Nyetimber Wins IWC 2025 Champion Sparkling

At the 2025 International Wine Challenge, Nyetimber’s 2016 Blanc de Blancs Magnum won the Champion Sparkling Wine award — the first time a non‑Champagne has taken the title — and head winemaker Cherie Spriggs was named Sparkling Wine Maker of the Year for a second time. The result underlines the rise of English traditional‑method sparklings driven by warmer climates and improved winemaking. Supermarkets and independent houses, including award‑winning own‑labels from Co‑op and Aldi, are increasingly producing high‑quality sparklings at lower prices. Central and Eastern European wines are also gaining attention for indigenous varieties and value, with examples such as Romania’s 2024 Blueprint Pinot Noir, Hungary’s Patricius Tokaj Furmint, Slovenia’s Gasper Chardonnay‑Rebula and lively Czech/Slovak whites. On the corporate side, Constellation Brands dominates the U.S. multi‑category beer and alcohol market with Corona/Modelo U.S. rights while reshaping its wine portfolio and holding a stake in Canopy Growth; Pernod Ricard remains a leading global spirits player and niche producers such as Willamette Valley Vineyards target premium buyers. These shifts are expanding consumer access to quality, affordable sparkling wines and clarifying investor choices across large diversified beverage companies and specialist producers, with restaurant and foodservice chains (e.g., Jack in the Box, Yum! Brands, McDonald’s) representing major distribution channels.