Welcome to The IEWA: A fresh + very independent English wine competition.
#IEWA26 Now welcoming entries
The Independent English Wine Awards exists to judge, celebrate and support the best of English wine.
We are an independent and consumer-focused wine competition, shining light on the best domestic wines and the story behind them.
But it isn’t just about blind-tasting wines and awarding medals. We’re here to celebrate innovation, bold ideas, and the people pushing English wine to new heights.
We run a national wine competition built on blind tasting and clear standards, recognising wines that stand out for quality rather than conformity or marketing budgets. Alongside the awards, we bring English wine to life through tastings and events, at which producers pour their own wines and tell their own stories.
Whether you’re making English wine, selling it, or simply enjoying drinking it, IEWA is here for you - making connections, spreading the word, and raising the bar.
In November 2025 we successfully held our first ever public tasting event at Averys Wine Cellar in central Bristol. This event returns - twice - in 2026…
NEXT JUDGING:
16 MAY 2026
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Averys Wine
Merchants
We identify and awarding the best English wines on the market, giving them the attention they deserve.
And through that we can help consumers make informed choices and incredible new wine discoveries.
Possibly the only thing more exciting than finding your new favourite wine, is learning that it’s from just down the road…
For English Wine Producers
Enter the Independent English Wine Awards to have your wines judged blind, independently and on merit. Medals that mean something, from a competition that understands English wine. Enter here.
For Wine Drinkers
Join us at IEWA tastings and wine fairs to meet the winemakers, taste medal-winning English wines and discover just how exciting the category has become. Get tickets here.
independent
adjective; not influenced or controlled by others
IEWA Judges have included Liam Steevenson MW, Susy Atkins, Jaega Wise, Fiona Beckett, Lee Isaacs, Holly Plumeridge, Ben Franks and more.
With a decade of judging behind us, The IEWA has become a trusted voice in English wine.
This year’s IEWA26 is our tenth competition, and once again our panel of brilliant judges will evaluate each entry blind and assess against quality world wine standards - not just as an English wine - to determine the winners across key categories. You can check out the many vineyards and producers who’ve chosen to be part of this groundbreaking wine competition on our results page here.
Alex Taylor, IEWA Founder
“By 2026, English wine’s quality is clear, the range of styles is expanding fast, and the ambition across the category is impossible to ignore. What once felt emerging now feels established - and increasingly confident.
I founded IEWA to support that progress properly: to judge and promote English wine independently, to back the producers pushing standards forward, and to keep the conversation focused on the wine, and the stories behind it.”
We’re very social. Follow us at @the.IEWA
Our partners rock. The IEWA works with:
Boost your wine brand
If you have any questions about The IEWA, please email us at competition@iewa.uk, or by phone on +44 7599799266.
We’ll be inviting entries from English wine producers from January 10th 2026, and the judging date for #IEWA26 will be Saturday 16th May.
IEWA26 will be our tenth comp - we’d love you to get involved!