Yealands Wines is celebrating the remarkable achievement of its Chief Winemaker, Natalie Christensen, who was awarded the coveted White Winemaker of the Year trophy at the London International Wine Challenge (IWC) awards ceremony.
The IWC is one of the world's most respected and influential wine competitions, showcasing outstanding wines and talented winemakers from all over the globe, and Christensen's expertise, creativity and passion won her the individual winemaker trophy and the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Trophy for the Yealands Estate Single Block S1 Sauvignon Blanc 2022. Yealands also won 12 medals, one for every wine entered by the producer.
"The IWC is hugely competitive, and I was up against some incredible winemakers from hundreds of years old wineries. Yealands is so young in comparison! Marlborough is well known for its Sauvignon Blanc, but to have a range of varieties performing so well in shows is meaningful as it shows the breadth of our winemaking ability outside of our flagship Sauv," said Christensen.
IWC Co-Chair Oz Clarke complimented Christensen's excellent winemaking skills and incredible technical ability. He was also happy to see the White Winemaker of the Year award go to a female, laying the foundation for increased recognition and expanded opportunities for female winemakers worldwide.
This was the first win for New Zealand since 2008, and Christensen remains committed to producing high-quality wines that showcase the unique beauty and diversity of Yealands vineyards with a fantastic team who cannot wait to share their vintage 2023 wines with the world.
