Celebrating English Wine

What to open this English Wine Week

English Wine Week always falls at the end of June and there’s no better time of the year to truly celebrate how far England has come with its own, home grown wine talent.

Why is English wine suddenly turning heads?

Let’s be clear: there’s not much that’s good about climate change. When it comes to English wine however, those extra couple of degrees have helped a bit to ripen our grapes so they can reach their full potential. We are, apparently, around where Champagne was climatically twenty years ago and with the same seam of chalky soils in a lot of places such as Kent and Hampshire, combined with vines that have come of age (and therefore produce more complex, delicious grapes), we’re now finally onto a winner.

Where is the best English wine from today?

If we’re talking the heartlands of English wine, there’s no escaping the pull of the southeast, so Sussex, Kent and Hampshire particulalry, which all have chalky soils and south-facing slopes. They’re Champagne’s cooler cousin in a way, and this is where the big guns are; producers such as Nyetimber, Gusbourne, Ridgeview, Sugrue, Hambledon and Hattingley, all producing world-class traditional method fizz. It’s not just hype anymore; it’s properly serious. Essex is also proving to be a quiet powerhouse for fine, still wines particularly with Crouch Valley leading the way thanks to its clay soils on dry, south-facing slopes. But English wine isn’t just a southern story now.

Head west, and you’ll find Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire coming into their own with producers like Sixteen Ridges, Astley Vineyard and Wythall Estate making fresh, food-friendly whites and increasingly characterful reds, thanks to clever PIWI* plantings and savvy site selection.

What about English wine in the Midlands and the North?

For the Midlands and North, which were once seen as too chilly, things are heating up, both literally and figuratively. These areas are not just holding their own but defining a new edge to English wine. Yes, these are cool climate wines but they’re made with innovation, resilience and a bit of northern grit, which means they’re more than just decent; they’re different. In a good way.

Staffordshire has Halfpenny Green Wine Estate, one of the biggest and most established northern producers. Their Penny Red is a cult favourite and they’ve quietly been getting things right for decades. Yorkshire is getting bolder too. Laurel Vines and Ryedale Vineyards are pushing boundaries with Solaris and Pinot Noir Précoce, making vibrant whites and light reds that actually taste of place. Derbyshire boasts Renishaw Hall, where Madeleine Angevine sings in cooler vintages and sparkling wine is showing real promise. In Lancashire, Holmfirth Vineyard near Huddersfield has shown what’s possible on a dramatic, windswept slope. Even Northumberland and Durham have tiny, pioneering plots with PIWI and hybrid varieties.

*’PIWI’ wines are fungus-resistant grape varieties bred through crossing European grapevines with more disease-resistant species. PIWI comes from the Germanic ‘Pilzwiderstandsfähige Rebsorten’ as Germany, Austria and Switzerland are at the forefront of this viticultural movement.

The big names often grab the spotlight so here are some equally brilliant drops that are well worth seeking out and are becoming icons in their own right:

SPARKLING WINES TO TRY

Exton Park RB28 Blanc de Noirs Brut NV (Hampshire)

Exton Park is the first UK producer to start using reserve wines in their blends like Champagne producers such as Bollinger do. RB stands for ‘reserve blend’ and here, the 28 refers to the number of different reserve wines used. With 3 years ageing on lees and all these reserve wines, the result is a rich, creamy and complex sparkling wine, packed with notes of baked red apple, hazelnuts and pan d’épice, all with a saline tang and a touch of lime citrus on the finish. A great match for nuts, raw fish or just enjoyed alone.

£45.90 from Noble Green Wines

Harrow & Hope Brut Rosé 2020 (Buckinghamshire)

This exceptionally elegant rosé bubbly hails from Marlow in Bucks, where it won the accolade of Best English Sparkling Rosé in 2020. Traditional method like the others above, it is also made largely Pinot Noir and presents us with a pale, rose petal pink hue, a delicately creamy mousse, light, red berry notes and a refreshing, citrussy finish. A very pretty wine in all the senses! Perfect for gifting.

£36 from Laithwaites

Rathfinny Blanc de Noirs Brut 2019 (Sussex)

Now, here’s a glorious English wine that sounds like it should be a Scotch whisky. This limited edition blanc de noirs is made solely with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes, with three years of bottle aging before release. A white wine with a pretty, pink tinge, this is a tantalizingly textured and aromatic fizz that evokes red apple skin, summer berry pudding and wild strawberry shortbread. If this were called Champagne, it would easily be twice the price.

£43.95 from Lea and Sandeman

New Hall English Classic Cuvée NV Brut (Essex)

New Hall Wine Estate is a fabulous producer showing just how well Essex can do with sparkling wine. Founders Bill and Sheila Greenwood actually pioneered the Crouch Valley vineyard movement back in 1969 with this estate so it’s been a slow burn. I love this brut, it’s fleshy and creamy with notes of baked apple, pear and apricots, with a sprinkle of roasted nuts on the finish. It’s worth trying to blind taste with your friends. I bet they’ll never guess it’s from Essex!

£27.50 from Cambridgewine.com

Still English Wines

Dark, Dry Rosé: Dear Noodles, Rosé 2023

A bone dry and tangy blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, this darker pink is the antithesis of the Provencal style but so classy and complex with it. Named in memory of superstar winemakers Dermot and Ana Sugrue's beloved, departed lurcher, this quirky, foodie pink with its notes of redcurrant, cranberry and savoury, wild strawberry is made in very limited quantities, so grab it while you can. Fans of the fabulously bold rosés of Bandol and Rioja will love this.

£24 directly from sugruesouthdowns

Dry White: Gusbourne ‘Guinevere’ Chardonnay 2021 (Kent)

It’s impossible for me to taste Guinevere without the haunting melody of the Crosby Still and Nash song of the same name filling my head. The wine lives up to it too; pure and crisp, this is Chardonnay at its most elegant, complex and saline. Grown on Gusbourne’s famous Boot Hill and Commanders vineyards, this Burgundian style Chardy doesn't shout loudly, so pour it and savour it slowly, coaxing out the subtle flavours of smoked macadamia nut and lemon cream. Stunning.

£35 from Grapebrittania.co.uk

Dry Red: Riverview Pinot Noir 2022 (Essex)

Riverview is a relatively new name in fine wine but already becoming a Crouch Valley classic. This stunning red is their best seller and it comes from 11 acres of south-westerly slopes overlooking the beautiful River Crouch in Essex. think concentrated and velvety bramble fruit with a waft of bitter cocoa powder and a kick of something peppery on the finish. They have also just released a Chardonnay and a rosé/ Definitely a producer to watch.

£39.50 from Hawkins Bros.

Silex by Flint Vineyards 2023 (East Anglia)

Another name to watch to is Flint Vineyards in East Anglia who have a wide selection of still wines and bubbles as well as an epic wine tourism offering with a relaxed, foodie vibe. Their Silex 2023 is a blend of many grapes including Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and others and it’s made with a bot of oak, a bit of skin contact and amphora action for added texture. A phenomenal food friendly white with notes of baked pear, pastry and subtle baking spice.

£26.99 from Virgin Wines

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