The changing landscape of English sparkling The wines are flying off the shelves, even at prices, and wineries across the UK are opening their doors to enthusiastic tourists. Susie Barrie MW charts the rise of a booming industry

THE SCENE IS a windswept field in . The ‘The fact that currently averages fewer than 4 million, there date: 3 May 2017. I am watching the first vine is also significant potential for expansion on of an ambitious new 40ha (hectare) vineyard notable the home front, too. being planted. It’s an increasingly common If you’re considering buying English scene in the UK – a record-breaking one Champagne , it’s important to appreciate million vines are due to be planted in 2017 – the level of quality you can expect, and to so on one level this occurrence is hardly houses have understand why the price-tag is closer to that newsworthy. That is, until you consider that of Champagne than, for example, Prosecco. the man wielding the spade is not only French, bought land As a general rule, UK producers are making but also president of one of Champagne’s wines to a very high standard, in relatively leading grande marque houses: Taittinger. here speaks small quantities, and often with virtually no Never has there been a more exciting time expense spared in terms of equipment, for the UK sparkling wine industry. The fact volumes manpower and (traditional-method – ie, In terms of style, UK producers make Corinne Seely, winemaker at Exton Park in Above: Nyetimber uses that notable Champagne houses Taittinger Champagne style) winemaking. everything from classic cuvée (ie, a blend of , has been building up reserves only estate-grown and Vranken-Pommery have recently bought about how And UK land prices are high, especially varieties) to blanc de blancs, blanc de noirs since day one, with the intention of making grapes for its wines land in Kent and Hampshire respectively, with when vendors get wind of the fact that their and rosé. As a rule, wineries tend to launch non-vintage wines a speciality. As an aside, the intention of making their own English fizz, seriously UK land might be suitable for viticulture. ‘There’s their brand with a wine made from whichever Seely released a 100% rosé last speaks volumes about how seriously the UK is a lot of hope value on land,’ says Hugo Corney grapes initially perform best on their site, year, which is highly individual and well worth being taken as a producer of world-class sparkling is of Court Garden in . Most vineyard before building a range. It isn’t possible as yet seeking out. Leading producer Ridgeview sparkling wine. and winery equipment also has to be sourced to say that the UK suits one style over another, changed its Signature range to non-vintage It’s no secret that a quiet revolution has being taken’ from abroad. As Sam Linter of Bolney in Sussex although as a grape variety is earlier this year and both Nyetimber and taken place in the industry over the past 25 states: ‘Nothing is made in the UK; everything showing particularly strong potential. Hattingley Valley have recently moved their years. But the pace of change has quickened comes from Europe and we have to ship it in. Although most wines until now have been classic cuvée wines (plus rosé in the case of considerably during the last decade, to the This alone adds 50-60p to the cost of a bottle’. vintage dated, a key trend among producers is Nyetimber) to non-vintage, too. point where English sparkling wine is now a It’s understandable, then, that English a move to non-vintage wines (a blend from It is not better or worse to make non- serious global player with regular shipments to sparkling wines aren’t cheap. But it’s the taste different years) for some of the range. It’s only vintage rather than vintage wines. What it 27 countries. Given that we in the UK consume in the glass that matters – and the vast majority possible to make non-vintage wines once a allows winemakers is a little more flexibility in well over 100 million bottles of fizz per year, of these wines can easily stand comparison to stock of reserve wines has been built up, so tough years and the opportunity to make a

and total production of UK sparkling wine good Champagne at a similar price. Photograph:Charmaine Grieger non-vintage is rarely an option for new estates. very consistent style of wine. It’s also ➢

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Growth of an industry Number of commercial vineyards in and Wales 503 (2015) Number of wineries 133 (2015)

Annual production (in bottles) 2013 – 4.45 million (of which sparkling is approx 2.94m) 2014 – 6.3m (sparkling approx 4.15m) 2015 – 5.06m (sparkling approx 3.34m) 2016 – 4.15m (sparkling approx 2.74m) Overall wine production is predicted to reach 10m bottles by 2020

Area under vine (approximate) 2,330ha (includes 2017 plantings) Hectarage planted in the UK has doubled in the last eight years, and is set to grow by a further 50% to 3,000ha by 2020

