Amber Valley Wines, based in Derbyshire, has been awarded two prestigious medals at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) 2025 – one of the world’s most respected and rigorous wine competitions – for two wines made from grapes grown in the Midlands.

The vineyard’s Elsa Pink 2023 – a vibrant dry rosé crafted from Pinot Noir Précoce, Phoenix, and Rondo – was awarded a Silver Medal and scored 90 points, placing it among the top still rosés from the UK. No English still rosé received a Gold Medal this year, making Elsa Pink one of the highest-rated in its category from England.

Judges described it as:

“Medium dark colour. Fresh forest fruits with spicy palate. This shows appealing texture with nice complexity.”

The vineyard’s red wine, Amara 2023 (Pinot Noir Précoce), earned a Bronze Medal and strong praise for its drinkability and depth. Judges noted its:

“Sweet strawberries and fresh cherries,”

calling it an:

“Easy drinking wine.”

On release, the wine was described by Amber Valley as:

“A lighter Pinot Noir style – soft and juicy with good complexity for such a youthful red. The nose is floral with red cherry and subtle spice; the palate is fresh and vibrant, with gentle, supportive tannins.”

Amber Valley Wines owner Barry Lewis, commented:

“We’re incredibly proud to see both wines recognised internationally. To have Elsa Pink named among the best still rosés judged from the UK this year is a tremendous result. Amara also stood out in a very competitive field of English reds. Huge thanks to Jack and the team at Three Choirs for their outstanding winemaking – their work brings our fruit to life beautifully.”

Both wines are available from the Amber Valley Vineyards shop in Wessington (see website for opening hours) and via their online store:

Amber Valley Wines celebrates two international awards at IWC 2025