24th June 2005

NATIONAL COMPETITION TO TAKE PLACE NEXT WEEK WITH RECORD NUMBER OF ENTRIES

The English & Welsh Wine of the Year competition will be taking place next week  - 27th and 28th June -  and is set to be the biggest ever national competition tasting.

This year Chilford Hall Vineyard and Conference Centre is hosting the annual tasting on behalf of the East Anglian Wine Growers Association.

The competition has this year attracted a record number of entries from all over England and Wales, amounting to over 200 in total, all hoping to win the prestigious Gore-Brown Trophy for ‘Wine of the Year’ along with other trophies for different styles and categories.

Judging is by an eminent panel of Masters of Wine led by Waitrose wine supremo Julian Brind who is supported by Stephen Skelton – Captain of the Masters of Wine team on this week’s University Challenge The Professionals – David Wrigley from the highly influential Wine & Spirit Education Trust, Maggie McNie, Patricia Stefanowicz and Anthony Foster.

The competition is organised by the United Kingdom Vineyards Association whose membership is made up of the six regional associations, each of which hosts the competition tasting in turn.  East Anglia has the good fortune of having not only a record entry, but also the anniversary of the first commercial production of wine in the post-world war II era.  A celebration dinner is being held at, and with the support of, Chilford Hall on 27th June to celebrate this combination of events.

The results of the competition will be announced and sent out on Wednesday 29th June.