Is English sparkling wine as good as champagne? At its best it has the same quality and texture, but with added steel and a citrus feel, insiders say
- English sparkling wine producers use the same three grapes – pinot noir, chardonnay and meunier – as in the Champagne region, and the same production method
- ‘Really excellent wines’ are now coming from the top English producers, one grower says, and some champagne houses are now investing in English vineyards
English sparkling wine has been gaining prestige in recent years, with some experts comparing it to champagne in taste and quality.
Globally, the sector is still relatively small: IWSR Drinks Market Analysis reports that sparkling wine produced in the UK represents about 0.2 per cent of total global sparkling wine volume. But sales are growing: UK-produced sparkling wine volume rose by almost 11 per cent from 2015-2020, the report said.
“Maybe 10 years ago, there were only two or three wines which might have been known outside the UK or certainly recognised by wine critics as well,” says Jonathan White, spokesman for British wine producer Gusbourne. “Today there’s a collective of maybe 10 to 20 producers that are making really excellent wines.”
Gusbourne planted its first vines in Appledore, Kent, southeast England, in 2004. It released its debut Brut and Blanc de Blanc sparkling wines in 2010, and says demand has been growing ever since.
The pandemic gave local producers a boost in 2020 because travellers who couldn’t visit wineries abroad “started to realise that they could actually visit a winery at home”, says Anne McHale, a certified master of wine in London.