A world-class producer': English wines toast record gold medal haul

English wines won the highest percentage of gold medals per entry in a global competition, with experts calling the improvement remarkable. At the International Wine Challenge, English wines received more gold medals than ever, rising from 10 in 2025 to 25 this year. Experts linked the gains to older vines among top producers, which can raise quality, and to longer maturation and increased bottle age. Producers also developed greater complexity through extended aging, including trophy-winning cuvées. Climate change may bring more sunny days and warmer weather in southern England, supporting ripening, while extreme weather such as drought can threaten crops. Growers improved vineyard understanding, winemaking precision, and confidence, especially for sparkling wines. Newer producers learned microclimate and soil importance and used diverse clones and rootstocks for blending.

"I think there are a number of reasons why England did so well this year. One of them is that for many of the top producers, the vines are getting older which leads to greater quality; Nyetimber's first vintage for example was in 1992 so actually over 30 years ago now. The future is rosy for English red wines She added that the wines were being matured for longer: There is also the possibility of increased bottle age Wiston for example, won a trophy for their Cuvee 2009 Magnum and reserve wines are also taking on more complexity with every year that goes by."

"The improvement in English wine over the past decade has been remarkable. Growers now understand their vineyards far better, winemaking has become more precise, and there's a real confidence about what England can achieve, particularly with sparkling wine. The results at this year's International Wine Challenge show just how far things have come: English wines are being judged alongside the world's best and are winning on quality alone. It's very exciting to see."

"As the climate changes, vineyards, particularly in the south of England, can expect more sunny days and warmer weather. However, extreme weather including drought can often have the adverse effect in threatening food crops."

"Ardguably newer producers and plantings are also learning from their predecessors with an understanding of how important microclimate is as well as soil, coupled with using a whole raft of different clones and rootstocks for better blending options. It's a really exciting time for English wine right now with an appreciation of newer regions such as the"

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