8 July 2022
40 Best Wines in the World as judged at the International Wine Challenge 2022

Trinity Hill’s 125 Gimblett Vineyard, Gimblett Gravels, Hawke’s Bay New Zealand(Photography: Simon Young, simonyoungphotographer.com)

The International Wine Challenge, the world’s most influential, impartial and rigorously judged winecompetition, has announced the 40 highest scoring wines in its 2022 competition.
Following a series of rigorous blind tastings, winners from sixteen countries were named the best wines in theworld, as judged by a panel of leading global wine experts. Of these 40 exceptional wines, five were awarded
the ultimate accolade of Champion, a title reserved for wines that are deemed the absolute best-in-class in thecategories of red, white, sparkling, sweet and fortified.
NEW ZEALAND WINS CHAMPION WHITE TROPHY
For only the second time, the Champion White Trophy went to a New Zealand producer, Trinity Hill Wines, for
its Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2020. The judges were impressed by its “expressive yet nuanced nose” while
its environmental credentials were recognised with the IWC Sustainable Trophy. New Zealand was one of thetop performing countries in this year’s challenge, with a total of five wines in the top 40. Giesen Group had
two wines in the top 40 with Single Vineyard Clayvin Syrah 2019 receiving the IWC Organic Trophy and TheBrothers Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc 2017 claiming the New Zealand Sweet Trophy. Fellow Marlboroughproducer, Yealands Estate Wines, beat wines across the globe to secure the International Sauvignon Blanc
Trophy for its Single Block S1 Sauvignon Blanc 2021.
AUSTRALIA WINS INTERNATIONAL GRENACHE TROPHY FOR FIRST TIME EVER
Australia came second for Gold Medals in this year’s competition and had an impressive four wines in the top
40 list. For the first time ever, an Australian producer, Pinnacle Drinks, won the International Grenache
Trophy for its The Ethereal One Fleurieu Grenache 2020, which the judges described as “soft and juicy yetelegant.” Tasmania cemented its reputation as one of the county’s leading wine producing regions with Houseof Arras winning the Australian Sparkling Trophy for its EJ Carr Late Disgorged 2006 and the Australian White
Trophy going to Tolpuddle Vineyard for its Chardonnay 2020.
SOUTH AFRICA RECLAIMS FAIRTRADE AWARDSouth Africa reclaimed the IWC Fairtrade Award for the first time since 2018 with the Spar Reserve Chenin
Blanc Fairtrade 2021 from Breede River Valley producer Uniwines. South African winemakers saw widesuccess in this year’s awards with the Whitehall Chardonnay 2020 from Neil Ellis Wines winning the South
African White Trophy and Bouchard Finlayson scooping the South African Red Trophy for its Tete de Cuvee
Pinot Noir 2020.
Co-Chair Peter McCombie MW commented: ‘The International Wine Challenge judging panel includes experts
from all over the world and each trophy winning wine is tasted by at least three panels, meaning that eachwine is judged as fairly as possible and entirely on its own merits. This year’s top 40 features many familiarnames but it is great to see wines from lesser-known regions standing up on the global stage too.”
The 40 Best Wines in the World as judged by the International Wine Challenge 2022 are included below:
FranceRare Champagne Millésime 2008

IWC Champion Sparkling Wine 2022 - Daniel
Thibault Trophy , Champagne Trophy, Vintage
Classic Blend Champagne Trophy

FranceMaison Delas Frères Les Bessards
2019

IWC Champion Red Wine 2022, InternationalSyrah Trophy, French Red Trophy, Hermitage
Trophy, Rhone Red Trophy

New Zealand

Trinity Hill Wines Gimblett Gravels
Chardonnay 2020

IWC Champion White Wine 2022, IWC Sustainable
Trophy 2022, International Chardonnay Trophy,
New Zealand White Trophy, Hawkes Bay
Chardonnay Trophy

Italy

Tenuta Di Capezzana Vinsanto di
Carmignano Capezzana Riserva 2014

IWC Champion Sweet Wine 2022 - Alois Kracher
Trophy, Italian Sweet Trophy

Spain

Bodegas Tradicion Oloroso Tradicion
VORS

IWC Champion Fortified Wine 2022 - ManuelLozano Trophy , Sherry Trophy, Oloroso Trophy

Argentina

Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec
2020
The Ethereal One Fleurieu Grenache
2020

