Our March meeting was a very informative presentation of “English Sparkling Wines with Food Pairing” by Sheena , one of our group members.
Why England we ask? We learned that a cool climate equals high acidity , Chalky soils like Champagne, also a rapid quality rise as “Climate Change” has resulted in a longer ripening season for the grapes.
English wines had a revival from the 1950s and have enjoyed a boom since 2000 . English sparkling wine has established itself as a world -class contender. We learned that the Key Grapes used for sparkling wine are Chardonnay for citrus and freshness, Pinot Noir for body and red fruit and Pinot Meunier for softness.
We tasted six wines each with food paired to complement each one and charged to guess “Which County”
Bolney Blanc de Blancs from Sussex 100% Chardonnay was a winner and the most expensive!
Bowler and Brolley, a blend from Devon and Kent was more budget friendly but didn’t win us over.
Chapel Down from Kent a blend of all three grapes went down well
Chilcomb Valley from Hampshire matured for 48 months was a favourite.
Nyetimber from Sussex with flavours of apple, honey and sweet spice appealed to most of the group
Balfour from Kent our last tasting with lively pink grapefruit character accented with notes of wild strawberry.
Our thanks to our Host Sheena for a very enjoyable afternoon.
