Some say the problem facing the English wine industry is lack of awareness. But in conversations I have about wine I'm surprised how often the subject of English wine comes up. Is it any good? Why don't you sell it?
On a recent trip to Cornwall I visited a well-respected vineyard and sampled some of their wines. The rosé I tried was excellent, and the sparkling wines were also very good. But because of the recent bad summers they have not made any red wine for two years. The simple truth is that the UK is not warm enough to make decent red wine - even in a good year.
Back to the rosé and the fizz. These were genuinely enjoyable wines but as a merchant the issue I have is price. I currently sell a very similar rosé from a top appellation in the Loire, and it's less expensive. And the price issue really kicks in with the sparkling wines. We all know that good Champagne is expensive, but are we ready to spend similar amounts on English sparkling wine?
You don't have to look too hard to find good quality sparkling wines below Champagne prices. Regional French wines such as Cremant de Bourgogne are made using the traditional method and are literally half the price of the English wines I tasted. I'm all in favour of supporting English wines and small producers but value for money is a key ingredient - so for now my vote stays with Cremant de Bourgogne and Menetou-Salon rosé.
You can buy them online here:
