Embargoed until Thursday 29th November 11.00am GMTEngland firmly on the leaderboard as Quality Sparkling Producer
England wins two Gold medals at International Wine Challenge for its sparkling wines

Two English sparkling wines gained Gold medals in the latest round of the International Wine Challenge (IWC),
the world’s most influential wine competition.
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Raimes Classic Brut 2014 from Hampshire, a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier
Ridgeview Blanc de Blancs 2014 from Sussex – made with 100% Chardonnay

Both scored 95 points.
In addition to the Golds, England was also awarded 11 Silver medals – ten of which were for sparkling wines,
cementing England’s status as a high-quality producer of fine sparkling wines.
Four of these went to Cornwall’s Camel Valley, the region’s largest producer of sparkling wine. Sussex producerPeter Hall of Breaky Bottom, and also Ridgeview were awarded two Silvers apiece. Gusbourne (Kent), Denbies(Surrey), Bolney and Bluebell Vineyard Estates (both Sussex) picked up one Silver medal each.
Highlighting the weight that these medals carry, Dr Jamie Goode, one of the six co-chairs who oversee thejudging process, commented: “I think that if a wine achieves a medal in the IWC then it's a safe bet for a goodbottle this Christmas. It takes a lot to get a Silver, and the Golds are rare!”Charles Metcalfe, another IWC co-chair, added: “Every medal has been awarded after a blind tasting by experts
from all over the world.”
Most of the English wines gaining Silver medals were made with the same type of grapes and techniques used
in France’s Champagne region. The exceptions were the Darnibole Brut 2014 from Camel Valley, which is madefrom Seyval Blanc grapes – an early ripening grape well suited to England’s climate, and Bolney’s sparkling Cuvee
Rosé 2016 which features Gamay, the grape associated with Beaujolais, in the blend.
The only English still wine to receive a Silver was the Denbies Bacchus, which is available in Marks & Spencer.
The first part of the 2019 International Wine Challenge – Tranche 1 – saw 212 wine experts from 23 countries
judging the wines over four days in London. Tranche 2 judging will take place from April 1-11, 2019, with theresults announced on May 8.

Availability of winesMedalProducer Name

Wine Name

Vintage

Available

RRP*

GoldRaimes

Classic Brut2014

£28.992015

Fareham Cellar, Novel
Wines, Concept Wines
Wine Direct, The Wine
Society
Marks & Spencer

GoldRidgeview

Blanc de Blancs

2014

SilverCamel Valley

Camel Valley Classic Cuvee

SilverCamel Valley

Camel Valley Pinot Noir Rosé Brut2016

Waitrose Cellar

SilverCamel Valley£29.95Darnibole Brut2014

Not currently available

SilverCamel Valley

Pinot Noir Brut2014

SilverPeter Hall

Breaky Bottom Brut2014

The Champagne
Company
Waitrose Cellar

SilverPeter Hall

Breaky Bottom Brut2011

Not currently availableSilver

Gusbourne Estate

Berry Brothers & Rudd English Sparkling

NV

Berry Brothers£25.99SilverRidgeview

Blanc de Noirs

2014£46.99SilverBolney Wine Estate

Cuvée Rosé

2016

The Bottle Club, Butlers
Wine Cellar,
theFoodMarket.com
The Bolney Estate Shop

SilverBluebell Vineyard
Estates
Denbies

Hindleap Classic Cuvee

2014

Bluebell Vineyard Shop

£29.95

Bacchus2017Marks & Spencer£9.99

Silver

£42.69£27.99£32.50£26.99£29.99*Average priceEmbargoed until Thursday 29th November 11.00am GMT

NOTES TO EDITORS:The International Wine Challenge
In its 36th year, the International Wine Challenge is accepted as the world’s finest and most meticulously judged competition.
The IWC assesses every wine ‘blind’ and judges each for its faithfulness to style, region and vintage. Each medal-winningwine is tasted on at least three separate occasions by a minimum of 12 different judges including Masters of Wine. Awards
include medals (Gold, Silver, Bronze) and Commended awards. The IWC is committed to helping consumers discover greatwine, and the medals 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 7759 7400 : 17 Exeter Street, London, WC2E 7DU, UK