A fledgling vineyard’s wine has been voted the best in England in only its second year of production.

Alison Nightingale’s Albourne Estate, near Hurstpierpoint, scooped the accolade for her 2014 Bacchus.

The boutique vineyard, near Hurstpierpoint, beat more than 300 other entries to take the top Wine of the Year Trophy at the UK Vineyard Association’s English & Welsh Wine of the Year Competition 2015.

The awards, judged by six Masters of Wine, included entries of sparkling as well as still wine from several established brands. And this year saw the highest ever number of competitors entering the awards, making the announcement especially important for Alison, one of the few female wine producers to win such an important title.

“This is great recognition of all the hard work and effort we have been putting in here at Albourne Estate,” says Alison, who lives on the estate with her three daughters and husband.

“One of my key aims at the outset was to produce the best Bacchus in England and to help put Bacchus on the map as the quintessential English wine. I’m excited to have achieved this in only our second ever vintage.”

“It shows that English wine has far more to offer than just the sparkling varieties, which have until now been getting most of the limelight.”

Alison adds, “This is a landmark for the variety, which few people have actually heard of. This is the year that we should all start talking about Bacchus as we will be drinking it at its best. And it is the year that we can show that English wine is not just about sparkling varieties - there have been huge improvements in still as well.”

The easy drinking refreshing white wine, which has a 12% abv and retails at £12.95, has a taste profile often likened to New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

The English & Welsh Wine of the Year Competition 2015 judges described Alison’s Bacchus as having a “pronounced nose” and being “very aromatic” with the taste of citrus, lemon and lime, nettle, fennel, gooseberry, honey and some spices.