Wine GB unveils 2021 award winners

By Lisa Riley

Published: 24 June, 2021

Wine GB has unveiled the the winners of this year’s awards for which there was a record number of entries and first-time entrants from all over England and Wales.

The 2021 trophy triumphs included: Ashling Park, Wiston Estate, Gusbourne, Harrow & Hope and Chapel Down, with Digby and Bluebell Vineyard Estates also cementing their position on the winners’ stage once again.

New winners included Surrey producer Greyfriar while family-owned and run Stonyfield Wine vineyard in Blisworth, Northamptonshire – one of England’s smallest vineyards – scooped the trophy for Best Sparkling Blend, which includes non-traditional varieties.

Marking a record year in terms on entries, over 300 were received, including 24 new entrants, with 37 gold medals, 107 silver and 131 bronze being awarded.

Out of the with 133 sparkling and 176 still wines entered, seven sparkling and three still classes received trophies. In terms of vintage sparkling wines, 2015 proved to be the star of the show, winning nine gold medals.

Of the total medals awarded, 126 (46%) went to sparkling and 149 (54%) to still.

While Classic Method sparkling wines remain the hero style of the industry, the awards embraced a “huge range” of wine styles including still wines – which won medals across the board – and innovation shone through with new styles and methods appearing for the first time including Pet Nat (petillant naturel), canned wine and a wine produced in amphora, said Wine GB.

“2021 has been a great year for the Wine GB Awards and undoubtedly our best yet,” said co-chair of judges Susie Barrie MW.

“These awards shine a light on the very best still and sparkling wines the UK has to offer and it’s wonderful to bear witness to an industry that is now consistently producing wines that really are world-class. Not only that, the range and variety of wines just keeps on getting better.”

The Wine GB Awards is judged by a leading team of experts from the industry, headed by Co-chairs Barrie and Oz Clarke OBE and including Rebecca Palmer, wine buyer of Corney & Barrow; broadcaster and journalist Helen McGinn; head sommelier and wine buyer of The Tate, Hamish Anderson; Majestic wine buyer Elizabeth Kelly MW and wine writer and consultant Simon Field MW.

The full list of winners can be found here.

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