First Gold in International Competition for English Still White Wine

The English & Welsh wine industry’s rightful place on the world stage was confirmed on 12th May when the results of three major international wine competitions were released.

In all, over 100 awards were gained by English and Welsh wines in the International Wine Challenge, Decanter World Wine Awards and the International Wine & Spirit Competition, giving a record number of medals and commendations for the UK.

In the International Wine Challenge this year a gold medal was awarded to an English still white wine: Camel Valley Bacchus 2007. Having been dominated by the success of the English sparkling wines over the last number of years, a crisp, dry aromatic still white wine winner has been able to show that this style is capable of being just as successful.

A record 24 medals were gained by England in this competition, showing year on year improved form. These medals represent 40% of the English wines entered in to the competition. In all, 46 awards were won, representing 76% of English entries.

The Decanter World Wine Awards introduced a UK category for the first time this year and were rewarded with an impressive number of entries, of which 86% gained an award, including two gold medals. As only 2.8% of the entries in the whole competition won a gold medal, this single success from England has shown the quality of the category. The two gold medals were awarded to sparkling wines: Camel Valley White Pinot 2005 and Hush Heath’s Balfour Brut Rosé 2005. The latter took the Trophy for best English wine and qualified for the competition’s Trophy Tasting, the winner of which will be announced in September.