English wines have secured the highest percentage of gold medals per entry at this year’s International Wine Challenge, making a watershed moment for national producers.

England won 25 gold medals at the global competition, up from 10 in 2025, marking its strongest performance to date.

Although the country ranked ninth overall, with France retaining the top spot, English wines achieved the highest gold medal strike rate of any country, with 16 per cent of entries awarded gold.

Kent led the way for English wine, picking up 12 gold medals, driven largely by sparkling wine and chardonnay.

International Wine Challenge co-chair Oz Clarke said the improvement in English wine over the past decade had been “remarkable”.

He said growers now had a much better understanding of their vineyards, while winemaking had become more precise and confident.

“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,” Clarke said.

Sam Caporn, master of wine, said England’s success reflected several factors, including the increasing maturity of vines at leading producers.

She pointed to Nyetimber, whose first vintage was in 1992, as an example of how older vines are now helping to improve quality across the sector.

Caporn also said longer maturation and bottle age were adding complexity to English wines, highlighting Wiston’s trophy-winning Cuvee 2009 Magnum as one example.

She added that newer producers were benefiting from lessons learned by earlier growers, particularly around soil, microclimate, clones and rootstocks.

“It’s a really exciting time for English wine right now,” Caporn said, noting that still wines were also gaining ground alongside the country’s established sparkling wine reputation.

The results come as climate change continues to alter the prospects for UK vineyards, particularly in the south of England, where warmer weather and more sunny days have helped boost wine production. However, experts have also warned that more extreme weather, including drought, could threaten crops and create further volatility for growers.

Supermarket wines also performed strongly at the competition, with bottles sold by Aldi, Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s among those winning gold medals.

Gold medal winners included M&S Champagne Delacourt Vintage Blanc de Blancs 2017, M&S Collection Barossa Valley Shiraz 2024, Aldi’s Exceptional Botrytis Riesling 2017, Exceptional Asti NV and Fletcher’s LBV Port 2021.

Tesco also picked up golds for its Finest Picpoul de Pinet 2024 Les Costières de Pomerols and Finest Barolo 2021 Fratelli Martini Secondo Luigi, while Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Rioja Gran Reserva 2018 from CVNE was also recognised.

France remained the leading country overall, winning awards for champagne and burgundy, while Spain impressed judges with sherry and rioja. Portugal also performed strongly, led by its port entries.

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