English Sparkling Wine Brand Named World’s Best Fizz

We’ll bet corks are flying at Nyetimber’s vineyards this week. The British brand has been crowned the world’s best sparkling wine at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) – the first time a wine made outside of the Champagne region has taken home the award.

Nyetimber Wins Top Sparkling Wine Award

At a ceremony held in London on 9 September 2025, Nyetimber’s Blanc de Blancs Magnum 2016 took home the Champion Sparkling Wine trophy. Not only that, but the brand’s head winemaker Cherie Spriggs was named Sparkling Winemaker of the Year – also making history as the first person outside of Champagne to have won the award (and the first woman ever).

The IWC is one of the world’s most prestigious wine awards, having run annually for over 40 years. The winners are determined via a rigorous judging panel, who blind tasted over 1,000 wines earlier this year. Nyetimber’s Blanc de Blanc 2016 was awarded an impressive 97 points, described as ‘a time capsule of a wine with mouth-watering acidity, flavours of citrus zest and camomile with a chalky finish.’

Nyetimber CEO and Owner, Eric Heerema said: ‘These two trophies are huge accolades for us, and we are honoured to have received them from such a renowned awards body. At Nyetimber we strive for perfection in everything we do, and the trophies provide real recognition of our winemaking teams and all the hard work and dedication that they put into creating world-class sparkling wines.’

He continued: ‘We are truly delighted to be the first ever non-Champagne to have been awarded the Champion Sparkling Wine trophy, and to have done so for our Blanc de Blancs – a wine that is very special to us, having been the first ever created at Nyetimber – feels very special.’

Since being established in 1988, Nyetimber has grown to become one of the biggest players on the English sparkling wine scene – loved for its fresh taste and stylish bottles. It was the first English sparkling wine producer to exclusively grow with three grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.

Its wines are grown across 11 British vineyards, spread across 425 hectares of south-facing land in West Sussex, Hampshire and Kent. 

Spriggs has been Nyetimber’s head winemaker since 2007 – a gig she previously described as her dream job. She works there alongside husband Brad Greatrix, who is also a winemaker. ‘I sent an email to Eric Heerema… and he replied saying that they were looking for two qualified winemakers and to send our CVs,’ she recalled in an interview. ‘The rest is history!’ 

Nyetimber is no stranger to awards. Earlier this year, the brand secured a win at London Wine Fair’s Battle of the Bubbles, with its 1086 by Nyetimber 2010 named top scoring sparkling globally – and the top scoring wine overall, beating out esteemed cuvées including Dom Perignon 2013 and Krug Grande Cuvée.

A Bumper Harvest

It seems Nyetimber’s wines are only going to get better, too. The brand recently announced it’s expecting a top-quality 2025 vintage following a bumper crop this summer – the result of a sunny spring and a hot, dry June. According to the Met Office, this summer tied with 1976 as the hottest on record.

‘We’re feeling quietly optimistic about what this year’s harvest will offer,’ said Spriggs. ‘The growing conditions this year have been exceptionally favourable and very reminiscent of 2018 which was a very successful vintage for us. 

‘2025 is definitely looking like it could produce some fantastic vintage wines, so we’re very excited to start exploring each parcel and hopefully discovering some outstanding potential,’ she added.

Despite last year’s cold, rainy summer, the brand is hopeful it will be able to harvest enough grapes for one million bottles – which would be a first for any English producer. 

Find out more at nyetimber.com and internationalwinechallenge.com