Titchfield Vineyard has scooped the coveted Bernard Theobald Trophy for producing the best red wine in England and Wales.

Its 2006 pinot noir scooped the top honours and they were awarded the trophy in a ceremony at the House of Lords by Lord Montague of Beaulieu.

And the classy tipple has also been chosen as the house red for the Houses of Parliament.

The vineyard impressed a panel of seven Masters of Wine at the English and Welsh Wine of the Year Competition 2008.

At just 2.7 acres, it is one of the smallest vineyards in Britain but the makers say the south coast climate has helped produce a perfect
pinot noir which is oozing with cherry, blackberry and earthy spice flavours.

Owner Colin Baker said: 'This is the first time we have won a national cup, so we are very proud of this.

'It is a little bit of a surprise – there are some very big players in the British wine scene these days who produce a lot of wine, and we are just one of the little guys.

'We only entered the one wine in to the competition because we didn't want to end up with egg on our face – I guess we picked the right one.

'My winemaker, Hans Schlieffer, says our grapes were particularly clean in this year.

'2006 wasn't a good year for wine in some respects, but it seems we did have a good year.'

The vineyard, in Brownwich Lane, Titchfield, only had its first vines planted in 1991 and produced its first vintage five years later.

And it can now produce up to 10,000 bottles a year, depending on how weather conditions and disease impact on their production.

Mr Baker added: 'I think this year is looking quite good as well, it's looking rather promising at the moment.

'Our quality is improving all the time, so we're looking forward to winning other medals in the future.

'Volume isn't always the key thing, it's the quality and the sugar levels in the grapes.'

BusinessWeek reported last month that several New Zealand winemakers had moved to Hampshire and the south coast as they predict that climate change will turn this area into a wine hotspot.