2024's Best in Wine: International Wine Challenge announces
Champion Wines and Winemakers

International Wine Challenge Sparkling Winemaker of the Year, Ed Carr from House of Arras

10th July 2024 - The International Wine Challenge, the world's most inﬂuential, impartial
and rigorously judged global wine competition, has announced the highest scoringwines and winemakers of its 2024 competition, marking its 40th year.
Following a series of intensive blind tastings by an international panel of experts, winesfrom four countries were awarded the ultimate honour of a Champion title in thecategories of red, white, sparkling, sweet and fortiﬁed. The International Wine Challenge
has also announced the ﬁve Winemakers of the Year in the same categories, withwinners named from France, Spain, Austria and Australia.

France claims four top awards
France proved its winemaking prowess once again as the top performing country in thisyear’s challenge, taking home four of the ten Champion Wines and Winemaker awards.

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Burgundy producer Edouard Delaunay held onto the prestigious title of IWC
Champion Red Wine for its Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2021, whilewinemaker, Laurent Delaunay, was also named IWC Red Winemaker of theYear. This is the fourth time this has been awarded to a winemaker from Edouard
Delaunay. With a total of 26 medals and nine trophies under his belt, Laurent
Delaunay is the most highly awarded winemaker in this year’s competition.
La Chablisienne’s Estelle Roy was awarded IWC White Winemaker of theYear following an outstanding performance in this year’s challenge which saw
the winery take home 18 medals and all three of the trophies awarded toChablis. Upon winning the award, Estelle said “It’s a beautiful reward. It’swonderful to encourage women in the wine industry”
For the third year in a row, Rare Champagne has been awarded IWC ChampionSparkling Wine. This year, the prestigious accolade went to its Millésime
Magnum 2008, which impressed judges with its “ﬁne glistening fresh acidity andgorgeous pastry cream and hazelnut softness.”
Over 500 French whites were awarded medals in this year’s challenge but it wasMaison Albert Bichot that took home the French White Trophy for its “layeredand complex” Hospices de Beaune Cuvée Baudot Meursault 1er CruGenevrières 2022. Over the past ﬁve years, the Burgundy producer has won
eleven trophies, 33 Gold, 21 Silver and 6 Bronze medals – and not a single
unawarded wine – earning it the prestigious IWC Trophy for Consistency over 5Years.

Australian named Sparkling Winemaker of the Year for the ﬁrst time
Australia was the second highest performing nation in this year’s challenge, comingsecond only to France, but the biggest triumph came for its bubbly.
--For the ﬁrst time in IWC history, an Australian producer has been named IWC
Sparkling Winemaker of the Year. Ed Carr, Head Winemaker at House ofArras took home this prestigious accolade, marking only the second time it hasgone to a producer outside of Champagne. Carr said “it’s the International Wine
Challenge, you see that the wines are judged against peers from all over theworld and it was always our aim to even be in that mix, which is certainly anhonour within itself, but to be selected from that mix is something even better
again. Such a learned set of judges and such a strong competition, it’s nice toknow you’ve got something right when your wine comes to the top!”
House of Arras’ sparkling wines picked up 12 medals in this year’s challenge, as
well as The Australian Sparkling Trophy which went to its Blanc de Blancs 2014,

-described by judges as “a great example of a sparkler tasting like a really serious
wine in its own right with bubbles as an extra.”This year’s IWC Lifetime Achievement Award went to Australian wine critic,
James Halliday AM. Halliday noted, “I am deeply moved by the decision of theInternational Wine Challenge to bestow its 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award on
me. I’m also humbled to join a list of international ﬁgures who, over manydecades, have played innovative and signiﬁcant roles extending into the four
corners of the wine world.”

