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Vineyard near Harrogate wins first international wine award

Wednesday, 22 May 2024 08:17

Peter and Mandy Townsend, Dunesforde Vineyard.

A vineyard between Harrogate and York has been recognised with an international wine award.

Dunesforde Vineyard has won its first award in the prestigious International Wine Challenge (IWC).

The IWC is the world's most influential, impartial and rigorously judged global wine competition.

And it has just announced the results of its 2024 competition - with Dunesforde Sparkling Pinot Gris 2020 awarded a silver medal, the only wine from northern England to do so.

Thousands of wines from over 50 countries were entered into the International Wine Challenge and blind tasted by an international panel of experts including Oz Clarke, Tim Atkin MW and TV’s Helen McGinn.

They said of the Dunesforde Sparkling Pinot Gris:

“This is bright and intense with red cherry and lime flavour, showing keen acidity and real interest.”

Peter Townsend, Head of Wine Development at Dunesforde, said:

“Wines recognised by the International Wine Challenge are synonymous with the highest quality which we always strive to achieve at Dunesforde.

"This is the first year that we have entered a wine into this competition and we’re thrilled that our Sparkling Pinot Gris has won a coveted silver medal.

“Growing Pinot Gris is quite rare in England and especially rare as far north as we are. We planted the vines in 2016 as an experiment and are delighted that our punt has paid off! It’s a crisp and refreshing wine with tongue-tingling flavours throughout. Delicious.”

Dunesforde Sparkling Pinot Gris is available online or from Dunesforde’s Cellar Door, priced at £37.

Only 200 bottles of the 2020 vintage were produced so it is in limited quantities.

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