Corks popped in celebration at a Dorset wine estate when its sparkling white wine was named best wine of the south west.

Langham Wine Estate, near Dorchester, won the South West Wine of the Year title for its Langham Culver Classic Cuvée NV.

Earlier the same wine also received The Ray Palfrey Cup for the Best Sparkling White Wine.

Both awards were made at the 50^th WineGB West Annual Competition, hosted by the Langham Wine Estate on September 14.

Entrants ranged from amateur enthusiasts to internationally-renowned wine estates.

A panel of six judges rated a total of 101 wines from 28 producers.

The winemakers, from across the West of Great Britain, were praised for the impressive high quality and regional identity found in the wines entered into the competition.

The full 2021 results were:

• Committee Cup for the Best Dry White Wine – Whitehall Bacchus 2020 (Wiltshire)
• The Association Cup for the Best Non-Dry White Wine – Sandbridge Barton Bacchus (Devon)
• Sunnybank Trophy for the Best Red Wine – Three Choirs Ravens Hill 2018 (Gloucestershire)
• The Ray Palfrey Cup for the Best Sparkling White Wine – Langham Culver Classic Cuvée NV (Dorset)
• Chairman’s Cup for Best Sparkling Rosé – Trevibban Mill NV (Cornwall)
• South West Wine of the Year – Langham Culver Classic Cuvée NV (Dorset)
• Gillian Pearks Memorial Bowl – Chairman of WineGB West, Guy Smith

Angela Mount, Chair of Judges, said that after all of the wines were awarded they judged Langham’s Culver Classic Cuvée NV as the best wine of the south west.

She added: “It’s great to see the wines from the west really coming into their own, stamping their regional identity and championing quality.

“I was delighted with the buzz that has been created in the west and the number of wineries that entered the competition.

“The standard was impressively high and I know this will only continue to develop over time.

“With this part of the country primed for holiday makers and tourism, now is the time to be really proud of the region and to start to shout about it.”

Justin Langham, pictured left, Owner of the Langham Wine Estate, said: “We were delighted to host the 50th anniversary WineGB West Annual  Competition and to see so many faces from vineyards across the west.

“I am sure hosting the awards at Langham had nothing to do with us winning the best wine of the year!”

The competition aims to highlight the quality of wines being produced in the west including Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.

WineGB West is a collective of 100+ vineyards.