Our Chardonnay Wins Best International Chardonnay at the IWC 2024
Grand Reserve Chardonnay 2021 has been awarded Best International Chardonnay, the New Zealand White Trophy and the New Zealand Chardonnay Trophy at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) in May.
Church Road 1 Single Vineyard Merlot also received the trophy for Best New Zealand Red Wine as well as the New Zealand Merlot Trophy at the same awards, arguably the world’s most influential and rigorously judged wine competition.
This year marked the 40th Anniversary of the IWC, a prestigious and highly regarded wine show based in Britain. Entries from over 50 countries of a diverse array of wine varieties are rigorously judged by over 500 industry experts representing 38 countries including Masters of Wine, commercial decision-makers and influencers. The IWC is renowned for its global recognition and benchmarking excellence as well as unrivalled impartiality as every wine is tasted blind ensuring a level playing field for all wines; furthermore, each wine is given detailed feedback from the judges regardless of its medal status. The IWC is not just a competition; it’s a celebration of excellence, a global showcase and a catalyst for wine industry growth.
Founded in 1897 to become one of the oldest wineries in New Zealand, we are among the first to craft exceptional Bordeaux-style red wines in New Zealand. Inching close to 130 years of winemaking excellence, the team strives for consistent evolution of our wines while continuing to harness the character of the region’s terroir.
“We are thrilled and very proud not only for Church Road, but for New Zealand to be crowned top International Chardonnay at the IWC. This is the second time in three years that a Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay has taken this Trophy, which is a huge achievement for the region. The overall quality of Chardonnay coming out of this little corner of the world is incredibly exciting.
It is also terrific to pick up the New Zealand Red Wine Trophy, demonstrating that Merlot is capable of producing truly exceptional wine in Hawke’s Bay. Congratulations to all the other successful New Zealand entrants, picking up a total of 23 Gold Medals and 10 Trophies, competing alongside powerhouses such as France, Australia, Spain and the US.”
– Chief Winemaker, Chris Scott
This year we’ve also been honoured to receive a Master Award at the Drinks Business Asia Chardonnay Masters 2024 for Church Road 1 Chardonnay 2022; we’ve placed third on the Real Review’s Top Wineries of New Zealand and first in Hawke’s Bay, and Chris Scott was named as one of the World’s Top 100 Master Winemakers for the second year running at the Drink Business Global Masters Awards in Paris.
Last year, Hawke’s Bay achieved a significant milestone, with Hawke’s Bay joining the likes of Bordeaux, Napa and Rioja to be recognized as one of the 12 Great Wine Capitals of the World. Read the article here.