• Sparkling wine accounts for 66% of overall UK wine production ‘We see the development of • Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and account for more than 50% of total varietal plantings oenotourism as the next key • Exports of English wine are set to increase tenfold by 2020, when they are predicted to represent 25% of production stage in the English • There are more than 150 vineyards open to the public in the UK

Source: English Wine Producers sparkling wine scene’. Charlie Holland, Gusbourne winemaker (above)

worth remembering that it is perfectly legal to ago we had 1,500 visitors – and, to be honest, Above: Chapel Down’s stunning King’s Cuvée 2011 a couple of years Below: new prestige range of wines. In terms of vineyard location, include 15% of previous vintages in a vintage- I think most of them were lost in the The Wine Sanctuary in ago. Although now sold out, the next vintage cuvées include however, Spriggs explains: ‘Grapes don’t know dated wine, and some winemakers prefer to countryside. Last year we had 18,000 visitors, Kent is one of many (2013) is about to be launched, as is a new Hattingley Valley’s what county they are planted in, but they do express the characteristics of each vintage. and we’re expecting 25,000 this year’. tasting rooms springing sparkling red. Kings Cuvée know if the site is high quality.’ With this As Bolney’s Linter states: ‘I like the vintage It’s a burgeoning side to the industry and up across the UK There have been big developments at philosophy in mind, the company has variation and I’d like to stick to our heritage one that leading UK producer Chapel Down Gusbourne Estate in Kent. This summer saw acquired a 20ha site in Kent that will take [vintage wines].’ has recently embraced with the opening of the opening of a new cellar-door space known total vineyard holdings to more than 240ha Beyond the wines themselves, if there is one The Wine Sanctuary, a new tasting room at its as ‘The Nest’. As winemaker Charlie Holland across Hampshire, Sussex and Kent. Also in buzzword in the industry at the moment it is site in Tenterden, Kent. As MD Mark Harvey says: ‘We see the development of oenotourism the pursuit of quality, Nyetimber has a new, tourism. When I last wrote about English says: ‘The idea is to have a premium offer, to as the next key stage in the English sparkling custom-designed pressing centre in the heart sparkling wine for this magazine two years ago, raise the bar for English wine.’ The opening wine scene.’ This facility is intended ‘as a of its Sussex vineyard, to enable swifter pressing I mentioned a handful of wineries that were coincided with the launch of a new range of destination, smart and well-branded’ where of the grapes post-harvest. doing a particularly good job in this regard. wines from the Kit’s Coty vineyard near visitors can enjoy an in-depth experience of With almost all of the UK’s larger producers One of those was Camel Valley in Cornwall, a Aylesford, including a prestige cuvée that is both the winemaking process and vineyards. looking to increase exports – the US in trailblazer and one of the first English wineries England’s most expensive wine to date. Gusbourne also has a new prestige cuvée in particular is a new, potentially huge market – to really understand the value of wine the pipeline, but it will be at least another year there is arguably still room for new projects. tourism. Now, however, it’s almost impossible Dynamic scene before it is ready for release. Holland’s precise In 2011 Robert and Augusta Raimes planted to speak to any winery owner without a When it comes to noteworthy producers, there and elegant style of winemaking suits extended two chalky sites near their farm at Tichbourne gleaming new visitor centre or tasting room are now so many that it’s almost impossible to ageing of wines prior to release, so it should be in Hampshire, as a way of getting family and being mentioned. know where to begin. Of the larger players, worth the wait. friends more involved in the work of the farm. With many vineyards now planted and Hattingley Valley in Hampshire continues to Likewise at Nyetimber in , the The first vintage of Raimes, Blanc de Noirs wineries built, investment is shifting towards do an excellent job with winemakers Emma arrival of prestige cuvée wines is imminent. (900 bottles of the 2013, made at Hattingley the visitor experience. To support this, a new Rice and Jacob Leadley making wines for a Winemaker Cherie Spriggs has made two: a Valley) was a terrific first release. interactive UK wine map has been launched to range of clients, as well as some terrific cuvées white based on the 2009 vintage and a rosé Over in Marlow, Bucks, some seriously guide an ever-growing number of eager wine under the Hattingley Valley label. Rice and based on 2010; both are due for release ‘soon’, exciting wines are starting to emerge from tourists (visit www.englishwineproducers.co.uk). Leadley are tireless innovators and Hattingley according to Spriggs. Harrow & Hope, a new project begun by Kaye As Richard Balfour-Lynn of the picture-perfect was one of the first English producers to drive Nyetimber uses only estate-grown grapes and Henry Laithwaite. Henry has a lot to live Hush Heath Estate in Kent jokes: ‘Two years the ‘prestige cuvée’ trend by releasing the for its elegant and consistently impressive up to as a member of the Laithwaite’s ➢

