Let's face it, English wine is hardly considered to be on par with the rest of the worlds' vino at the best of times. Of course, there are exceptions like Camel Valley and Knightor and it's time to create another space in that list for Gusbourne Estate as they have just made history at the International Wine And Spirits Competition 2015. All six of their wines were awarded either Gold or Silver medals for the first time which shows how much they've developed since their inception a few short years ago. What's more, Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs won a 'Gold Outstanding' medal. For those of you who don't know, that is the absolute highest honour that can be given by the judges! This makes Gusbourne the only English wine producer to hold this award from the IWSC. Ewan Lacey, General Manager of the IWSC, commented thusly; ""Our judges have been really impressed by the consistent high standard of wines produced by winemaker Charlie Holland and the Gusbourne team in Kent. The results speak for themselves, Gusbourne are producing world-class wines as judged by our international panel” The original Gusbourne Estate in Kent dates back to 1410 and in 2004 Andrew Weeber took over the estate with a clear vision and a single goal; to create English sparkling wines that would stand up alongside the very finest offerings from across the globe. The first vines were planted that year. In 2010, the debut vintages of Gusbourne Brut Reserve 2006 and Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs 2006 were released to critical acclaim. Gusbourne quickly earned a reputation as a producer of outstanding quality wines, with accolades from some of the industry's most exacting critics. They now have 40.1 hectares in Kent and 21.9 hectares in West Sussex that are planted with the classic Champagne varieties of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Charlie Holland is Gusbourne's head wine maker and honed his skills in Australia, Germany, New Zealand and the USA before taking the helm. With numerous international awards to his name, Charlie has produced some of the most celebrated sparkling wines in the UK and beyond. His greatest creation is obviously the Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs 2010! Gusbourne describe their top sparkling wine as; ""A bright golden colour with a delicate mousse, this Blanc de Blancs has classic Chardonnay aromas of green apple, citrus and mineral notes combined with buttered toast and tarte tatin richness from extended lees ageing. The palate is well balanced with a streak of zesty acidity complementing a gentle mousse that gives way to a creamy, hazelnut and baked apple. Drinking very well now, it will continue to develop over the next two or three years. This wine is a great accompaniment to seafood in general, but is perfect with freshly shucked oysters."You can view all our Gusbourne wines by clicking here.