An East Anglian vineyard is toasting its success after producing the region's "wine of the year" for 2022.
About 60 wines from across the East of England were tasted and judged at the awards event hosted by Burnt House Vineyard at Little Finborough, near Stowmarket.
And the top title went to Flint Vineyard at Earsham, near Bungay, for its Pinot Noir Précoce 2022, described as "silky smooth and fruity on the palate".
Flint co-founder and winemaker Ben Witchell said it was a particularly good vintage due to last year's exceptionally hot, dry summer which provided small bunches of grapes with a higher flavour concentration than usual.
And he was proud to carry off the award trophy, usually awarded to a sparkling wine.
"Still wines are becoming more and more prominent in the UK," he said. "The quality is going up and up, and a lot of the great still wines are coming out of East Anglia.
"It is really nice to be at the forefront of that, and to be recognised in this way.
"The grape variety is very well suited to England and last year was probably the best year we have ever had in the UK for producing grapes, so the quality was incredible."
Mr Witchell said the wine was made using traditional techniques based on his experience working in the French wine region of Beaujolais.
He added that most of the 3,500 bottles made last year have already been sold or allocated to local wine shops and premium restaurants - including Michelin-starred establishments outside the region.
Flint Vineyard also recently won a 2023 Travellers’ Choice award from Tripadvisor, which celebrates businesses and attractions whose reviews place them among the top 10pc of listings globally.
And the region has potential to expand on its wine tourism appeal said WineGB East chairman Laura Robinson, of the Burn Valley Vineyard in North Creake near Fakenham.
"We are so lucky that we are able to make wines of this standard and we are blessed with such amazing food in this region, so being able to pair our wines with local cheeses, charcuterie and fish is really special," she said.
"That is something we want to promote through wine tourism in the next five years."
Other award winners for 2022 were: Best white, Burn Valley Pinot Gris; Best Bacchus, Cobble Hill Bacchus; Best Rosé, Copdock Hall Rose; Best Red, Flint Pinot Noir Précoce; Best Sparkling, Coopers Croft Rose Fizz; Guy Howard Award for best ambassador for East Anglian wines, Janne Hallinan of @how2enjoywine.
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