SPARKLING WINE TEAM UK

Largest line-up of UK-grown sparkling wines EVER

Getting ready for mega-UK sparkling wine tasting on 1 March 2012

WORLD'S BIGGEST TASTING OF ENGLISH SPARKLING WINES

Thursday 1 March will see a tasting of 90 UK-grown sparkling wines take place at what is being called "The Judgement of Parsons Green II". This tasting, carried out by a line-up of some of the UK's best known sparkling wine experts, will pitch bottle-fermented sparkling wines from the UK against Champagne and other non-UK sparkling wines.

This tasting follows a similar tasting held last year - when only 52 UK-grown sparkling wines were tasted, which showed that UK-grown wines more than held their own, when they held seven of the top ten places.

Simon Hoggart praises English Wine in the Spectator

Simon Hoggart

It is astonishing how much English sparkling wine has improved over the past few years. Some of the best isn’t just good; it is very good indeed, winning awards in blind tastings around the world.

Wines such as Nyetimber, Camel Valley, Chapel Down, Breaky Bottom, Hush Heath and RidgeView are not merely as good as most Champagnes — they are much better.

There’s no reason why they shouldn’t be. The soil in southern England is similar to the terroir in Champagne. And Nyetimber of Sussex, who are making this offer in association with Private Cellar, produce far fewer grapes per acre than Champagne growers are allowed, so they can inspect almost every grape that goes into the vats. All these wines are generously discounted. I would say ‘save them for your daughter’s wedding’, but they are far too good for that. Get stuck in now, if only to console yourself on her choice of fiancé.

There is £2 a bottle off the Classic Cuvée 2006 (1) which is packed with flavour, fresh and lively, with a hint of tropical fruit. At £27.99, it is barely pricier than any standard grande marque, and rather grander.

The Blanc de Blancs 2003 (2) at £29.99 is reduced by £3 a bottle, is all Chardonnay, and has that nice warm peachy feel of a fine wine from this grape.

The Rosé 2007 (3) is new, and looks gorgeous as well as tasting terrific. It’s a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (the red Burgundy grape) which gives it the lustrous flavour and colour; £5 off per bottle at £40.00.

I can hardly recommend more highly the Classic Cuvée 1995 (4). This is a magnificent wine. It has immense depth, a finish as long as a Fidel Castro speech, flavours of toast, yeast, hazelnuts, apricots and apple. The £6.50 reduction means it still costs £48.49, but that is half what you would pay for a premium cuvée from one of the great names of Champagne. And it is much, much more delicious.
Finally, a real treat, especially for Spectator readers (5). Magnums of the Blanc de Blancs (Chardonnay) 1996, at £88.99 per magnum (a saving of £10). This wine wins awards for its sheer beauty. It has been left on its lees for years, giving it extra depth and flavour. Honey, oranges, limes and cream all mingle in the glass. Glorious. Delivery, as ever, is free.

Prince Charles' wine advice from Camilla

27 May 2011

Britain's Prince Charles asked his wife Camilla for advice on wines when the visited a wine estate in Surrey yesterday 

Britain's Prince Charles had to ask his wife for advice when the couple visited a wine estate in the UK yesterday (26.05.11).
The heir to the throne visited the award winning Denbies Wine Estate in Surrey, South East England with Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall - whose father Major Bruce Chand was a wine merchant who passed on his love of the beverage to his daughter.
After taking a sip of the rose Charles joked to his wife: "What does our resident expert think?" and she replied "It's very good. That's so good it's absolutely delicious."

What does our resident expert think? and she replied It's very good. That's so good it's absolutely delicious.

The prince - whose mother Queen Elizabeth visited the site seven years ago - and the duchess were invited to the vineyard by its owner Adrian White who converted a pig farm into a wine producing site in 1984 by planting more than 300,000 vines.
Charles and Camilla were likely picking up tips on their visit after it was recently revealed the royal family are planning to make their own wine at Windsor Great Park.
Charles'father Prince Philip is reportedly involved in the project which aims to plant 16,700 vines in a section of the park in South England which was a former hunting ground for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
The vineyard will be planted with champagne varieties - chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier - with a view to making an English sparkling wine, with Master of Wine and viticultural consultant Stephen Skelton advising on the project

Royal vineyards planted in Windsor

Royal vineyards are being planted this week in Windsor Great Park, organised and managed by Laithwaites – and overseen by the Duke of Edinburgh.

Windsor Great Park (image: windsor-berkshire.co.uk)

A team led by Laithwaites chief executive Simon McMurtrie has leased the land from the Crown Estate and will begin planting 16,700 vines on three hectares of land within Windsor Great Park.

The 2,000ha park, 20 miles to the west of London, is owned by the Royal family and managed by Royal Farms, which has given Laithwaites its ‘full support’ for the project.

Royal Farms is a private business run by the Duke of Edinburgh, who is taking a personal interest in the project. ‘The Duke is the Ranger of the Estate and he has the ultimate say over what happens on the estate,’ McMurtrie told Decanter.com.

The vines planted will all be Champagne varieties: the majority Chardonnay, with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The first vintage is expected in 2013, and the wine produced will be exclusively sparkling.

Stephen Skelton MW, a veteran of English wine and one of the first to plant vines in England, at Chapel Down in 1976, is part of the Laithwaites team organising the project.

The news that such a high-profile vineyard is being planted has given a massive boost to English sparkling wine, which is already riding a wave of popularity.

Some 4m bottles of English wine were produced last year, around half of it sparkling. The trade body English Wine Producers reckons there is 75% more land under vine than there was in 2004.

Other high-profile vineyards include Waitrose’s experimental plantings at Leckford Estate in Hampshire, and Decanter consultant editor Steven Spurrier planted just over 4ha at his farm in Dorset in 2009.
Both vineyards are Champagne varieties only, with the first vintages expected to be ready in two or three years.

Prince Philip to create royal wine

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Britain's Prince Philip is reportedly planning to create a vineyard at Windsor Great Park to make wine for the royal family.

Britain's Royal Family are planning to make their own wine at Windsor Great Park.

Prince Philip - husband to Queen Elizabeth - is reportedly involved in the endeavour which aims to plant 16,700 vines in a section of the park in South England which was a former hunting ground for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

The vineyard will be planted with champagne varieties - chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier - with a view to making an English sparkling wine, with Master of Wine and viticultural consultant Stephen Skelton advising on the project, according to Britain's Daily Telegraph.

Royal family to produce its own wine from Windsor Great Park grapes

 

By Victoria Moore 6:45AM BST 05 May 2011

 

But now the Royal Family is going one step further with plans to make an English wine of its very own, the Telegraph has learned.

This Sunday, or early next week, depending on the weather, 16,700 vines will be planted in a section of Windsor Great Park, the former hunting park to which Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were so devoted.

The fledgling vineyard will be planted with champagne varieties – chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier, too – with a view to making an English sparkling wine from grapes grown on this corner of Crown Estate.

The Duke of Edinburgh is said to be closely involved and it’s understood that Master of Wine and viticultural consultant Stephen Skelton – who planted the first vines at Chapel Down, now Britain’s biggest producer, back in 1976 – has been advising on the project, which has been greeted with great excitement by the English wine trade.

“It is quite simply the biggest boost the English wine industry has ever had,” says Bob Lindo of Camel Valley vineyards who had a royal visit in 2008. “It’s fantastic".