competition.
- Sussex-based Hoffmann & Rathbone received three Silver medals and a single Bronze medal. In their very first release of wines, this married couple have won Silver medals for their 2010 Classic Cuvée Brut and both their 2010 and 2011 Rosé Réserve Brut. Their 2010 Blanc de Blancs won a Bronze.
While England is typically known for producing sparkling wines, there were also three Silver medals and nine Bronze medals awarded to English still wines.
- Bolney Wine Estate won a Silver medal for its 2013 Foxhole Vineyard Pinot Noir, the only English red to pick up a medal at the competition. The West Sussex vineyard also picked up a Bronze medal for its white Foxhole Vineyard Pinot Gris 2013.
- Surrey-based Denbies Wine Estate also picked up medals for two of its white wines. Its 2013 Bacchus won a Silver medal and its Bacchus/Sauvignon Blanc 2013 was awarded a Bronze.
This year is the second year the International Wine Challenge has split its competition into two separate tastings to accommodate the different production and sales schedules across the industry, and give winemakers greater flexibility over when to enter their wines.
Tranche One of the IWC 2015 competition was held last month, and Tranche Two will be hosted in April 2015, with the results being announced in May.
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