A vineyard famous for its champagne-style sparkling wines has added two more awards to its trophy cabinet - and banked £10,000 in the process.

The RidgeView Wine Estate in Ditchling Common, near Lewes, won the drinks category - and a prize of £5,000 - at the Waitrose Small Producers' Awards.

The wine producer banked another £5,000 by winning the Financial Mail on Sunday Business Award category, impressing judges with its financial growth strategy.

In the drinks category judges were won over by Ridgeview's Merret Bloomsbury 2003, a "light gold-coloured" blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier Ridgeview's Merret sparkling wines are named after Englishman Christopher Merret who described how to make sparkling wine in 1662, 30 years before Dom Perignon.

Waitrose buyer Graham Cassie praised RidgeView's "passion and expertise" and said the award-winning Bloomsbury was an "interesting and high quality" product.

He said Waitrose, which stocks RidgeView wines, was also impressed with the work the vineyard was doing to encourage other wine producers.

In the last few years RidgeView has helped landowners in Sussex and Kent start their own vineyards and loaned its finishing machinery to rival wine producers in the region.

RidgeView owner Michael Roberts started planting his vineyard in 1994 and had his first year of sales in 1999. In the last seven years the estate has won 51 medals and 12 trophies in national and international competitions.

Last year its Bloomsbury 2002 was named Best Sparkling Wine in the World at the International Wine and Spirit Competition.

Mr Roberts said: "Entering competitions - and winning them - is the best form of marketing in the wine producing industry. It let's people know you are one step ahead of the competition. After all, no one has to give you an award."

The RidgeView estate, which stretches over 100 acres, produces 50,000 to 60,000 bottles a year and is hoping to increase production tenfold over the next few years.

Mr Roberts, who runs the business with his wife Christine, distributes his wine to supermarkets and wine clubs across the UK and exports to Denmark and Tokyo.

Thursday, July 6, 2006