Celebrating DWWA: An intimate dinner in the heart of Belgravia
Ahead of judging week, Decanter World Wine Awards gathered press for an intimate dinner at Daylesford Organic in Belgravia, pairing the farmshop's seasonal kitchen with top winners from the 2025 competition.
As London eases into longer days and the first real warmth of spring, Daylesford Organic Farmshop on Pimlico Road makes for a fitting backdrop to celebrate the world of wine.
Situated in the heart of Belgravia, the shop is immediately recognisable for its beautiful marble interior and abundant floral displays. Under one roof, one can explore a bakery, greengrocer, dairy, delicatessen and butcher on the ground floor, with a spacious restaurant and homeware shop above.
Master Sommelier and DWWA Regional Chair for Austria & Switzerland, Stefan Neumann hosted the evening, guiding guests through the awarded wines and sharing everything about DWWA.
Guests were welcomed with a glass of sparkling wine from Léoube, the Provence winery and DWWA winner owned by Daylesford, accompanied by a hummus platter and canapés of freshly made puff pastry with confit onion and anchovy.
Léoube's winemaker, Romain Ott, who had flown in from the South of France especially for the occasion, spoke about the estate, its approach to organic viticulture and the vineyards' unique coastal position that enjoy gentle sea breezes and shelter from the inland mountains.
Neumann then addressed the guests, speaking about how the diversity and expertise of DWWA's judging panel makes it the world's most influential wine competition. Discussing the rigorous judging process, he explained how wines are carefully organised in flights and tasted multiple times before they receive a medal.
Highlighting some of 2025's most notable results, he introduced a Platinum winner from Ruggeri Estate, using it as a springboard to explain how label indications such as 'Cartizze' can help consumers navigate quality within Prosecco.
The full line-up of DWWA 2025 winners showcased at the evening.
Neumann also shared some of the new initiatives shaping this year's competition, including the introduction of the Resident Co-Chair position, now held by Caro Maurer MW.
'Caro Maurer MW is one of the best wine tasters I've worked with, and I'm so happy to see her get this promotion as Resident Co-Chair in 2026.'
Stefan Neumann MS
This year's judging panel is also the most gender-diverse in the competition's history, with 106 female judges among the 244 attending.
The evening rounded off with an intimate sit-down dinner, with dishes built around Daylesford's farm-fresh, seasonal produce – the farmshop has held B-Corp certification since 2023, reflecting its commitment to organic farming and sustainable practices. Each course was elevated by top DWWA 2025 winners from across the globe.
The full menu and wine pairings from the evening are below.
Ruggeri, Brut, Prosecco Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze, Veneto, Italy 2023
Platinum, 97 points
Exuberant lemon blossom, ripe pear and apple aromas glisten over the creamy mousse which ripples elegantly through the palate. A fine tension of acidity adds to the charm and culminates in a lush tropical fruit finale. Alcohol 11.5%
Velenosi, Rêve, Offida Pecorino, Le Marche, Italy 2023
Gold, 95 points
Teeming with yellow plums, nectarines and green citrus which mingle with just a hint of vanilla. Focused and bright with crystalline acidity and refined length. Alc 13.5%
Paired with scallop ceviche, Leoube Mediterranean gin, grapefruit, spring herbs
Léoube, Secret De Léoube, Côtes de Provence, Provence, France 2024
Platinum, 97 points
Full of class and elegance: bashful peach, cranberry and wild strawberry characters gently shroud the nose and palate, embracing the lush Mediterranean core of thyme and pine. Billowing and long with a refined mineral ending. Alc 14%
Paired with stuffed saddle of Kerry hill lamb, Azur olive oil pomme puree, asparagus, wild garlic
Monemvasia Winery Tsimbidi, Vin Liastos, Monemvasia-Malvasia, Peloponnese, Greece 2012
Best in Show, 97 points
Here’s both a new story and an old one. Monemvasia in the Peloponnese was the original source of what the medieval world knew as ‘Malvasias Oenos’ – the sweet Malvasia straw wine beloved and traded over 500 years by the merchants of La Serenissima, the seafaring Venetian Republic. In recent times, almost all of it has been produced on the Cycladic island of Paros – but not this wine, whose source is vineyards close to the original walled town of Monemvasia. The Monemvasia grape variety (not a member, recent DNA analysis suggests, of the large Malvasia family) is here blended with 15 per cent of Assyrtico, 15 per cent of Kydonitsa and 10 per cent of Asprouda to make this oxidative though unfortified sweet wine (187 g/l sugar). It’s a dark walnut in colour, with softly smoky-sweet scents and rich fig-and-raisin flavours: a luxurious modern taste of a medieval Mediterranean treat. Alc 13.5%
Paired with Leoube honey & ginger parfait lemon sponge, rhubarb jam
Don't miss DWWA 2026 results to discover this year's standout English wines. Subscribe to the DWWA newsletter to be the first to hear when they are announced on 17 June.
Related articles
