Try a brand new wine…
The last month has seen a multitude of new releases coming onto the market. Try Chapel Down’s new sparkler, the producer’s first to be made from Bacchus and produced using the Charmat method.
Head winemaker, Josh Donaghay-Spire, said: “Deciding to carbonate the wine and not to put it through traditional method was a considered choice as I wanted to retain the youthful aromatic components which Bacchus showcases so well. It’s not a wine to discuss and debate for hours or a wine to cellar for years to come, it’s an uncomplicated and very refreshing wine to open and enjoy this summer.”
Thanks to fruitful harvest in 2018, a number of still wines are being released onto the market too. Surrey’s Greyfriars is set to release a trio of 2018 wines – a Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and rosé – on Saturday 1 June to celebrate English Wine Week. Meanwhile Simpsons in Kent has also extended its range of still wines with a Provençal-style rosé, a Pinot Noir, the UK’s first still Pinot Meunier and a second still Chardonnay.
Urban winery Blackbook in Battersea has recently launched a new wine that claims to be the first “London-grown, London-made wine since Roman times.”
The wine, which is called Tamesis, is named after the Roman name for the River Thames, and is a single vineyard still wine made from Bacchus grapes grown at Forty Hall Vineyard, in Enfield, north London.
“Forty Hall Vineyard is the only commercial-scale vineyard in London and is run as a social enterprise engaging a committed set of enthusiastic volunteers,” said Blackbook’s co-founder Sergio Verrillo.
“It is certified organic, avoiding the use of synthetic fungicides, herbicides or fertilisers to encourage sustainability, biodiversity and natural balance. I am a winemaker who likes to follow a traditional winemaking approach with low sulphur wines and indigenous ferments, seeking to preserve the varietal characters in its wines.”
For a sustainable packaging alternative, Cotswolds Wine has just launched a canned sparkling Bacchus made from grapes grown at The Royal Agricultural University vineyard.
