English wine sparkles in IWSC competition

English wine clocked up 12 Silver and 14 Bronze awards in this year’s International Wine and Spirit Competition. Ten of the Silver awards went to sparkling wines, but there were medals too for Nutbourne Vineyards’ Sussex Reserve 2006, a blended white wine, and a sweet wine from Eglantine Vineyards - North Star 2004.

Denbies alone took 10 medals, including two Silver best in class. These were for the Greenfields 2004 and the company’s Sparkling Rosé 2005. RidgeView were also well-rewarded with two Silver best in class, among a trio of Silvers. The 2004 Merret Grosvenor and Merret Bloomsbury came top of their categories and RidgeView’s Merret Fitzrovia in the same vintage notched up the third Silver.

Other Silver medals went to Chapel Down’s Pinot Reserve 2001 and 2002, Nyetimber’s Classic Cuvee 2000, Richard Balfour-Lynn’s Brut Rosé 2004 and Nutbourne Vineyards’ Nutty Brut 2004.

The French, who took a stack of awards, also did particularly well with fizz in this year’s competition. In fact, Charles Heidsieck had three Gold best in class winners for the Champagne house’s Prestige Cuvee 1981 and 1985 and the Brut Millesime 1989. However, Waitrose’s own-brand Brut Vintage 1999 also came up trumps with a best-in-class Gold.

And there was a good result for celebrity wines, with French film star Gerard Depardieu getting the equivalent of a wine Oscar by picking up a Gold best in class for his Cotes de Blaye AC Confiance 2004.