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Wine family, and there’s an air of healthy Bride Valley (owned by Decanter consultant competition as you sit around the tasting table editor Steven Spurrier), Furleigh and Langham with Henry and his highly accomplished are now all well-established Dorset estates winemaking mother Barbara. Barbara’s own making world-class wines in a range of styles. wine, Wyfold, is consistently superb. The same can be said of Court Garden in Laithwaite's also launched Windsor Great Park Sussex, a winery that crept onto the scene a Vineyard 2013 last year, a sparkling wine decade or so ago and has remained made by the Ridgeview team from vines consistently impressive. planted and managed by Laithwaite’s. Henry Of the rest, Ambriel and Blackdown Ridge and Kaye are more than living up to the family in West Sussex, Coates & Seely in Hampshire, name, and it’s great to see a young and Fox & Fox in East Sussex, and Squerryes in dynamic pair making such strides. Kent are all worth seeking out. And for the Mike and Hilary Wagstaff took over future, Rathfinny in Sussex and Simpsons Greyfriars in in 2010 and have spent Wine Estate in Kent have yet to release wines, the last seven years investing in and but will certainly be ones to watch. expanding the business. Apart from making So to my recommendations, which you some very decent wines, Mike is clearly a man must treat as merely a starting point. I could on a mission to get everyone in the UK easily have included three times as many Robert and Augusta drinking English sparkling wine. ‘The wines. I’d therefore urge UK readers to seek Raimes planted two Champenois have spent the last 300 years out their nearest winery, pay a visit and taste chalky sites near brainwashing us that if we’re celebrating, the local wines where they are grown and made. Susie Barrie MW is a their farm in drink to have is Champagne,’ he says. ‘We need We now have a world-class English product on widely published wine Hampshire in 2011 to be out there getting people excited about our doorstep and, as wine lovers, it is surely no writer, author and drinking something local.’ more than our duty to celebrate that. D broadcaster

