English Still Wine @ Host Your Own (HYO) Wine Club June 2018

It's English Wine Week, so to celebrate we're recommending three tasty English still white wines for your wine club.

When you try the wines please tell us what you think on Twitter using @HYOwineclub and #HYOwineclub, or on the PrincessAndThePinot Facebook Page - we would love to chat to you about the wines you've tasted based on our recommendations. Most of the wines will be available on the high street, but some come from independent stores or winemakers. You can try the wines in the comfort of your own home at your leisure, or you can come to our pop-up wine bars to try the wines, or we can help you to Host Your Own wine club. The flights of wine served at our pop-up wine bars will feature the wines recommended for HYO Wine Club.

Top Tips

English wine has come a long way from the tart flabby wines that we used to make, to the 120 awards won at the International Wine Challenge 2016. Now even Taittinger, the French Champagne house, has bought some land in Kent to invest in English Sparkling wine. But it’s not just the sparklers that are outstanding, there are some English still wines that are worth a try, and here are three of them. Be aware that “British” wine is different to “English” wine. English wines are made from grapes that are grown here and then the wine is made here, whereas British wines import the juice to make here.

Chapel Down Flint Dry 2016 12%

Chapel Down is a winery in Kent. They don’t reveal grape varieties on the bottle, meaning it will be a blend of several varieties, and the quantities will vary to continue making the same style of wine through varying vintages. This one is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Schönburger among others. Elderflower, mineral and smokiness, not dissimilar to a Pouilly Fume style. This wine gets its texture from extended lees contact (sitting on the dead yeast cells left over from the fermentation). Chapel Down also make amazing vodka and gin using grapes. And brandy. And Curious Brew beer. They run guided tours, with a restaurant on site, and you can also lease a vine for exclusive benefits. £11.99 Waitrose.

LDN Cru Baker Street Bacchus 2016 11.5%

This wine is grown in England and made in London. Vinifed from Bacchus grapes grown in Kent and Essex. Bacchus is England’s answer to Sauvignon Blanc because of its aromatics – known to have high sugars and low acidity, but our climate can cultivate a higher acidity in the grapes. Elderflower, stone fruits and cut grass with crisp acidity. Won Silver medal IWC 2017 and £15 Roberson – all LDN Cru currently 25% off. My favourite LDN Cru wine is the Charlotte Street Chardonnay (£20), but although the wine is made in London the grapes come from South of France, but worth a mention here! And soon they will be launching their English Chardonnay which I can't wait to try.

Litmus White Pinot 2015 12%

Litmus makes their wines at Denbies wine estate. Still wines produced in England, producing food orientated Northern European cool climate styles. They use a number of vineyard sites in Essex, Surrey and Sussex. Typically using old barriques and extended lees contact to create flavour complexity. Peach, honeysuckle and smoke. Full bodied, which is unusual in English wines. Grapes are carefully handled throughout the winemaking process. Fermented in oak barriques and remained on lees for 9mths. Possibly the first still white 100% Pinot Noir to be made in England. M&S £22. Another wine to note from Litmus is Element 20 (Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio) available from Waitrose £16.99.

Low Alcohol Wine

Many people start the year with Dry January, and many wine lovers suggest Try January instead, which is an opportunity to try something you might not normally drink. Others prefer the Drink Less Drink Better motto. I think I will carry on drinking as normal, as I do have to taste a lot of wines to curate amazing yet affordable wine lists for my pop up wine bars, but I have taken this opportunity to try some low alcohol wines, and here are my top choices...

By law, low alcohol wine has up to 11% for whites and up to 12% for reds. So I started with Riesling, which often has a lower alcohol content because the sugars in the wine have not been fully fermented, resulting in a sweeter and lower alcohol wine. The great thing about Reisling is it has high acidity, so even though both these wines are off-dry, the acidity balances them well.

Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett 8% from Waitrose £15.99

Dr L Grey Slate Riesling 10.5% from Waitrose £9.99

Another low alcohol wine, which is a personal favourite of mine, is Oaken Grove Benham Blush at 11%. A great tasting fruity rose. Also available from Waitrose for £11.49, or buy direct for £50 for six bottles.

I also found a fantastic light Sauvignon Blanc from Laithwaites for £12.49 called Stonewall which is only 9.5% (my mum drinks it because she often gets a reaction to wine, but doesn't with this one)

Then I thought I would try a dealcoholised Muscat that was recommended by a wine journalist friend of mine, called Natureo by Torres, which is only 0.5% alcohol and sells for £5.99 at Waitrose. It's not bad tasting, but you can definitely tell its missing the punch from alcohol.

