A SPARKLING wine grown by a Henley company has been judged the best in the country.

Laithwaite’s Wines won the Judgement of Parsons Green competition with its Wyfold Vineyard Sparkling Wine 2009, beating 78 other English sparkling wines, three champagnes and one Californian sparkling wine.

The competition, which was set up three years ago to show that English sparkling wines now compete in quality with champagne, was judged by a panel of experts.

Owners of the vineyard Barbara Laithwaite and Cherry Thompson, who both live in Henley, grew the grapes used for the wine in their vineyard in the Chiltern Hills.

The one-hectare vineyard was established in 2003 and has been producing wine made from traditional champagne-variety grapes, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, since 2006, although the 2009 is the first wine that has been put on general sale and entered in a competition.


Mrs Laithwaite said: “This award proves that our English sparkling wine cuts it with both critics and consumers — a winegrower’s dream.”

Laithwaite’s Theale Wineyard Chardonnay 2007 was awarded second place.

Published 18/03/13