Barrie’s picks: glorious English sparkling to try

Langham Wine Estate, Nyetimber, Blanc de Blancs, West The Finest Bubble Though it’s from the 2010 vintage, it is it is young and needs time to develop. style that’s a great match for food. Classic Cuvée Reserve Brut, Sussex 2010 96 Once again, the latest release of Wiston’s still beautifully lively with juicy acidity Drink 2018-2020 Alc 12% Drink 2017-2019 Alc 11.5% Dorset 2011 97 £38.50-£43.99 Berry Bros & Rudd, Davy’s, vintage cuvée from winemaker Dermot and a very appealing drinkability. £27.99-£33 Cambridge Wine Farr, Drinkmonger, Harrods, Jeroboams, Sugrue is superb. Savoury, yeasty Drink 2017-2019 Alc 12% Hambledon Vineyard, Digby Fine English, Leander Merchants, Duncan Murray, Justerini & Brooks, L’Assemblage, Lea & aromas are matched by fresh, focused Première Cuvée Brut, Pink Brut, NV 93 The Dorset Wine Co, Yapp Bros Sandeman, The Finest Bubble, WoodWinters acidity in the mouth, along with hints of Fox & Fox, Inspiration Brut, Hampshire NV 91 £29.99 Armit, Harvey Nichols, There is only one word for Developed bread and wood-smoke roasted nut and ripe apple. Drink East Sussex 2013 92 £42.50-£49.90 Berry Bros & Marks & Spencer, Waitrose this: delicious. Rich, smoky aromas are matched by a fine mousse 2017-2020 Alc 12% £33-£39 Justerini & Brooks Rudd, Harvey Nichols, Hedonism, From its pale salmon colour to aromas give way to a and savoury, apple peel flavours. Stylish This characterful Pinot The Finest Bubble, Virgin Wine, its restrained but spicy, red multi-layered palate of and classic. Drink 2017-2019 Alc 12% Cottonworth, Classic Cuvée Brut, Gris-based blanc de blancs is Waitrose Cellar fruit palate, this is a subtle and praline, honey and mushroom, Hampshire NV 93 rich in colour, aroma and A blend of the Champagne stylish rosé. Elegant and all kept in check by a core of vibrant Chapel Down, Kit’s Coty £24.99-£28 All About Wine, Fareham Wine flavour. Intensely creamy but trio from 2011 with 15% autolytic, balanced, long and acidity. It is hedonistic but delightful and, Coeur de Cuvée, North Cellar, Toscanaccio refreshingly dry, with bread reserve wine from 2010, this harmonious, it’s one to sip and given its maturity, excellent value for Downs, Kent 2013 95 Savoury, autolytic notes on the nose are and spiced red apple aromas, is the first release of savour. Drink 2017-2019 Alc 12% money. Drink 2017-2019 Alcohol 12% £100 Chapel Down Winery the result of 27 months’ lees ageing and it is full of energy and life. Hambledon’s top wine. There is evident This ambitious new prestige 30% reserve wine. The overall impression Drink 2017-2019 Alc 11.5% development of colour and aroma, with Ambriel, Rosé Extra Dry, West Susssex Sugrue Pierre, The Trouble with cuvée blanc de blancs is still is one of elegance, with biscuit and light buttered toast and rich, bready notes to NV 91 Dreams Cuvée Brut, South Downs very young, but shows truffle flavours underpinning a very fine Gusbourne, Blanc de Blancs, Kent 2013 the fore. A bold, stylish fizz for classicists. £22.50 Hawkins Bros, Private Cellar, 2013 97 enormous promise. Full of and refreshing frame. Drink 2017-2020 92 Drink 2017-2019 Alc 12% Wine Pantry, Wine Therapy £33.40-£39 EeBria, Exel, Hallgarten Druitt & spiced apple fruit, chalky Alc 12% £37.50-£42.95 Berry Bros & Rudd, Goedhuis Charles and Wendy Outhwaite’s West Novum, Hennings, Strictly Wine, WoodWinters minerality, tangy acidity and a & Co, Harvey Nichols, Hedonism, Jeroboams, Greyfriars, Rosé Reserve Brut, Surrey Sussex estate is a relative newcomer to From its restrained but complex aromas hint of autolysis. Tuck away for Court Garden, Ditchling Reserve Brut, Justerini & Brooks, Lea & Sandeman, Oddbins, 2013 94 the English wine scene and I particularly of brioche, truffle and spice to its vibrant, a while. Drink 2018-2022 Alc 12% East Sussex 2010 93 Selfridges, WoodWinters £23.50-£25.99 Lea & Sandeman, Waitrose like their juicy, easy-going rosé. Full of mouthwatering acidity, this is beautifully £29.70-£31.99 Butlers Wine Cellar, Dulwich As with all of the Gusbourne wines, there Made from 100% Pinot Noir with a third summer fruit flavours and red apple tang, crafted and hugely exciting fizz. Wiston Estate, Cuvée Brut, South Vintners, Handford, Quaff is a precision and subtlety here, along of the blend fermented in old oak, this it’s great value and ideal for picnics and Although drinking well now, it has the Downs 2013 95 A blanc de noirs that is typically broad with the saline minerality and steely antique gold-coloured rosé is full of parties. Drink 2017-2019 Alc 10% structure to develop for several years. £32.95 Booths, Corney & Barrow, Harvey and bready with baked red apple fruit acidity of a classic blanc de blancs. spiced plum fruit and creamy, roasted Drink 2017-2022 Alc 12% Nichols, Hennings Wines, Simply Wines Direct, and hints of roasted nut from oak. Elegant, bready and tight-knit, nut flavours. A rich-textured and toasty For full details of UK stockists, see p97

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