THREE fabulous fizzes for wine week
With English vineyards throwing open their cellar doors for tastings and vineyard tours, not to mention home-grown fizz soaring in popularity, English Wine Week (June 18 to 26) is the perfect time to mark your diary for a more local wine experience.
“We love English Wine week, it’s a great time to try all the new and amazing wines this beautiful country has to offer,” says Trevor Clough, co-founder and head blender at Digby in West Sussex.
He says he likes to start the week off with a bang with their Digby NV Brut (£32.50). “The cheeky younger brother in our family,” says Clough. “Vibrant yet understated, this fizz is in its element at home on a Tuesday evening, or at a party celebrating one of life’s big moments, so no need to wait until the weekend!”
The majority of home-grown fizz is made from champagne grapes, and as Justin Langham, owner of Langham Wine Estate in Dorset puts it: “It’s such an exciting time to be in the English wine industry, with our wines scoring highly on the international stage, and a whole host of young winemakers making their mark.”
Super delicious and sophisticated, try their Langham Rosé NV (£32.25) for its enticing raspberry and strawberry aromas, flavours of fresh raspberry, red cherries, plums, and a fresh, biscuit-y finish. Try it with chestnut smoked salmon.
Another leading light, Balfour Winery in Kent – aka the wine garden of England – are celebrating the huge potential of English wines. One of the country’s top producers, Balfour’s winemaker Fergus Elias says: “The wines we make, I truly believe are some of the best sparkling and stills in the world – we just need to get the word out there.”
We’ve plucked Balfour’s Leslie’s Reserve Sparkling White (£25) which takes its name from co-founder Leslie BalfourLynn and really hits the spot for downright deliciousness. The classic trio of champagne grapes is topped with a splash of pinot gris and showcases the wonderful English acidity enriched by citrusy fruits, green apple, hint of brioche and a characteristically crisp, dry finish.