Alison Curwood and Dale Symons setup the Essex Wine Awards to show case the great wines being produced in Essex. Alison has worked in the wine industry since 2010, working in wine merchants, vineyards, judging at the IWC and IWSC and working at the Decanter magazine. Dale has been a farmer all his life and grows grapes not just for making his own wines but for other vineyards, as far away as Cornwall.   

Following the success of the first Essex Wine Awards in 2023 and 2024, the 2025 awards were held at Dedham Vale Vineyard, just outside Colchester.

Dedham Vale produces outstanding wines from clean zesty whites to soft and subtle reds. The views over their lake transport you a world away from the hustle and bustle of day to day life.

This years wines were tasted and scored by 5 judges using the IWSC and Decanter World Wine Awards scoring as reference. 

Alison and Dale