A hotel on the outskirts of Chester now officially serves medal-winning wine of its own.

Carden Park Hotel's 2021 Seyval Blanc Sparkling White Wine has been awarded a Silver Medal at the Independent English Wine Awards (IEWA).

Chosen by a panel of judges, each entry in the IEWA is evaluated blind and assessed against international quality wine standards. The judges described the Carden Park Seyval Blanc Sparkling Wine as: “Distinctive and summery. The wine has a lovely line of acidity balanced with great orchard fruit. Its fruitiness is noticeable with the Seyval Blanc's lighter character.”

The IEWA is an independent, consumer-focused wine competition that awards, promotes, and celebrates the best of English wine. The competition highlights the creativity, quality, innovation, and vision of producers making world-class wine in England.

As well as its hotel and spa, the grounds of Carden Park Hotel also boast the largest commercial vineyard in Cheshire, spanning three acres on the estate.

The award-winning vineyard can produce up to 10,000 bottles of Carden Park Estate Reserve sparkling wine annually from the two grape varieties grown: Seyval Blanc and Pinot Noir. The bottles of Carden Park Estate Reserve are produced in collaboration with Halfpenny Green Winemakers of South Staffordshire.

Hamish Ferguson, director and general manager at Carden, said: “We are thrilled to see our Seyval Blanc Sparkling White Wine receive such esteemed recognition. It has been a favourite among our guests for some time now.

"English sparkling wine is currently experiencing a surge in popularity, and we’re proud that our wine is contributing to this exciting movement for the UK.”

Iulian Ion, restaurant manager at The Vines at Carden Park Hotel, added: “Sparkling wine gets its sparkle from a second fermentation that takes place in the bottle, but the entire process is very technical and labour intensive, so we’re delighted the fruits of our work has been recognised!

"Grapes from Carden Park’s onsite vineyard are picked and fermented into still wine, then yeast and sugars are added to the cuvée to start the second fermentation as it is bottled. Over time, trapped CO2 gas carbonates the liquid to form the trademark bubbles. The best food pairings for this sparkling wine would be richer, or spicy foods, as both the acidity and effervescence of sparkling wines help to balance heavier foods, ensuring that the wine doesn’t overshadow the dish.”