Argentinian Red Trophy

Australia

Galway Pipe Rare Tawny 25 Years

Australian Fortified Trophy

Australia

House of Arras EJ Carr Late
Disgorged 2006
Tolpuddle Vineyard Chardonnay
2020

Australian Sparkling Trophy

Austria

FJ Gritsch Riesling Ried Kalkofen
Smaragd 2020

Austrian White Trophy

Austria

Hans Tschida Angerhof Sämling 88
Beerenauslese 2010

Austrian Sweet Trophy, Austrian Samling 88
TrophyCanadaFlat Rock Cellars Riesling 2019

Canadian White Trophy

CanadaReif Estate Grand Reserve Vidal
Icewine 2019

Canadian Ice Wine Trophy

Chile1865 Selected Vineyards Carmenere2020

Chilean Red Trophy, Carmenere Trophy

Australia

Australia

International Grenache Trophy, Australian RedTrophy, South Australian Grenache Trophy

Australian White Trophy, Australian Chardonnay
Trophy, Tasmanian Chardonnay Trophy

EnglandHighweald Brut Reserve NVBest Wine in First Year of Production, English
Sparkling Trophy, Non Vintage English Sparkling
TrophyEnglandArtelium Artefact #2 Barrel AgedChardonnay 2020

English White Trophy

FranceMaison Albert Bichot Clos de laRoche Grand Cru Cuvée Cyrot
Chaudron Hospices de Beaune 2020

International Pinot Noir Trophy, Clos de la Roche
Trophy, Red Burgundy Trophy

FranceMaison Albert Bichot Meursault 1er
Cru Les Charmes Cuvée Albert
Grivault Hospices de Beaune 2020

French White Trophy, White Burgundy Trophy,
Meursault Trophy

Georgia

Teliani Valley JSC Glekhuri Khikhvi
Qvevri 2019

Georgian White Trophy, Khikhvi Trophy

Germany

Weingut Hans Wirsching Iphöfer
Kammer Riesling Großes Gewächs
2019
Weingut Reiss Würzburger
Pfaffenberg Silvaner Auslese 2020

International Riesling Trophy, German WhiteTrophy

Italy

Col Vetoraz Spumanti Valdobbiadene
Superiore Di Cartizze 2021

Prosecco Trophy

Italy

Antonella Corda Cannonau Di
Sardegna 2020Italian Red Trophy, Sardinian Red Trophy

New ZealandYealands Estate Single Block S1
Sauvignon Blanc 2021

International Sauvignon Blanc Trophy,Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Trophy

New Zealand

Giesen Single Vineyard Clayvin Syrah
2019

IWC Organic Trophy 2022, Marlborough Syrah
TrophyNew Zealand

McArthur Ridge Southern Tor 2020

New Zealand Red Trophy, Otago Pinot Noir Trophy

New Zealand

Giesen The Brothers Late Harvest
Sauvignon Blanc 2017

New Zealand Sweet Trophy

NorthMacedonia
PortugalTikves Merak 2021

North Macedonian Trophy

Justino's Madeira Verdelho 1997

Madeira TrophyPortugal

Dalva Porto Colheita Tawny 1985

Port Trophy, Colheita Port Trophy

Portugal

Catedral Dão Reserva Tinto 2021

Portuguese Red Trophy, Dao Trophy

South Africa

Spar Reserve Chenin Blanc Fairtrade2021
Neil Ellis Whitehall Chardonnay 2020

IWC Fairtrade Award 2022

South Africa

Bouchard Finlayson Tete de Cuvee
Pinot Noir 2020

South African Red Trophy

Spain

Cabecita Loca Vermouth NV

Vermouth Trophy

Spain

Villa Conchi Extra Brut Imperial
Reserva 2018

Cava Trophy

GermanySouth Africa

German Sweet Trophy

South African White Trophy, South African
Chardonnay TrophySpainSpanish White Trophy, Rías Baixas Trophy

Spain

Bodegas Altos de Torona Albariño
2021
Legaris Alcubilla De Avellaneda 2018

Uruguay

Garzón Single Vineyard Tannat 2020

Uruguay Red Trophy

Spanish Red Trophy, Ribera Del Duero Trophy

The full list of Trophy and Champion award winners at the 2022 International Wine Challenge released on 7thJuly can be found here.
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, region
and 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)2039682455