PRESS INFORMATION
Thursday 1st July
International Wine Challenge celebrates UK wine industry at live awards evening

The International Wine Challenge, the world’s most influential, impartial and rigorously judged winecompetition, brought the UK wine industry together at a live awards evening on Wednesday 30th
June to celebrate the winners of this year’s competition.
In an open-air event space at the Kia Oval with social distancing measures in place, the International
Wine Challenge unveiled its Champion and Merchant Award winners for 2021 and shone a spotlighton the extraordinary achievements of the teams behind those businesses. New awards wereintroduced this year to recognise the impressive work undergone by the trade this year, adapting tothe everchanging landscape of life under Covid19.
The Harrow at Little Bedwyn was awarded IWC Restaurant Initiative of the Year, impressing thejudges with the hundreds of free meals it supplied to the local community during lockdown, despite
having closed in March 2020, as well as repurposing its restaurant to create an extremely successful
gourmet takeaway service. Highly Commended was Newington Green restaurant, Tranga, who werea lifeline to the local community during the pandemic.
IWC On-Trade Supporter of the Year was awarded to Hallgarten & Novum Wines who worked withits suppliers to launch the widely praised initiative to supply 100,000 free glasses of wine to its ontrade customers. Hallgarten & Novum also received the award for IWC Merchant Wine List of theYear and was Highly Commended for IWC Large Agent of the Year and IWC Specialist Merchant of

the Year 2021 - Southern & Eastern Europe. Bibendum Wine and Liberty Wines were both Highly
Commended for the On-Trade Supporter of the Year award. Liberty Wines also picked up IWC Large
Agent and IWC Wine Educator, as well as IWC Specialist Merchant for Australia and Italy.
Impressing the judges with the scale of its logistics, the level of service it continued to offer its
customers and the support given to its suppliers, The Wine Society took home IWC Dynamic
Merchant of the Year and went on to win the top award of IWC Merchant of the Year 2021. The
Wine Society achieved an astounding four further awards including IWC Wine Club of the Year andIWC Specialist Merchant of the Year for Austria, Portugal and Regional France. Highly Commendedfor the new IWC Dynamic Merchant of the Year award was Welsh-based wine importer andwholesaler, Daniel Lambert Wines, who has been a mouthpiece for the trade post-Brexit,
highlighting the bureaucratic and financial challenges faced by businesses in its wake.
Also new for this year was the IWC National Merchant of the Year award which went to Majestic
Wine, who had an extremely busy year implementing all-round improvements across service,training and their drinks range. The changes, along with a new website, reflect the passion of thebusiness and investment in its future success.
Retailers of all sizes were celebrated in the awards ceremony on Wednesday evening, including
supermarkets across the UK. Waitrose was awarded IWC Supermarket of the Year as well as IWC
Specialist Merchant of the Year for England and Co-op was awarded IWC National Convenience
Chain of the Year. Marks & Spencer also had a stellar evening winning two IWC Specialist Merchantof the Year awards for Rosé and Champagne and Sparkling as well as IWC Own Label Range of theYear.
Other awards announced on the night included:••••••

IWC Small Agent of the Year 2021: Daniel Lambert WinesIWC Medium Agent of the Year 2021: Bancroft Wines
IWC Online Retailer of the Year 2021: Laithwaites
IWC Innovator of the Year 2021: Tring Winery for The Online Wine Tasting ClubIWC Small Independent Merchant of the Year 2021: Highbury Vintners
IWC Large Independent Merchant of the Year 2021: Cambridge Wine Merchants

Helen McGinn, Co-Chair and IWC UK Merchant Awards judge commented that: ‘It’s always
important to take stock and recognise the brilliant work of people behind the wonderful industry wework in, and this year even more so. We were blown away with the entries we received and thesupport, collaboration and innovation that so many businesses have brought to the industry thisyear.’
The International Wine Challenge 2021 also revealed today its Top 10 scoring wines from this year’scompetition, which included the ‘best in show’ Champion wines announced during the awards
evening. For the first time in the history of the competition, a Greek wine clinched the titleof Champion White Wine, ranking alongside other top scoring entries from both old and new world
countries.
10 Best Wines in the World as judged by the International Wine Challenge 2021:

FranceClos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée Cyrot Chaudron
Hospices de Beaune 2019, Maison Albert Bichot

IWC Champion Red Wine 2021,
International Pinot Noir Trophy, FrenchRed Trophy, Red Burgundy Trophy

FranceGreeceItaly
SpainAustraliaAustria

IWC Champion Sparkling Wine 2021,
Champagne Trophy, Vintage Classic
Vintage 2008, Piper-Heidsieck
Blend Champagne Trophy
IWC Champion White Wine 2021,
Sigalas Santorini Barrel 2020, Domaine Sigalas
Greek White Trophy
Vinsanto di Carmignano Capezzana Riserva 2013,
IWC Champion Sweet Wine 2021,
Tenuta Di Capezzana
Italian Sweet Trophy
IWC Champion Fortified Wine 2021,Lustau Palo Cortado V.O.R.S 30 Years, Emilio Lustau Sherry Trophy, Palo Cortado Trophy
Wolf Blass Grey Label McLaren Vale Shiraz 2019,
International Shiraz Trophy, McLaren
Wolf Blass Wines
Vale Shiraz Trophy
Sauvignon Blanc Kitzeck-Sausal Südsteiermark
International Sauvignon Blanc Trophy,
2019, Weingut Schneeberger
Austrian Sauvignon Blanc Trophy

Germany

Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru Domaine duPavillon 2019, Maison Albert Bichot
Erbacher Siegelsberg Riesling Grosses Gewächs
2015, Weingut Schloss Reinhartshausen

IWC Organic Trophy 2021, InternationalChardonnay Trophy, French WhiteTrophy, White Burgundy Trophy
International Riesling Trophy, GermanWhite Trophy

NewZealand

Valli Pinot Noir Gibbston Vineyard 2019, ValliVineyards

IWC Sustainable Trophy 2021, NewZealand Red Trophy, Central Otago
Pinot Noir Trophy

FranceThe International Wine Challenge Merchant Awards UK, which celebrates its 30th Anniversary in2021, recognizes and rewards the outstanding achievements of the UK wine trade, from merchantsand distributors to educators and marketers. This year’s winners were announced on 30th June andthe full list of those awarded can be seen here, and the ultimate winners from IWC 2021, including
IWC Winemakers of the Year, can be seen here.
ENDS--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------NOTES TO EDITORS:The International Wine Challenge
In its 38th 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) 20 7759 7400