If you’ve ever visited a vineyard and wondered how growers can tell grape varieties apart, you’re not alone. At first glance, many vines look remarkably similar. But once you know what to look for, certain varieties become surprisingly easy to spot. One of the easiest? Pinot Meunier. During a recent visit to Exton Park Vineyard in Hampshire, I spent some time looking more closely at Pinot Meunier, one of the three classic grape varieties used in Champagne and an increas

It's the moment of the year I love when the new vintage starts arriving on shelves and the spring has sprung. The 2025s are here, and there is a lot to get excited about. Provence rosé is back in force. Two of my favourites have just landed: the new Mirabeau, which keeps getting more refined year on year, and Château Léoube — quietly one of the most beautifully made rosés in Provence, organic, coastal, and a long way from the supermarket pink shelf. If you've been buying t

English sparkling can rival Champagne. Here’s why. For the longest time, the idea that English sparkling wine could rival Champagne was unthinkable. But it has happened! Last year, Nyetimber’s Blanc de Blancs 2016 Magnum was crowned Champion Sparkling Wine at the International Wine Challenge — the first time in the competition’s history that the top prize has been awarded to a wine made outside Champagne. The decision followed a blind assessment of more than 1,000 sparkling

Budburst at Weyborne Estate marks one of the most important moments in the English wine growing season — the point where the vineyard fully awakens after winter dormancy. It’s the beginning of the growing cycle for English sparkling wine, when the first green shoots emerge and the vineyard starts its quiet transformation towards harvest. I recently visited the estate at exactly that moment. The vines were just beginning to push through, with soft green growth appearing acro

Here is the full text from the article screenshots, organized into a single blog post format: ENGLISH WINES Elizabeth Hawthornthwaite shares her recommendations for brilliant English wines to enjoy this winter – from sparkling stars to supermarket favourites and hidden gems. ENGLISH wine just gets better and better. This summer’s warm, dry conditions have set the stage for a standout vintage and while we won’t be tasting the 2025 wines for a couple of years, all signs point

My current favourites… and honestly, they’re world-class. My Favourite English Sparkling: Weyborne Oriana Golden Spur The latest release from the talented wine maker Ben Abric at Weyborne. You can enjoy this as an aperitif, its lifted citrus, orchard fruit full of energy makes it fun to drink with smoked salmon bellinis all afternoon. It would be equally at home with grilled seabass because of the subtle oxidative winemaking adds depth and complexity to this wine with a s

Weyborne’s new Oriana Golden Spur is all about precision, place, and a little bit of magic and it was a privilege to be at the launch at Clarette restaurant last week, hearing Ben Abric and William Sharpley lift the veil on how this wine is made. £45 · weyborne.com Also at Hawkins Bros, Wine & Earth, Farr Vintners and Bibendum. What makes Oriana Golden Spur stand out?• Highest point of the South Downs National Park – a 25-acre single estate, entirely grown and made on th

There has never been a better time to explore English wine, or to visit our vineyards. With well over 800 vineyards now established across England, the category continues to grow in both scale and confidence. From crisp, characterful whites to elegant, world-class sparkling wines, England is no longer emerging, it has arrived. Climate change has undoubtedly played a role in reshaping our growing conditions, with warmer temperatures creating increasingly favourable environment

We all know that England’s sparkling wines have firmly earned their place on the world stage, often rivalling the best of Champagne.

Rosé weather is upon us, and what better way to enjoy it than with some fantastic options available at Aldi? Not only are these wines...

Prepare your taste buds for an extraordinary adventure as we delve into the world of English rosé that will leave your senses tingling...

How are you celebrating the King's Coronation? I'll be drinking something cold and fizzy for sure! Another bank holiday weekend with lots..