Winemakers in England are growing in confidence with each passing vintage. Here are three of the best
Green peace: growers have come to realise that conditions in the south of England are perfect for chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier. Photograph: Marc Hill/Alamy Stock Photo
Green peace: growers have come to realise that conditions in the south of England are perfect for chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier. Photograph: Marc Hill/Alamy Stock Photo
Sun 11 Jul 2021 01.00 EDT
Hambledon Classic Cuvée, Hampshire, England NV (from £28.03, laywheeler.com; Waitrose; majestic.co.uk) When I started writing about wine around the turn of the millennium, most coverage of English wine portrayed an industry that was lacking in confidence. English winemakers seemed embarrassed, even a little defensive, about what they were doing making wine this far north. A typical piece would almost always say something like, “It’s not all eccentric retired generals with hobbies that got out of hand, and weird grape varieties that are only planted because they can endure the cold and wet, you know!” Climate change has had a hand in the change of perception since then, but that’s only a small part of the story. More important is the realization, made by first a handful, then something like a flood, of producers across the south that they had the conditions (including, crucially, the soils) for growing chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier to produce great sparkling wine. Hampshire’s Hambledon is one of the stars of this development, its Classic Cuvée a tingling, Cox’s apple-tangy, subtly toasty delight.