Breaky Bottom
Its memorable name is not the only feature that makes Breaky Bottom stand out from the crowd. Owned by Peter Hall, the original vineyard was planted back in 1974 and as Hewson notes, it is “one of the few to have made the transition successfully from ‘old school’ English vineyard to well-respected contemporary sparkling wine producer”.
With a total of 2.4 hectares near Lewes in East Sussex, Hall champions the much-maligned Seyval Blanc, which he makes into a single varietal fizz.
Unlike many English producers, he doesn’t use malolactic fermentation nor does he use oak. Hall also grows Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier.