Tasmanian sparkling wine producer House of Arras is raising a glass to its Chief Winemaker Ed Carr being named the International Wine Challenge (IWC) Sparkling Winemaker of the Year 2024.

It is the second time winemaker Ed Carr has been a finalist for IWC Sparkling Winemaker of the Year, having received the nomination in 2022. Carr is the only Australian sparkling winemaker to have appeared on the finalist shortlist in the competition’s history. This year he was up against Emilien Boutillat from Piper-Heidsieck.

Carr said: “I’m incredibly honoured to be named this year’s Sparkling Winemaker of the Year. It’s a challenge to describe the feeling, but I’m incredibly proud to be recognised amongst my peers for such a significant international award.”

It’s only the second time in the competition’s 40-year history that the accolade has gone to a producer outside Champagne, with Nyetimber’s Cherie Spriggs being named in 2018.

The accolade follows House of Arras receiving the Australian Sparkling Trophy for its House of Arras Blanc de Blancs 2014 at the prestigious IWC. 

The IWC is recognised as one of the world’s most rigorous, impartial, and influential wine competitions. Judged by more than 500 experts from more than 38 different countries, the IWC is an opportunity for winemakers worldwide to benchmark their wines against the very best. The judging process sees an IWC medal-winning wine tasted by a minimum of eight judges before being awarded. This strict process ensures the results are widely respected by international wine retailers and buyers globally. 

This year’s IWC Lifetime Achievement Award went to Australian wine critic, James Halliday AM. Halliday said: “I am deeply moved by the decision of the International Wine Challenge to bestow its 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award on me. I’m also humbled to join a list of international figures who, over many decades, have played innovative and significant roles extending into the four corners of the wine world.”