Not what you might expect…
Believe it or not, there is now fortified wine made in Wales and sparkling red made in West Sussex.
In 2018, White Castle Vineyard in Monmouthshire, Wales released the country’s first fortified wine. Described as “similar in style to port”, with an ABV of 19%, the so-called 1581 wine is made from Regent grapes.
Bolney’s Cuvée Noir, meanwhile, is made from 100% Dornfelder grapes to give a sparkling red wine bursting with blueberries, redcurrants and ripe cherries.
From the unfamiliar to the familiar, but in a different guise, Kent’s Simpsons Wine launched the UK’s first still white Meunier. Made using clones 798 and 799 from the estate’s Roman Road vineyard, the grapes are hand-picked and whole bunch pressed before being allowed to cold settle for 48 hours. The wine then undergoes a long, slow fermentation and full malolactic fermentation.
Herefordshire’s Sixteen Ridges, meanwhile, has previously made a white Pinot Noir in the same vein.