Georgian skin-contact wine awarded Champion White
The increasing quality of Georgian wine is evident in this year’s results, with the country
winning more gold medals than ever before as well as the top prize for white wine.
-In a historical first for Georgia, the IWC Champion White Wine has gone to askin-contact wine from Kakheti producer Vazisubani Estate. Its Kisi Qvevri
2021 was described by judges as “chalky textured and flavourful with baked
apple, pears and a rich, lightly grippy, phenolic finish.” This is the first time that
Georgia has received a Champion Trophy.

Sweet success for Italy
Italy came 5th in this year’s challenge for medals, however it was a sweet wine that took
the top spot.
-Tuscan producer Tenuta Di Capezzana has claimed back IWC Champion
Sweet Wine this year for its Vinsanto di Carmignano Capezzana Riserva 2016.
This Vinsanto has won this accolade three times previously in 2022, 2021 and2019.

Sherry reigns supreme in Spain
Spain’s reputation for world-class fortiﬁed wine was left in no doubt in this year’schallenge.
--For the fourth year in a row, Jerez has taken the title of IWC Champion Fortiﬁed
Wine. This year, Bodegas Espinosa De Los Monteros impressed judges with its
Palo Cortado VORS, which they described as “a dry sherry for connoisseurs.”
Sergio Martínez from Emilio Lustau was also recognised in this year’s resultswith the prestigious title of IWC Fortiﬁed Winemaker of the Year, which he has

won ﬁve times previously. In this year’s challenge, Emilio Lustau took home more
medals than any other producer with 8 Golds, 15 Silvers and 3 Bronzes.

Winning streak for Austrian winemaker
Burgenland producer Hans Tschida once again displayed his excellence in sweetwinemaking.
-For the 4th year in a row, Hans Tschida from Weingut Angerhof Tschida has
been awarded IWC Sweet Winemaker of the Year. Tschida has now won thisaward 10 times since 2010. In this year’s challenge, his sweet wines received 9Golds, 7 Silvers, 3 Bronzes and one coveted trophy.

IWC Champion Wines 2024:
FranceRare Champagne Millésime
Magnum 2008

FranceEdouard Delaunay CharmesChambertin Grand Cru 2021

Georgia

Vazisubani Estate Kisi Qvevri 2021

Italy

Tenuta Di Capezzana Vinsanto di
Carmignano Capezzana Riserva
2016
Bodegas Espinosa De Los
Monteros Palo Cortado VORSSpain

IWC Champion Sparkling Wine 2024 Daniel Thibault Trophy, Champagne
Trophy, Vintage Classic BlendChampagne Trophy
IWC Champion Red Wine 2024,
International Pinot Noir Trophy, French
Red Trophy, Burgundy Red Trophy,
Charmes Chambertin Trophy
IWC Champion White Wine 2024,
Georgian White Trophy
IWC Champion Sweet Wine 2024 Alois Kracher Trophy, Italian Sweet
TrophyIWC Champion Fortified Wine 2024 Manuel Lozano Trophy, Sherry Trophy,
Palo Cortado Trophy

IWC Winemakers of the Year 2024:
FranceFranceAustralia
SpainAustria

Estelle Roy, La Chablisienne
Laurent Delaunay, Edouard Delaunay
Ed Carr, House of Arras
Sergio Martínez, Emilio Lustau
Hans Tschida, Weingut Angerhof
TschidaIWC White Winemaker of the Year
IWC Red Winemaker of the Year
IWC Sparkling Winemaker of the Year
IWC Fortified Winemaker of the Year
IWC Sweet Winemaker of the Year

The full list of Trophy and Champion winners at the 2024 International Wine Challengeannounced on 9th July can be viewed here.

ENDSNOTES TO EDITORS:
In its 40th year, the International Wine Challenge is widely acknowledged as the world’s
most rigorous, impartial, inﬂuential and global wine competition. The IWC 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 tothe very best wines in each category. The International Wine Challenge is committed tohelping consumers discover great wine, and the medals ooer a trusted guarantee ofquality.

For more information, please contact the IWC team at Phipps
iwc@thisisphipps.com: +44 (0) 20 8050 6073