The oArtf Wine ENGLISH SPARKLING WELCOME TO THE SEARCYS ENGLISH SPARKLING WINE GUIDE With English sparkling wine growing rapidly both in quality and popularity, we have prepared this guide as an introduction to this exciting category. At the heart of Searcys is our British heritage which sits aside a modern approach and a focus on sustainability. We are passionate about English sparkling wine and we are thrilled to share our love through this guide. JOEL CLAUSTRE, MCA Searcys Drinks Ambassador 2 3 HISTORY OF ENGLISH SPARKLING WINE Wine grapes have been grown on British soil for over 1,600 years. Though it is debated as to whether they bought vines to the United Kingdom, the Romans wrote about growing wine grapes in Britain in the first century. There are now over 700 vineyards across the England and 68% of the wine produced is sparkling. The invention of sparkling wine is often Due to the cool English climate original accredited to monk Dom Perignon, who growers planted grapes which prioritised pioneered the process of the traditional fast-ripening over quality. Climate method as we know now. However, it could change has led to warmer weather and be argued that it was first discovered 30 a revolution, as well as quality focused years earlier by an Englishman. In 1662 wine makers and investment, in English Christopher Merret, an English winemaker, sparkling wine. More often than not the presented a paper detailing his discovery same grape varieties which are used to that adding sugar to a finished wine could produce Champagne - Chardonnay, Pinot result in a sparkle. Noir and Pinot Meunier are now cultivated to make English sparkling wine. Before English wine production had the opportunity to take off, WWI and WWII led to the cease of commercial wine growing. In 1952 the first commercial vineyard was planted since 1875 and over the following decades the number of vineyards increased rapidly. 4 5 ENGLISH SPARKLING GYROPALLETE – the cage which slowly rotates the WINE GLOSSARY bottle as part of the process to remove sediment TRADITIONAL METHOD – the traditional French method of sparkling wine-making, where the first fermentation takes place in a barrel or stainless steel vat, the second in a bottle and the bottle is turned ¼ of a turn, daily AGEING ON THE LEES ('SUR LIE' IN FRENCH) – lees, leftover yeast particles, are left in sparkling NV – a non-vintage wine, often a blend from the wines whilst they mature as they release tiny amounts produce of different years of sugar and amino acid whilst it matures which add texture and flavour MV – multi-vintage BLANC DE BLANCS – a wine made entirely of white grapes, rather than a mix RIDDLING ('REMUAGE' IN FRENCH) – the process of moving the sediment to the neck BLANC DE NOIRS – a white wine made from red of the bottle for the easy removal or black grapes without skin contact ROSÉ – a wine made from red grapes, with limited BRUT – a relatively-dry sparkling wine skin contact which colours the wine CUVÉE – refers to wine of a specific blend or batch SECOND FERMENTATION – a winemaking process entailing a second period of fermentation in a DEMI-SEC – a medium-sweet sparkling wine different vessel EXTRA BRUT – a dry sparkling wine VINTAGE – refers to the year in which the grapes were picked, and the wine was produced 6 7 INTRODUCING OUR PARTNERS GREYFRIARS English sparkling wine has been growing The original, tiny Greyfriars vineyard was planted in in both popularity and quality over the 1989 on the slopes of the Hog’s Back, a few miles last few years. outside Guildford in Surrey. The vineyard was taken over by husband and wife, Mike and Hilary, in 2010 with the aim of expanding Greyfriars to become a The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) boutique, commercial scale, producer of world-class project that English Sparkling Wine production will sparkling wines. double by 2022 to approximately 10 million bottles annually. This can be credited, in part, to a warming Since 2013, when the first Greyfriars wine was The south-facing chalk slopes provide the perfect climate which has led to riper grapes, as well as an released, the wine has won numerous awards and terroir for producing world-class, sustainably produced increase in expertise and awareness. accolades and the vineyard has grown to over 40-acres sparkling wine. In order to aid this process Greyfriars over two sites. The estate now includes a storage ‘cave’ restrict their yields in order to boost quality and Although the rising temperatures and longer ripening We are thrilled to have partnered with three different dug into the side of the Hog’s back and a world class ripeness and, in the winery, minimal intervention is times are producing more complex wines, the producers of English sparkling wine – Greyfriars, winery. practiced in order to let to showcase the fruit. unpredictable