ollowing England’s successful debut performance in the 2012 Sommelier Wine Awards, English and Welsh wine have been given their own sparkling wine category, alongside Prosecco, Champagne and sparkling wines from other countries.
As deputy director of the competition, I must declare an interest in this. It was wonderful to see the English contingent come from nowhere to score a dozen medals – only three less than California.
Three of these medals were Gold, plus both a Critics Choice trophy for RidgeView’s “textured” Knightsbridge Blanc de Noirs 2009 and a By the Glass gong for Furleigh Estate’s “complex” Classic Cuvée Brut – the first of a string of honours for the 2012 UK Winemaker of the Year.
“The performance of English wines was one of the positive surprises of last year’s competition,” says competition director, Chris Losh. “I guess we would expect medals in the sparkling wine’s section, but to get Golds at both sub-£14 and in the £14-20 category, where the Champenois usually dominate, was impressive.”
And it’s not just the fizz that sparkled. Chris reckoned “the big surprise” was the medals that went to still wines: a Gold to Biddenden’s “perky” Ortega, plus medals for a Schonburger and a Pinot Noir.
Judged by sommeliers for sommeliers, the Sommelier Wine Awards is the only compeition sollely to focus on wines for the on-trade. The interest among restaurant and bar drinks buyers is certainly there for English and Welsh wines. “Local sourcing is huge in food, and anything with low food miles and a local angle is right on their radar,” says Chris. “Providing the quality is there – and a medal in SWA proves it.”
Normally ever-cautious, Chris reckons that “More entries would definitely see more medals”, since “Sommeliers have shown that they are receptive to England’s lighter fruit and more structured style,” adding that, if this happened, it could send “a truly powerful message both to the on-trade and competitor countries”.
Bring on 2013!
- To see how other countries did, see Sommelier Wine Awards’ November Newsletter.
- For details on the Sommelier Wine Awards and how to enter, visit Sommelier Wine Awards website. Deadline for entries: 15 January
- For further information, email [email protected]
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