A tasting during English Wine Week is the perfect opportunity for members to explore the exciting progress of English still wine. As Anne Krebiehl MW notes in a recent article, “there is no question that England is a world-class producer of sparkling wine, but still wine is catching up fast”. In the past, cooler English conditions have presented a challenge for fully ripening the grapes used to produce still wines, but the warmer summers we now experience are allowing winemakers to produce still wines of quality and complexity. While Kent and Sussex are the source of a number of these excellent still wines, it is Essex which is perhaps the surprising contender for the crown of best UK county in which to produce still wine, reflecting its status as the warmest and dryest part of the UK. Unsurprisingly, the best of these still wines are being made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the two main components of most sparkling wines, and we will be tasting some of the finest examples of these.
To lead us through this tasting, we are delighted to be joined by one of the true pioneers of English wine, Stephen Skelton MW. Stephen has been involved in English wine production since 1977, establishing the vineyard which is now the home of England’s biggest wine producer, and has written a number of the leading books on English wine.
The wines that we will be tasting are as follows:
Artelium Pinot Gris 2023
Oastbrook Block 1 Pinot Gris 2023
Danbury Ridge Chardonnay 2022
Sugrue - Bonkers Chardonnay NV
Whitewolfe KC1 Chardonnay 2022
Danbury Ridge Octagon Block Chardonnay 2022
Lyme Bay Pinot Noir 2021
Danbury Ridge Octagon Block Pinot Noir 2022
Member tickets are £60 and guest tickets are £65.
If you are using the Society's website to purchase tickets for the first time, you are encouraged to register so as to make future ticket purchases even easier. The Society operates a free seating policy at tastings so if you are coming as a group, please arrive early to ensure seats together.
If you have any questions, please contact the organiser, Andrew Denny on andrew.denny@aoshearman.com or Duncan Holden on duncanandliz@btinternet.com.