A Cottonworth-based winery has claimed top prize for its sparkling wine in a national awards ceremony.

Black Chalk Wines, based at The Old Dairy on the Fullerton Estate, picked up the award for best UK sparkling wine in the People’s Choice Drinks Awards for its Black Chalk Classic 2016. It beat off competition from a two-time winner of the awards, Lyme Bay Winery’s Sparkling Rosé.

The prizes were handed out in a virtual awards ceremony at Manchester’s Zymurgorium distillery on Monday, February 8.

The sparkling wine category of the People’s Choice Drinks Awards was hotly contested, with four finalists, including Lyme Bay Winery, The Wine Society, Dalwood Vineyard and Hillcrest Wines, which owns Black Chalk.

Organisers said that Lyme Bay’s offering was “just pipped to the post” by Black Chalk “in a close-run contest”.

They were picked by members of the public and the drinks trade, with members of the public selected following an online application. They then select a shortlist of wines from amongst the entrants, with the winners of each category chosen by judges such as Amelia Singer from TV series The Wine Show.

The founder of the awards, Janet Harrison, said: “The awards categories are designed to resonate with the average consumer and guide them to the occasion they are buying for – even if it is just a night in with a pizza. We believe linking these awards to ‘drinking moments’ is a simpler way of classifying wines to help busy shoppers make more informed decisions.”

The award cements the growing success of Black Chalk Wines, who won Newcomer of the Year in 2020. The company is currently undergoing a significant expansion. It has 30 acres of vineyards on the Fullerton Estate, with plans to expand their vineyards to 100 acres in the coming years.

A winery for the estate was approved in 2018, so that the produce of these vineyards can be processed in Test Valley. Condenser, chiller and compressor units have also been approved to assist with operations, while a workshop on the site is to be transformed into a café and tasting area for visitors to try their range of wines.