Success for London Wine Merchants at the IWC Merchant Awards UKBest selection of South African and New Zealand wines to be found in London
At this year’s International Wine Challenge (IWC) Wine Merchant Awards UK, London retailers
impressed the judges claiming the titles for Specialist Merchant New Zealand 2019 and Specialist
Merchant South Africa 2019.
The New Zealand Cellar scooped up this year’s prize for IWC Specialist Merchant New Zealand. Based ina shipping container in Brixton, the New Zealand Cellar started life online but won the hearts of thecrowd funding circle and then built a physical shop. The range is curated by Mel Brown and has beencalled ‘a revelation’ by wine expert Jancis Robinson MW.
Handford Wines, one of the best independent wine shops in the UK where Ruby Wax once said, ‘I justlove their shop…I wish I could sleep in it!’ took home the prize for the IWC Specialist Merchant SouthAfrica 2019. James Handford MW and Greg Sherwood MW painstakingly taste each wine and have arange just shy of 250 South African wines.
Alongside these exceptional specialists, Noble Green Wines, based in Hampton Hill, picked up the titleof the IWC Regional Merchant London 2019. Noble Green Wines is renowned for its range of diverseand great value wines including a ‘rare and eclectic’ selection.
In its 36th year, the International Wine Challenge is accepted as the world’s most rigorous, impartial andinfluential wine competition. The International Wine Challenge Merchant Awards UK celebrate themost successful small and large businesses, who deliver an outstanding service to wine consumers. Theawards are based on top quality wines, but, most importantly, in this sector of the awards, of acommercially successful, viable, and proven business model. This year’s winners were announced on
9th July and the full list of those awarded can be seen here, and the Merchant Awards results here.
NOTES TO EDITORS:The International Wine Challenge
In its 36th year, the International Wine Challenge is accepted as the world’s most rigorous, impartial andinfluential wine competition. The IWC assesses every wine ‘blind’ and judges each for its faithfulness to style,region and vintage. Each medal-winning wine 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 Commendedawards.
The IWC Merchant Awards UKThe Merchant Awards were introduced to the IWC in 1990. A distinguished panel of judges examines each entry
and, over the course of two days, decides on the winners for each category. The judges focus on the businessside of retailing; it’s not just about having great wines. This year the judging panel comprised Laura Jewell MW,
Helen McGinn, Peter McCombie MW, Tim Atkin MW and Charles Metcalfe. Laure Patry joined the team to assistwith the judging of the Restaurant Wine List award.
The IWC is committed to helping consumers discover great wine, and the medals displayed on winning bottles and in winningshops 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