By Francis Gimblett
A Taste of England
It was 1980 and rivulets of rainwater meandered down through the dots on my bedroom window . I focussed beyond at the land sloping towards the sodden Pevensey Marshes , once a seaward bay and landing point for William the Conqueror , now reclaimed and home only to grazing sheep .
The door swung open behind me and I thrust the magazine I ’ d been reading beneath my pillow - too late . My mother placed the sandwich she ’ d brought on my bedside table . ‘ Francis , what was that ?’ ‘ Nothing , Mum .’ ‘ Let me see ,’ she insisted , beckoning me to lift the pillow . I reluctantly slid the magazine out and sheepishly proffered it , blushing . ‘ What ’ s this ?’ ‘ It ’ s Decanter magazine , about wine .’
‘ Oh … Good !’ she said , and cheerily left the room . Her apparent relief at my underage interest in alcohol left me wondering what she had thought but at twelve , the images of rolling vineyards and aged bottles had sparked an interest potentially more unhealthy than the one she ’ d feared . I might become a wine snob ! I returned to staring out of the window little knowing that one day one of England ’ s finest sparkling wines would be within view … a little way further along the same ancient ridge our house stood on .
In the nearly twenty years that I ’ ve been writing for Datebook I ’ ve tried to avoid returning to the same topic or region twice .
However such has the interest in English sparkling wine grown , and so great the changes that have recently evolved , it ’ s become a theme too important not to revisit . The volume of wine now made in England has doubled in the last ten years to over five million bottles and it is set to double again by 2020 . Almost all of the increase is down to sparkling wine made from the three noble Champagne varieties : Chardonnay and Pinot Noir , with a little Pinot Meunier . To keep up with the trend , I recently toured the South East ( where the majority of England ’ s vineyards lie ) to seek out , for the purpose of our tastings at Taste of the Vine , the finest home-grown sparkling wines . Here are a few recommendations , listed alphabetically . Prices are those on the company ’ s website where information on stock lists can be found .
Exton Park : Rosé Vintage 2011 . £ 60.00 Aromas of passion fruit , hazelnut and spice . Deliciously creamy . An unusual wine in that it ’ s exclusively Pinot Meunier from the estate ’ s oldest vines and made in limited quantities .
Gusbourne : Blanc de Blancs 2012 . £ 39.99 Sherbet and vanilla notes on the nose with ripe apricot and pastry flavours . Made from 100 % Chardonnay . An excellent wine from a difficult vintage .
Hambledon : Premier Cuvée . £ 42.50 Rich and nutty with a mouth filling palate , redolent of dried fruits and citrus .
Hambledon ’ s top wine - a blend of 60 % Chardonnay , 24 % Pinot Noir and 16 % Pinot Meunier .
Hattingley Valley : King ’ s Cuvée 2011 . £ 65.00 Soft , ripe , white stone fruits and a hint of vanilla from partial oak ageing . This luxury bottling was voted No . 1 English sparkling wine by Decanter .
Henners : Vintage Reserve 2010 . £ 34.00 Sweet lemon and honey notes with a rich , biscuity palate . From a ( superbly situated !) vineyard on a ridge overlooking the Pevensey Marshes .
Herbert Hall : 2013 Brut . £ 27.00 Lime , sweet apple and brioche notes with a palate of bright citrus fruit . A masterful bottling from a small producer in Marden , Kent .
Hoffman and Rathbone : Classic Cuvée . £ 36.00 Pineapple , white peach and grapefruit , with a creamy palate layered with spiced cake notes . Made by Uli Hoffman , one of England ’ s most dynamic winemakers .
Hush Heath : Balfour Brut Rosé 2013 . £ 35.99 Warm berry nose with a balanced palate of crunchy stone fruits and hints of nut . Now in its twelfth vintage , this has become one of England ’ s most reliable quality rosés .
Her apparent relief at my underage interest in alcohol left me wondering what she had thought but at twelve , the images of rolling vineyards and aged bottles had sparked an interest potentially more unhealthy than the one she ’ d feared ...
Sugrue Pierre : Trouble with Dreams 2013 . £ 39.00 A highly complex wine with mouth-filling ripe apple and spiced fruit palate . Made by Dermot Sugrue , from two small vineyards at the foot of the Downs to the north of Brighton . The 2010 would be my desert island wine .
Whilst these may not be at the forefront of your thoughts when looking for an everyday sparkler for your event , they do compete favourably with luxury Champagnes . Moreover , from these producers listed , as well as several others ( such as Nyetimber , Ridgeview & Chapel Down ), there are also excellent less expensive sparkling wines that make impressive alternatives to similarly priced non-vintage Champagne .
I ’ m off to Sussex to plant vines in Mum ’ s front garden .
See www . gimblettcheese . co . uk for the rest of the story … so far .
TASTE OF THE VINE www . tasteofthevine . co . uk
Francis is MD of Taste of the Vine , providing interactive wine , beer and whisky tasting events for the corporate market . Now in its sixteenth year , the company has staged over 3000 events in 49 countries .
NEW TOOL FOR EVENT MANAGERS www . wine-navigator . com
Have you ever wanted to match wine with food or find out a bit more about a wine you ’ re selecting for a function ? Visit : www . wine-navigator . com It ’ s free , fast , fun and totally independent . Give it a go and let your journey begin ! Also let Francis know of your reaction to the website and if it is of value to you .
GIMBLETT CHEESE & WINE CHALLENGE
The latest event from Taste of the Vine . Have your guests experience an evening of interactive entertainment , hosted by the cheesemakers at Gimblett Cheese and wine experts at Taste of the Vine . Tel : 01428 656319 for more details or visit : www . gimblettcheese . co . uk
Visit : www . thewineadventurer . com
16 THE LONDON & UK DATEBOOK