New Zealand wines have won two coveted awards in the International Wine Challenge in London - one of the largest wine competitions in the world.
Some 12,000 wines were entered from throughout the world.
The trophy for the best wine in its first year of production went to a 2011 sauvignon blanc from Yealands Estate in Marlborough.
A trophy for sustainably-made wine was won by Ngatarawa Estate in Hawke's Bay for its Alwyn Winemaker 2010 chardonnay.
Ngatarawa's managing director Alwyn Corban was at the awards dinner on Saturday night and says the trophy presentation was "a great buzz" .
It was the second time the Alwyn chardonnay had won in three years.
"To get a trophy, it has to go through a second set of judges," he says.
Mr Corban says the win is not only recognition for the quality of the wine, but New Zealand Winegrowers' emphasis on sustainability by grape growers and wine companies.
International Wine Challenge co-chairman Charles Metcalfe says the trophy winners were selected from gold medal-winning wines which were all blind-tasted at least three times by a minimum of nine judges.
