Jo’s recommended sparklers from Kent and Sussex.
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If you haven’t been living in a cave, you will probably know that English Sparkling Wine is catching the world’s attention. Our climate is now perfect for growing the grapes used in Champagne, and we are producing wines to rival our French cousins. Kent and Sussex are at the forefront of this exciting new wine production.
Now I’ve tasted them and met the winemakers, I’m on a journey to find out as much as I can, to inspire you to try these incredible wines that stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world. Now that we can plan for some socialising, let’s start with what Kent and Sussex are best at. Here is a selection of sparkling wines that Jules and I tasted for the BBC, and that you need to try. There’s a range to suit most budgets and links to where you can buy them. I’ve been extended some great offers by the producers too; just use my voucher code at their online checkouts. Cheers!
Chapel Down
Sparkling Bacchus 2019
£80 for a case of 6 (£13.33 per bottle) or up to £20 in major retailers
Quote Wines50 at the checkout for 10% off.
Chapel Down is the largest wine producer in the UK, based in Tenterden, Kent. A visit is a must – you can tour, taste, eat, drink, shop, it’s all there in stunning surroundings. They have a number of vineyards throughout the region, with a wide range of still and sparkling wines that regularly win awards. Their Kit’s Coty range is up there with the best Champagne, but in the interests of sensible budgeting, Jules and I tasted the Sparkling Bacchus, which has a delicious aroma of pineapple, grapefruit and elderflower. It’s refreshing and crisp – a perfect way to entertain in the garden this summer.
Kingscote Estate
Brut Original Method Non Vintage
£25 (£108 for a case of 6, £18 per bottle)
Quote WINESAT50 at the checkout for 20% off.
Kingscote Estate and Vineyard is a little piece of heaven just a few minutes from East Grinstead. It overlooks the Bluebell Railway and enjoys a perfect view of the steam trains as they trundle past. I love taking people through the vineyard and winery and watching how their excitement builds as they taste the wine. Jules and I tasted the Brut N.V, which is a great example of a traditionally made, bottle fermented Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay blend. It’s been on the lees for 28 months, not hugely long for a traditional method sparkling wine, but the creamy, biscuity complexity is pretty impressive. This would be a great accompaniment to your smoked salmon or goats cheese canapes.
This wine has also featured on BBC Radio Sussex, alongside the Kingscote Brut 2018.
Fox & Fox
2014 Mosaic Brut £29
Claim a FREE Fox & Fox stopper worth £12 if you use my code, Wines50 at the checkout. You’ll need to be spending at least £39 to get this little extra gift.
Everyone would be drinking this wine if they knew the Foxes like I do. Jonica and Gerrard are a delightful couple tucked away in a jaw droppingly beautiful village called Mayfield on the Kent/Sussex border. Their winemaking skills are a force to be reckoned with, and you can barely move for the awards they’ve picked up for their range of sparkling wines. Jules and I tasted their Mosaic Brut, which is their ‘anytime’ fizz – and why not? It’s a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay – you can really pick up that red fruit on the nose, and then it gives way to rich apple notes on the palate. It’s a gentle sparkler that doesn’t overwhelm you with fizz – just delightful.
Herbert Hall
Brut 2016 £39.50
Use Wines50 at the checkout for an amazing 30% off. Or visit them at weekends TN12 9LS
The award-winning Herbert Hall Winery produces single-estate traditional method English Sparkling Wines. The house style is defined by balance and elegance with an emphasis on expressing the purity of their own organically grown fruit vintage by vintage. Since releasing its first wine in 2011, this small winery has become a benchmark for artisan winemaking in the UK and has supplied many top London restaurants and hotels including Le Gavroche, the original Ivy, Le Caprice, the RAC Cub, the Groucho Club, 67 Pall Mall, and the Savoy Group’s Simpson’s in-the-Strand. Herbert Hall also makes a limited-edition Sparkling Rose for HRH The Prince of Wales (Highgrove).
With its emphasis on handmade production and barrel fermented cuvées, critics have described the work of this boutique organic estate as among the finest in the UK and the world.
Squerryes
Brut 2016 Vintage Reserve £32
Use Wines50 on the link below to receive a gift card for a tour and tasting for 2. (for the first 6 case purchases, a case being 6 bottles)
Squerryes is one of the leading Kent Vineyards on an exceptionally classy estate with restaurant, bottle store and farm shop easily accessible from the M25 and A21. They say they’re in the business of creating joy. Well, it worked for Jules and me! We tasted the Brut 2016 Vintage Reserve which is a blend of all 3 Champagne varietals, deliciously heavy on the Chardonnay. The warm Autumn of 2016 has given this wine a rich palate of ripe fruit, without losing the lovely brioche notes you always hope you’ll get in a good sparkling wine. This is a perfect alternative to your usual Champagne choice, and you can visit them now to enjoy it on their terrace.
The first 6 people to purchase a case of the Brut 2016 Vintage Reserve using my code Wines50 will be treated to a Tour and Tasting for 2 at the winery! Enjoy!
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