Award: All That Sparkles

Theale Vineyard Sparkling Chardonnay 2003 beat off stiff competition from fine Champagnes and top sparkling wines to make it into the world’s Top Ten Sparkling Wine at the world’s only dedicated sparkling wine competition, French-based Effervescents du Monde (sparkling wines of the world) 2007. 

Since its first wine was launched in 2006 this small vineyard, which measures only 200 square metres (2150 sq feet), has received a growing list of top plaudits from the world’s best wine judges.  The same wine also received a Silver Medal at the world’s premier wine competition, The International Wine Challenge, held earlier this year. 

The Theale Vineyard is sited in front of the offices of Laithwaites, Britain’s leading independent wine merchant, in Berkshire. When Laithwaites built its new premises on a brown field site in 1998, a shrub border was due to be planted over debris from the previous building. However, Tony Laithwaite, the company’s owner and a geographer by training, saw an opportunity to experiment with growing vines to produce a unique English wine. An artificial hill facing south was fashioned with suitable topsoil and planted with Chardonnay vines imported from Champagne in 2000. The vineyard is managed by award-winning sparkling wine producer RidgeView Wine Estate, who also makes the wine under contract.

Tony Laithwaite is delighted with the wine’s success, ”We don’t really know why the sparkling wine from this vineyard has proved so successful. Perhaps it is due to the carefully built south-facing slope or the shelter and heat from the surrounding buildings? Certainly Ridgeview’s skills and the dedication of the team who keep the vineyard immaculate have lead to its success.”

Another English wine produced by Ridgeview, this time exclusively for The Sunday Times Wine Club and Laithwaites – Ridgeview Merret South Ridge 2005 – added to the English success in the same competition with a Silver medal. The wine, with a cepage of predominantly Chardonnay, with Pinots Noir and Meunier, has enjoyed consistent success in this competition, with Silver medals awarded twice before to previous vintages.