I haven't found any decent red wines that are 12% or less - let me know if you do!

Personally, if I'm going to be drinking wine, I don't want to be restricted by alcohol content, so if I was going to do cut down my alcohol intake, I would go for something completely different, like a savoury soft drink. It's pretty pricey but I love the two Seedlip drinks (Garden or Spice), you mix them with tonic or soda so the gin-looking bottle lasts a long time, and they are delicious savoury soft drinks. Buy from Ocado for £27.99.

English Wine Flight

Top Tips
English wine has come a long way from the tart flabby wines that we used to make, to the 120 awards won at the International Wine Challenge 2016. Now even Taittinger, the French Champagne house, has bought some land in Kent to invest in English Sparkling wine. But it’s not just the sparklers that are outstanding, there are some English still wines that are worth a try, and here are three of them. Marlow (where I have my pop-up wine bar) is lucky to have several vineyards nearby, including Oaken Grove, Harrow & Hope, Chiltern Valley (Old Luxters), and Stanlake Park. Lets support our local producers and buy their wines, some of them are really rather lovely. Be aware that ‘British’ wine is different to ‘English’ wine. English wines are made from grapes that are grown here and then the wine is made here, whereas British wines import the juice to make here.

Chiltern Valley Dry, Reichensteiner, 2015, 11%
The Chiltern Valley Winery is based in Hambleden, between Marlow and Henley-on-Thames. It is open to the public and runs tours of the vineyard. This wine is made with the Reichensteiner grape, which ripens well, so is popular in England. This light and crisp white is refreshing and delicious, particularly if partnered with barbecued fish with a wedge of lime.
Available from Chiltern Valley Winery, Hambleden £11.95

Oaken Grove Benham Blush, Pinot Noir, England, 2014, 12.5%
Oaken Grove is a family-owned vineyard based in Fawley, near Henley-on-Thames. This wine is a
dry rosé made from 100% Pinot Noir. Enticing strawberries and cream on the nose with hints of
apple, peach and cherry cobbler flavour characteristics. Great served with pork chop and green beans.
Available from www.oakengroveyineyard.co.uk or Waitrose £11.49

Litmus, White Pinot Noir, England, 2013, 12.5%
Litmus is produced in the North Downs of Surrey. White Pinot Noir is richer than many white wines
because it’s made with red wine grapes. It has flavours of baked apple and pear, with zesty notes of honey, orange and ginger. A lovely full body with light oak. A great match for prawn tempura or turkey steaks in a creamy sauce.
Available from M&S £22

To find out more about Princess and the Pinot and our pop-up wine bars please visit www.princessandthepinot.com

English Still Wines

English wine has come a long way from the tart flabby wines of old to the 120 awards won at the International Wine Challenge 2016, and now even Tattinger, the French Champagne house, has bought some land in Kent to invest in English Sparkling wine. But its not just the sparklers that are outstanding, here are some English white, red and rose still wines I think are worth a try.

Ranked by price low-high, supermarket retailers shown where available.

Stanlake Park Hinton Grove, Berkshire (£10.49 Stanlake Park)
Although this is an off-dry aromatic wine, it is beautifully balanced so you don't notice the slight sweetness, making it an easy drinking tipple. Soft and interesting, like spotting an unusual butterfly. Made from Madeleine Angevine, Reichensteiner, Schonburger, Wurzer and Ehrenfelser grapes, this is a complex, well structured wine that will go well with Asian dishes like Thai Green Curry. Also Available from Rebellion Brewery in Marlow, Buckinghamshire.

Oaken Grove Benham Blush, Oxfordshire (£11.49 Waitrose or £50 for six if you buy direct)
A dry rose made from 100% Pinot Noir. Enticing strawberries and cream on the nose with hints of apple, peach and cherry cobbler flavour characteristics. Great served with pork chop and green beans. Reminiscent of sitting in an English country garden.

Chiltern Valley Dry, Oxfordshire (£11.95 Old Luxters)
Made with the Reichensteiner grape, this light and crisp white is refreshing and delicious, particularly if partnered with BBQ'd fish with a wedge of lime. Bright and breezy like standing outside on a ferry.

Sharpham Whole Berry Rose, Devon (£14.99 Waitrose)
A pale pink rose with strawberries and cherry blossom aromas. Made from 100% Dornfelder grapes and pressed as whole bunches, resulting in an off-dry wine with summer berries and soft tannins on the palate. Bright, fun and friendly, like a picnic in the park.

LDN Cru Bacchus (£15 London Cru)
Made from 100% Bacchus grapes grown in Kent with the wine made in London. Flavours of elderflower, cut grass and lemon rind, with a lovely mouthfeel from the lees-stirring (batonnage). Complex fleeting floral aromas, like walking through a meadow.

