The world’s best wine is... a frisky little Chateau Norfolk!
UNTIL yesterday, Norfolk was most famous for the Queen’s Sandringham Estate, those magical Broads…and Delia Smith.
Today, however, it finds itself being mentioned in the same breath as the Rhone Valley, Tuscany and Stellenbosch – as home of one of the world’s finest wines.
The county’s Winbirri Vineyards Bacchus 2015, which costs £13.95, has been named the best white wine made from a single grape variety. It has beaten anything that the French, Germans or New World could offer at the 2017 Decanter World Wine Awards.
The award represents a huge breakthrough for the makers, a family run vineyard, and the entire British wine making industry.
The fact that Britain is now beating the world with still wines represents a turning point for an industry that has previously won plaudits for sparkling wines.
Earlier this week, two English reds – both pinot noirs made in Kent and Sussex – picked up silver medals in the International Wine Challenge. The victory for the Winbirri Bacchus is the first time a vineyard from England has won such a major award for a still wine.
The DWWA is the largest international wine competition with 17,200 entries this year and involves 200 judges who fly in from all over the world. Master of Wine Stephen Skelton, head judge for the UK region, said: ‘ The Winbirri 2015 Bacchus is one of the best wines made from Bacchus that I have ever tasted.
‘Its nose is fresh and fruity and although the colour is very pale, the wine packs a powerful, fruit-filled palate.’ Winbirri Vineyards is based on the edge of the Norfolk Broads National Park. The name comes from the Anglo-Saxon ‘win’ for wine and ‘birri’ for grape. It was established in Surlingham in 2007 by fruit farmer Stephen Dyer and it has been run by his son Lee since 2010.
Lee said he hoped the win would put Norfolk on the world wine map.
‘Norfolk has so much potential as a wine region, particularly when it comes to still wines,’ he said.
‘I think Bacchus has to be the jewel in the crown and, more importantly, for my site as it just works so well here. We have more sunshine and less rainfall here, especially in September, giving us the edge when it comes to the all-important ripening time.’
Winbirri wines are available direct from the vineyard or from Waitrose, Marks & Spencer and many independent stores.
‘Its nose is fresh and fruity’