The best wine produced in England and Wales has been revealed today as the winners of the first UK Wine Awards are announced. Coates & Seely’s La Perfide Blanc de Blancs 2009 was awarded Supreme Champion sponsored by Hotel du Vin, beating almost 300 other English and Welsh wines to the title.

The 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 industry is one of the fastest-growing agricultural sectors in the UK and has more than doubled in the last ten years alone. Sales of this country’s wines have now spread across the UK and they are now exported to some 27 markets overseas.

The Awards received an incredible 293 entries, with 20 gold, 36 silver and 127 Bronze medals awarded to winning wines. The judges, a panel of 12 experts led by TV presenters, broadcasters and writers Susie Barrie MW and Oz Clarke, also had eight trophies to award. Hampshire-based Coates & Seely proved the stand-out producer, taking home four of the eight trophies.

The company was founded in 2009 by Nicholas Coates and Christian Seely with the aim of bringing together the finest traditions of French winemaking craftsmanship with the glory of the English terroir.

Producing an average of 65,000 bottles each year in its custom-built winery, Coates & Seely’s sparkling wines are fast gaining a reputation for excellence, enjoying significant demand from the royal palaces. Its reputation is growing abroad, too – Coates & Seely currently exports about 25% of its wines overseas and is even listed in Paris’s iconic George V hotel.

The crowning of Coates & Seely’s sparkling wine comes in the same month that saw Taittinger make history as the first champagne house to plant vines in the UK, further demonstrating the strength of English Sparkling Wine.

The full list of trophy winners:

  • Supreme Champion, sponsored by Hotel du Vin: Coates & Seely La Perfide Blanc De Blancs 2009. RRP – £65.00. Judges comment: “Fabulously elegant and refined with the seductive toasted brioche and honey notes from age.”
  • Best Overall Still Wine, sponsored by Rankin Brothers & Son: Bolney Wine Estate Foxhole Vineyard Pinot Gris 2016. RRP – £18.99. Judges comment: “A delightful example of Pinot Gris; pure, expressive, and fragrant with notes of honeysuckle and spiced pear.”
  • Best Overall Sparkling Wine, sponsored by Croxsons: Coates & Seely La Perfide Blanc De Blancs 2009. RRP – £65.00
  • Best Sparkling Blanc de Blancs, sponsored by Close Bros Brewery Rentals: Coates & Seely La Perfide Blanc de Blancs 2009. RRP – £65.00
  • Best Sparkling Rosé, sponsored by Tubex: Coates & Seely Rosé 2009. RRP – £65.00. Judges comment: “From its antique gold colour to its rich sour cherry and truffle flavours, this is a graceful, mature rosé to sip and savour.”
  • Best Classic Cuvée sparkling wine, sponsored by Henderson Insurance: Digby Fine English Brut 2010. RRP – £39.99. Judges comment: “A great vintage and a seriously classy wine that offers a compelling mouthful of white peach, honey and freshly baked bread.”
  • Best Still Bacchus, sponsored by Rankin Brothers & Son: Lyme Bay Bacchus Block 2015. RRP – £15.89. Judges comment: “Packed with zesty lime, fennel and elderflower flavours, this is English Bacchus at its refreshing best.”
  • Best Single Varietal Still White, sponsored by MHA Carpenter Box: Bolney Wine Estate Foxhole Vineyard Pinot Gris 2016. RRP – £18.99

Robin Roux, Head Sommelier at Hotel du Vin, commented, “We’ve seen a dramatic increase in demand for English and Welsh wines in recent years. People are recognising not just the quality of English and Welsh wines, but the fact that they keep getting better. A growing number of customers are looking for advice on pairing English wines with classic dishes or wanting to support wines produced in their region, and sales are going up and up.”

Susie Barrie MW said, “We’ve all witnessed the stratospheric rise in popularity of UK wines on the global stage in recent years, and we now have a contemporary competition judged to international standards to reward the best of the best.

“From the bigger, established producers right through to new estates launching their first vintage, we tasted a host of world-class, medal-worthy wines. The Blanc de Blancs category was particularly impressive, as was sparkling rosé, but there were some lovely surprises from Pinot Gris, and the Pinot Noirs undoubtedly show early signs of greatness too.”

She added, “What an exciting time for UK wine.”

Oz Clarke added, “We set the bar high with these awards, to show the true value of this competition and what it has set out to do, and we are proud that we did. The winners are the epitome of the talent that lies in the Winelands of the UK – and the range of winners shows just what extraordinary directions this industry is going in.

“Isn’t it brilliant that a producer as long established as Coates & Seely has shown the ongoing excellence of its wines? Hampshire terroir at its finest – ably backed up by ever-successful Kent and Sussex, and Cornwall weighing in from the Golden West.”

The UK Wine Award winners have been announced to coincide with English Wine Week, which takes place this week (27th May to 4th June). More information available at englishwineproducers.co.uk.