Bolney Estate Pinot Noir, West Sussex (£15.99 Waitrose)
A lightly oaked pinot noir, with medium body, packed with cherries, and a slight coconut aftertaste from the toasty oak. Fragrant and fruity, like walking around a farm shop. Great served with baked Camembert or glazed ham.

Litmus White Pinot, Surrey (£22 M&S)
An intriguing white wine made from red Pinot Noir grapes which results in a dry wine that mixes red and white characteristics, showing both red berry and spice with honey and floral notes. A lovely full body with light oak. A great match for prawn tempura or turkey steaks in a creamy sauce.

Trevibban Mill Black Ewe Red, Cornwall (£33 Trevibban Mill)
A violet colour accompanies forest fruits and star anise on the palate, with a lingering taste of raspberry leaf tea. Comforting and mildly exciting, like picking raspberries in your granny's garden. A complex full-bodied wine with soft tannins made form 100% Pinot Noir.

I ask you to try one (or more!) of the above and let me know what you think.

I will be serving a flight of three English wines at my next pop-up event in Marlow on 2nd and 3rd of June, come and say hello! Email soma@princessandthepinot.com to reserve a table.

To find out more about Princess and the Pinot and our pop-up wine bars please visit www.princessandthepinot.com

English Wine

There is a lot good to say about English wine, its often better than you think it is... but you have to be careful about what you choose and where from. My favourites are Nyetimber, Sharpham, Chapel Down, Camel Valley and Ridgeview. The best of English is sparkling (or Espa as I call it). I had Nyetimber at my wedding, which was a great choice for something different, less alienating than Champagne and has more oomph than prosecco. Try the Classic Cuvee.

About 18 months ago a friend took me to Highdown Estate for a tour of the vineyard and a tasting afterwards. Unfortunately they don't make sparkling so we tried their white, rose and red wines instead. It's a shame that all the wines we tried that year (it was a particularly bad year for sunshine hours, so less ripening of grapes),  which meant less flavour complexity, and high acidity. I had confidence in the winemaker, so bought a not-available (i.e. kept for sale to family members and friends only) bottle of Albert's Reserve Pinot Noir. It was suggested in hush tones that I lay it down for a year to allow the fruit to develop. I did so by placing it at the back of my wine store, and opened it 18 months later. I think I left it too long.

My tasting notes are below, and the right flavours are there for a good pinot noir, but it was past its best and had quite a watery consistency. My suggestion would be to support your local vineyards and try their wines, but be careful about opening them at the right time (try a year after harvest). If you're not a risk-taker,  my suggestion would be to stick to the bigger names (above) and get to know the sparklings. There really are some great English wines, but you have to be willing to experiment. I have two Sharphams in my cupboard, a white and a rose, and I can't wait until the sun is next out to get tasting those. I'll let you know how I get on!

Albert's Reserve Highdown Estate Pinot Noir (can't remember price)
Ruby colour with low intensity.
Low intensity on the nose, clean, with a hay and barnyard aroma.
Low acidity, low tanning, medium alcohol.
Flavours of water - quite a watery consistency and low intensity flavours.
Raspberry, cranberry, damp, wet soil, mushrooms still in the ground, supermarket strawberries.
Would guess it is inexpensive (it wasn't), and past its best.

Quite a shame, its my fault, and would be willing to give it another go... that is, if they sold this to the public at the time it was ready to drink. Not sure I'd be willing to wait another 18 months!

Sharpham Vineyard, Devon UK

I went down to Devon this weekend and had the pleasure of visiting Sharpham. Beautiful Devonshire countryside, a walk by the river Dart and through their vineyard followed by a well-educated tasting. Delightful. As with most English vineyards, the focus was on white wines, but they also make some charming roses.

The most interesting was the Sharpham Whole Berry Rose (Price:0), which is made from the Dornfelder grape that they grow. It is beautiful in colour, it tastes off-dry but has an unusually dry finish, so you're not left with that claggy feeling. It also has no remnants of pot pourri, it is very fruity, with raspberry and strawberries, and has been awarded "best rose in the country" award, which a few years ago wouldn't have amounted to much, but with standards in South England rising rapidly, that actually means something!

I also enjoyed their Summer Red (Price: 1), which has had malolactic fermentation to make the Rondo grape tannins soften, it's light (Sharpham pride themselves on lower alcohol wines), and strangely reminds me of morello cherry yoghurt.

For only £6.95 you get to walk through the delightful vineyards, taste four wines and two cheeses. No need to book but try to get there before the lunch rush. http://www.sharpham.com/