The results of this year’s big English (and Welsh) wine competition have just been announced, to coincide with English Wine Week. The Wines of Great Britain Awards (WineGB Awards) were created last year, a successor to the UK Wine Awards, and were judged by a panel of 12 led by Susie Barrie MW and Oz Clarke.
Wiston Estate in West Sussex, owned by the Goring family seen here with their winemaker Dermot Sugrue (centre), won the top Supreme Champion trophy for its sparkling Blanc de Noirs 2010, beating 230 other English and Welsh wines to the title.
The wine industry is one of the fastest-growing agricultural sectors in the UK with an output that has more than doubled in the last eight years and tripled since 2000. Last year just under 6 million bottles were produced. Some forecasts expect 40m bottles by 2040, according to the new generic organisation WineGB. English and Welsh wines are already exported to 27 markets countries – despite the relatively high prices that are perhaps inevitable when most wine enterprises are newish and fairly small (although Will Davenport, profiled by Tam on Monday, questions this).
Oz Clarke commented on ‘intriguing, original flavours in still wines – red, pink and white – as well as sparkling wines that were quite simply world-class and can now be judged on the same playing field as champagne.’
Trophy winners were:
Supreme Champion
Wiston Estate Blanc de Noirs 2010 (RRP £47)
Top Sparkling Wine
Wiston Estate Blanc de Noirs 2010
Top Still Wine
Chapel Down, Kit’s Coty Chardonnay 2015 (RRP £30)
Most Outstanding NV Classic Cuvée
Hattingley Valley, Classic Reserve NV (RRP £30)
Most Outstanding Vintage Dated Classic Cuvée
Coates and Seely, La Perfide Reserve Brut 2011 (RRP £65)
Most Outstanding Prestige Cuvée
Hattingley Valley, Kings Cuvée 2013 (RRP £80)
Most Outstanding Sparkling Rosé
Camel Valley Pinot Noir Rosé Brut 2015 (RRP £30)
Most Outstanding Blanc de Blancs
Gusbourne Estate Blanc de Blancs 2013 (RRP £45)
Most Outstanding Blanc de Noirs
Wiston Estate Blanc de Noirs 2010
Most Outstanding Single Varietal Still White
Chapel Down, Kit’s Coty Chardonnay 2015
Most Outstanding Still Bacchus
Nutbourne Vineyards Bacchus 2016 (RRP £13.50)
Most Outstanding Still Rosé
Lyme Bay Pinot Noir Rosé 2017 (RRP £16)
Most Outstanding Sweet Wine
Denbies Noble Harvest 2016 (RRP £25 a half)
Most Outstanding Red
Gusbourne Estate, Boot Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016 (RRP £29)
