English Sparkling Wine
“Only the unimaginative can fail to find a reason for drinking champagne.” –Oscar Wilde
🥂 All of your champagne fans out there, have you had the pleasure of enjoying its next door neighbor? Welcome to English Sparkling Wine.
🥂Don’t let the name fool you. English Sparkling Wines are not just any ordinary sparkling. The fact that big Champagne houses such as Taittinger and Pommery have planted vineyards here should tell you something - it’s a solid thumbs up and endorsement…. Here’s why:
🥂English Sparkling Wine 101:
Thanks to climate change, regions that were once too cool to fully ripen grapes to produce sparkling wine (or still for that matter) are now considered to be the next big thing in winemaking. One fine example is English Sparkling wine. It’s Englands version to grower champagne.
Quick Summary:
* Winemaking as we know it today began shortly after the WWII, mainly using German crosses and hybrid varieties. Fast forward to the 1980s brought about planting of traditional champagne varieties by several estates (ie. NYetimber)
70% of all plantings are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier
English Sparkling is made in the same method as champagne - 2nd fermentation takes place in the bottle with a minimum of 9 months on the lees but most producers are ageing on the lees for 20+ months.
Most of the wine is produced in Southern England
Cool, maritime climate = slow ripening, slow sugar accumulation and high acidity levels, just ripe fruit flavors
Permitted varietals are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Noir, Précoce, Meunier, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris.
🥂English sparkling is like the Wild West of bubbly - there aren’t many rules, it’s thriving, fast growing region making high quality sparkling wines and it’s completely terroir-driven.
English Sparkling profile:
Racy high acidity
Medium alcohol
Light to medium body.
Flavours are just ripe aromas and flavors of apple and lemon along with distinct autolytic notes.
In my glass @gusbourne_wine Gusbourne Rosé Brut 2015 - more to follow on this lovely sparkling and it’s producer.