frosts and moving seasons have led to Furleigh and Nyetimber. These three vineyards all fluctuating and unreliable yields. differ in size and production rates, but we think the versatility ensures a well-rounded selection of English In 2018, at the Sommelier Wine Awards, 3,000 sparkling wines in our different venues. wines were blind-tasted by expert judges and more Did you know gold medals went to wines from England than from France. Taittinger even announced that they Greyfriars’ sparkling wines? are made Their vineyards are planted on solid 45,000 man-hours went in to building were buying a vineyard in Kent to produce English using the traditional method – utilising a chalk, which produces vibrant, rich and the Greyfriars chalk cave, where they secondary fermentation and subsequently elegant sparkling wines. store and age a quarter of a million sparkling wine! ageing the wine in the bottle in the cellar bottles of wine. for at least three years. 8 9 NYETIMBER Did you know Nyetimber produces award- The first vines were planted ? Nyetimber is named after the old name of the winning English sparkling in 1988 and they now stretch valley in which it sits - Nitimbreha, which likely wine from its nine vineyards over 260 hectares in West referred to a newly timbered house or a small in West Sussex, Hampshire Sussex, Hampshire and timber plantation. and Kent. First mentioned in Kent. Nyetimber was the first the Domesday Book in 1086, producer of English sparkling The estate was part of Henry VIII’s divorce The Nyetimber Estate has wine to exclusively grow settlement with Anne of Cleves. an illustrious history and the three celebrated grape was even gifted to Thomas varieties of Pinot Noir, Pinot Nyetimber produced England’s first ever Cromwell by Henry VIII. Meunier and Chardonnay. prestige cuvée in 2018 with the release of Nyetimber 1086 2009 and 1086 Rosé 2010. Eric Heerema has been the Cherie Spriggs, Head driving force behind Nyetimber Winemaker at Nyetimber, won since 2006, and is committed the Sparkling Winemaker of to producing sparkling wines the Year 2018 award at the of exceptional quality. His International Wine Challenge. vision and pioneering spirit are Cherie has made history shared by Cherie Spiggs and by becoming not only the Brad Greatrix, the husband first female to have won this and wife winemaking team prestigious accolade, but the who have been integral to first person from outside of building Nyetimber into a Champagne to take the title. sparkling wine producer that has been rivaling the best in the world for over 11 years. 10 11 FURLEIGH ESTATE Furleigh Estate, Dorset, is planted with over 53,000 vines made up of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier over 50 acres of vineyards. Ian Edward and Rebecca Hansford bought the land in 2004. Previously owned by Rebecca’s father, a dairy farmer, the land is where she grew up. Rebecca’s father sold the land to retire, but by chance it came up Did you know for sale in 2004, providing the perfect opportunity for Ian and Rebecca to take ? the leap. They converted the old milking All the grapes Furleigh Estate use are from their own Dorset vineyards - this is unusual - many barn into a visitors’ tasting-room and larger producers supplement their own crop installed presses, steel tanks and cold with grapes from other locations. fermentation systems. Located near the sea, they ensure that their The first vines were planted in 2005 wines will work well with seafood. and now produce an average of 40,000 bottles of sparkling wine and 10,000 After hand-picking their grapes, they are bottles of still wines a year. Furleigh’s ‘whole-bunch’ pressed in order to obtain the flagship wine is their Classic Cuvée, a finest juice which is then left on its lees for at blend of 30% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot least 18 months, and for a further two months Meunier and 40% Chardonnay. in the bottle. 12 13 JOEL’S TIPS AND PAIRINGS We have asked Joel Claustre, Searcys’ Drinks Ambassador, to share his top pairings for English sparkling wine. FURLEIGH ESTATE, ROSÉ, GREYFRIARS, CUVÉE BRUT, NYETIMBER, CLASSIC BRUT NV, DORSET NV, SURREY CUVÉE, BRUT NV, WEST SUSSEX From Furleigh Estate, this is elegant sparkling rosé This delectable English sparkling wine comes Nyetimber is a must-try, the quality of the Classic has steady, fine bubbles. It reveals aromas of wild from a very chalky part of the UK, on the edge Cuvée is excellent, with small bubbles that release strawberries, and the palate is dry with citrus acidity. of the Surrey hills. It’s a classic blend of the aromas of fresh melon, lemon and vanilla. On the three traditional "Champagne” varieties, offering palate you will experience a delicious texture which An excellent match with seafood, but also generous citrus flavours and a toasty finish.