The champions (of English wine)!

The inaugural UK wine awards celebrated the very best of English and Welsh wine.

Coates & Seely and Bolney soared above the competition to take home a selection of the top awards.

Coates & Seely claimed an impressive four awards including Supreme Champion, Best Overall Sparkling Wine and Best Sparkling Blanc de Blancs for their ‘La Perfide’ Blanc de Blancs 2009, which the judges described as “fabulously elegant and refined with the seductive toasted brioche and honey notes from age.”

They were also awarded Best Sparkling Rosé for their Coates & Seely Rosé 2009. The judges commented: “from its antique gold colour to its rich sour cherry and truffle flavours, this is a graceful, mature rosé to sip and savour.”

Bolney scooped two awards for their Estate Foxhole Vineyard Pinot Gris 2016 including Best Overall Still Wine and Best Single Varietal Still White. The judges thought the wine was “a delightful example of Pinot Gris; pure, expressive, and fragrant with notes of honeysuckle and spiced pear.”

The UK Wine Awards were created by the UK Wine industry, in association with Hotel du Vin, Country Life and Waitrose, to celebrate the impressive achievements of English and Welsh sparkling and still wines. The judging panel was made up of 12 experts, led by Susie Barrie MW and Oz Clarke, who judged an impressive 293 entries.

The awards coincided with English Wine Week, which is a national campaign designed to raise awareness of English wine across the country through a series of activities and events. Are you doing anything for #EnglishWineWeek? Let us know on Twitter!

More about these producers...

Coates & Seely

With an all-French winemaking team including consultants from Champagne, Coates & Seely combine first-rate French craftsmanship with the best of English terroir. Situated in the chalk-rich Wooldings vineyard in the North Hampshire Downs, the vineyard sprawls over both sides of a well-sheltered, V-shaped valley, which provides ideal growing conditions for superior Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

Bolney Estate

Bolney Estate was established in 1972 with 3 acres of vines and now spans 39 acres. Founders Janet and Rodney Pratt drew inspiration from the delicate, cool-climate reds of New Zealand and have been instrumental in cementing England’s reputation as a quality wine-producing region.

Current winemaker, Sam Linter (daughter of the founders) took over in the 1990s and since then the estate has gone from strength to strength. Grapes are grown with minimal intervention and a strong emphasis on soil health and biodiversity. The estate is a haven for wildlife including deer, buzzards, rabbits, pheasants, green woodpeckers, butterflies, dragon flies and frogs.

Test your knowledge of English wine with our English Wine Quiz.


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