International Wine Challenge 2022 announces award-winning wines from around the world

The International Wine Challenge, the world’s most influential, impartial and rigorously judged winecompetition, has announced the results of its 2022 competition, with medals being awarded to wineproducing countries across the globe, from Spain and New Zealand to India and Georgia. Thousands of winesfrom over 50 countries entered the competition which was judged by an international panel of wine experts ina series of rigorous blind tastings held in London last month.
The full list of medal and trophy winners in the 2022 International Wine Challenge can be viewed here.
French wines reign supreme once more
France continued its winning streak as the most awarded country in each medal category, with 75 Gold, 367
Silver and 442 Bronze medals. The Champagne region alone picked up 30 Golds, with Rare Champagne
claiming the prestigious Champagne Trophy for its Rare Millésime 2008. Rhône producer Maison Delas Frères
succeeded in reclaiming the International Syrah Trophy from New Zealand for the first time in almost adecade for its Les Bessards 2019 and France also retained the International Pinot Noir Trophy for a seventhyear in a row. The winning wine, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée Cyrot Chaudron Hospices de Beaune 2020,from Burgundy producer, Maison Albert Bichot, was also crowned with this trophy last year for its 2019
vintage.
International Wine Challenge Co-chair, Sam Caporn MW, commented, ‘Once again we have been reminded of
the outstanding quality of the wines produced in the French regions of Burgundy, Champagne and the Rhône.
Wines from these regions have a long history of performing well in the Challenge.’
New Zealand back on top with the grape that made it famous
After being pipped to the post for two years running, New Zealand reclaimed the International Sauvignon
Blanc Trophy this year, with Yealands Estate Single Block S1 Sauvignon Blanc 2021 scooping the prize. NewZealand Sauvignon Blanc shone in this year’s Challenge, winning three of the five Gold Medals that went towines made from this grape variety. New Zealand was also recognised for its world-class Chardonnay, being
awarded the International Chardonnay Trophy for the very first time, a category that has traditionally been
dominated by French wines. The top performing wine was the Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2020 from
Hawke's Bay producer Trinity Hill Wines.
‘In this year’s results, more than 20 countries were recognised for their Sauvignon Blanc wines and socompetition for this trophy is becoming increasingly stiff. New Zealand winemakers will be particularly pleased
with the results this year, having lost out to Austria last year and South Africa the year before,’ explained IWC
Co-chair Tim Atkin MW.

Australian Grenache makes history
Australia was awarded an impressive 54 Gold Medals in this year’s competition, coming second only to France.
South Australian producer, Pinnacle Drinks won the International Grenache Trophy for its The Ethereal One
Fleurieu Grenache 2020 - the first time in IWC history that an Australian wine has won this accolade.
Meanwhile, Tasmania burnished its reputation as one of the nation’s leading wine producing regions with theAustralian Sparkling Trophy once again awarded to the House of Arras, for its EJ Carr Late Disgorged 2006.
The region has now triumphed in this category for every one of the last ten years. The Australian White
Trophy also went to a Tasmanian producer, with Tolpuddle Vineyard Chardonnay 2020 also claiming both theAustralian and Tasmanian Chardonnay Trophies.
International Wine Challenge Co-chair, Jamie Goode, explains, ‘Globally, Grenache is one of the most widely
planted red grape varieties but it has not always been popular in Australia. In recent years, it has experienced aresurgence thanks to winemakers switching their focus towards lighter styles which are becoming increasingly
sought after worldwide. It is great to see Australia take the trophy for the first time this year.’
Promising performances from tomorrow’s challengers
The results of this year’s Challenge displayed an ever increasing diversity of styles. The orange wine category
was a particular highlight with four wines winning Gold Medals, double last year’s tally. All four were fromGeorgia.
India also had its first taste of Gold Medal success, with a sparkling rosé wine Sula Brut Tropicale Cremant De
Nashik NV produced by Sula Vineyards. The highest medal previously won by India was a silver in 2015.
Oz Clarke, Co-Chair of the International Wine Challenge commented, ‘It is always fantastic to see awardwinners from countries with little to no previous experience of success in the Challenge. As well as the notable
Gold Medal for India, we also saw medal winners from Kazakhstan, Wales, Sweden and Switzerland, countries
that consumers might not necessarily associate with winemaking. An International Wine Challenge sticker
serves as a mark of quality, and gives consumers the confidence to try wines from different countries and indifferent styles.’The full list of award winners in the 2022 International Wine Challenge released on 17th May can be seen here.
The IWC 2022 Champions, which are selected following a re-tasting of all trophy-winning wines by the IWC CoChairs, will be revealed at the IWC 2022 Awards announcement on Thursday 7th July.
ENDS--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------NOTES TO EDITORS:The International Wine Challenge
In its 39th year, the International Wine Challenge is accepted as the world’s most rigorous, impartial and influential winecompetition. The International Wine Challenge assesses every wine ‘blind’ and judges each for its faithfulness to style, regionand vintage. Awards include medals (Gold, Silver, Bronze) and Commended awards. Trophies are awarded to the very bestwines in each category. The International Wine Challenge is committed to helping consumers discover great wine, and themedals displayed on winning bottles offer a trusted guarantee of quality.
For more information on the IWC, please contact the IWC team at Phipps
iwc@thisisphipps.com : +44 (0) 20 3968 2455

International Wine Challenge Results 2022: Medal Summary Table
CountryGold

SilverBronze

Commended

Total

FranceSpain
Italy
Australia
Portugal
Argentina
South Africa
New Zealand
Chile
Austria
EnglandJapan
Croatia
Georgia
TurkeyCanadaChina
BrazilUSA
Moldova
Hungary
MexicoGermany
Romania
GreeceLebanonNorth
Macedonia
Uruguay
Switzerland
Bulgaria
Kazakhstan
India
PeruChina - Taiwan
SerbiaSwedenWales
Colombia
Armenia

75
47
1354
43
71317512800
60
500
20
30
3000367
212
144
246
163
99
83
77
59
54
42
1520
27
11
22
13
511
613
2
13
4
53

442
294
267
254
203
129
113
101
85
45
31
21
35
2924
20
24
15
18
16
9
13
11
11129451
412
390
165
215
119
133
85
129
40
36
64
36
28
50
2935
50
30
2919
29
91968

1335
965
814
719
624
354
342
280
278
151
117
100
91
90
85
76
7270
61
51
4444363423201229141100100000003311020012004134200110014232333100101277765322211