Media Release
English Wines results triumph in International Competition
Plenty of corks will be popping in this ‘English Wine Week’ as the International Wine & Spirit Competition announce their results for English Wine in 2007, but it is no longer just the sparkling wines that are pulling in the awards.
This year, there were more entries from England than ever before; up nearly 50 % even on 2006. Twenty-six wines were awarded medals; with x5 Silver ‘Best in Class’ going to traditionally bottle-fermented sparkling wines but beyond this, a still wine from Nutbourne Vineyard and a rare dessert wine from Eglantine Vineyard also took this same acclaimed prize.
Tony Skuriat, whose Eglantine Vineyard is close to Loughborough, Leicestershire, is raising a glass to this triumph. Talking of his success, he said;
“As one of the smaller and more northerly vineyards we feel honoured and delighted that Eglantine`s North Star has received recognition from the international wine community once again. We have come a long way since planting the vines in 1979.”
Speaking to Dr Tony Jordan, winemaker, consultant CEO of Cape Mentelle, Cloudy Bay, Domaine Chandon/Green Point, we asked if England was now recognised for producing outstanding sparkling wines, did he see a future for dessert wines that might rival the famed Chateau Y'quem?
Dr Jordan replied; “Yes, the standard of sparkling wines in England made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is on the up and amongst them are some of good style and quality. If the greenhouse effect produces even a 1 or 2 degree increase in average summer temperature this can only improve things further.
Dessert wines to rival Yquem might be quite a challenge but why should one imitate when individual style and excellence can be achieved on one’s own terms with the right conditions and application? Certainly the humidity in England will often produce botrytis, so if this coincides with sufficient fruit ripeness on varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon then provided the growers can exercise careful berry selection in the vineyard, they should be able to produce botrytised wines of a high standard. Provenance and extraordinary quality combined with extreme rarity make Yquem a benchmark, but so too is Tokaji Aszu and wines such as North Star from Eglantine can determine their own style, as long as they work to an inspiring standard.”
Wine is not new to Britain. The Domesday Book of 1086, cites 38 vineyards, including Nyetimber. After vineyards peaking a century later at 1,300, we are now in the 21st Century seeing a return to this farming with some 400 wine producers active in the UK.
Full details on all IWSC awards released to date, can be found on their website: www.iwsc.net
Ends
Date: 28.05.07
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