Chapel Down are the largest producer of english wines, and the Chapel Down Non-Vintage Brut is a traditional-method sparkling wine made from a blend of Rivaner, Reichensteiner and Pinot Noir grapes. Chapel Down were the first English winery to win a gold medal for sparkling wine in the International Wine Challenge, setting a high standard for other English producers! This wine is made in the same way as Champagne and is a fantastic, local alternative.
View prices for Chapel Down NV Reserve Brut, now on offer from Waitrose Wine.
Why English wine? For many reasons, English and Welsh wine is currently enjoying a renaissance. There are approximately 400 vineyards in the UK and many are producing growing numbers of great wines. If you're concerned about food miles, why not go one step further and take into consideration "wine miles" when you're shopping, after all with award winning english wines in the shops, it's not really a hardship!
NOT British! Wines labelled as being "British wine" tend to be cheaper than "English" or "Welsh" wines, though don't be fooled into thinking you are getting a bargain. English or Welsh wine is grown and produced in England or Wales, whereas British wine is fermented and bottled in the UK from imported (and normally concentrated) grape juice.