Thursday Club with Talk Radio: A Pride Special... with Aidy!

Today’s Thursday Club is a little bit different and a little bit special because both Aidy and I are on with Mike Graham and we are celebrating Pride month with a few drinks!

We’ve chosen these companies today because they are all created by members of the LGBTQIA+ community and all of them give back in some way, so are well worth our support. We hope you like them as much as we do. 

Gays Who Wine

Gays Who Wine is a friendly community where the founders run a popup, gay wine bar offering wine tastings and great food pairings in welcoming, judgement-free venues around London, Brighton and Cardiff. While live events are on hold due to you know what, they have been creating some wonderful, at-home experiences. It’s more than a shop, it’s a whole community. Today, we’re test driving one of their monthly, ‘at home’ hampers, which comes with a couple of bottles of wine, cheese bread and snacks. Today’s wine is a South African, Pinotage (that’s the grape) rosé. It’s packed with ripe strawberry and melon fruit with a beautiful, biltong-esque bite.

10% of the profits go back to LGBTQ+ charities. Find their hampers, beers, wine cases and a whole new community at www.gayswhowine.com

LuvJus (4.8% ABV)

The hard seltzers in super smart cans are all-natural, low sugar low alcoholic craft-pop drinks. They currently come in two flavours: The yellow one, which is Pineapple, Mint, Korean Ginseng, Jasmine & Vodka and the red one, which is Blood Orange, Pomegranate, Korean Ginseng & Vodka. It all started back in 2016, when housemates George and Owen set off for their first international Pride experience and discovered a true celebration of a huge, new community. The wanted a way to bottle the experience having had the time of their lives, but not finding anything they wanted to drink amidst the sugary, expensive, unhealthy options and corporate brands jumping on the Pride bandwagon, so they spent the day discussing their ‘perfect' drink and came up with this. In keeping with the supportive nature of everything they encountered during that first Pride, a proportion of the LuvJus profits support LGBTQ+ charities and initiatives. It has also become a social platform for the community.

Find it at Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, Amazon and their website £19.95 for 6 cans.

Ciroc Vodka

Celebrate Pride month with this exclusive hunapologetic Philip Normal x INKD CÎROC design. For the month of June, INKD will donating £5 from every bottle sold to the Albert Kennedy Trust, a charity working to tackle homelessness in the LGBTQ+ community. Each bottle sold in June will also get an exclusive free Philip Normal tote bag featuring the text “It’s vodka hun”!

Philip Normal is famous for his bold, characterful statements which he integrates into colourful designs. Inspired by the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community, this bold bottle is a true celebration of self-acceptance.  Choose from a variety of CÎROC flavor's and add your own message to make this exclusive Philip Normal bottle your own.

Get it here for £45

Chambord Liqueur

Yep, it’s the world’s favourite raspberry liqueur and with their brand new PRIDE edition they’re giving back to the community! A portion of proceeds from ever sale will go straight back to the Stonewall charity.

The sumptuous spirit starts its life as an infusion of juices from blackberries, raspberries and blackcurrants. They intertwine with a variety of fine French spirits over six weeks before being gently pressed.

Finally, this berry infusion is blended with all-natural black raspberries flavours as well as with a combination of exquisite XO Cognac, Madagascan vanilla, Moroccan citrus peel and delicate honey. Et voila!

The normal edition is available on Amazon and in Tesco for £23.99 for 70cl and the Pride edition is out in July!

Want to discover more LGBTQ+ led drinks brands? Check out this article.

Great Gifts for Father's Day

Father’s Day is nearly upon us and it’s highly unlikely he will genuinely want new pants and socks, or so we have been told! So, this year, give him something special just for him - though he may even share it with you if you’re good! Here’s our pick of special boozes and other thoughtful items. There’s something for every budget.

Red Wine

Bodyguard 2017 from Daou Vineyards, Paso Robles, California

For when only a full-bodied, velvety red will do. This stunning looking bottle wrapped in a large, Gustav Klimt-esque label with gold foiling looks as good as it tastes. A powerful blend of 60% Petit Verdot and 40% Syrah, it has a bit of everything you want in a fine, red wine from juicy cassis, raspberry and cherry fruit to notes of warm, cooking spice, truffle and cocoa with a waft of freshly crushed herbs and tobacco leaf in for good measure. It’s big and brooding - a winner with steak or simply alone in the man cave with a good book.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 14.7%
Find here: UK From £45 // US $33.08

Champagne

Bollinger PN VZ16

A very special, brand new iteration of James Bond’s favourite fizz, the PN VZ16 is made exclusively from Pinot Noir from Verzenay in Champagne and the house describes it as “an inimitable vision of an iconic grape variety”. The base for the wine is the fantastic 2016 vintage with older, reserve wines, the oldest of which being 2006. The PN collection was created to celebrate all the unique expressions Pinot Noir can give and this is the second in the range. Think red apple skin with tangy notes of rhubarb, plum and pear, hints of tropical fruit, a cool saline core and a pleasing, nuttiness on the finish. A simply stunning wine that’s drinking now or will keep. Very smart packaging too!

Size: 750ml
Find here: £80

Rum

Eminente Reserve Rum Aged 7 Years

This fabulous new rum from central Cuba has been made using 100% sugar cane and aged for seven years in white, ex-whisky, oak barrels. It’s extraordinary in that it manages to harness the freshness of a traditional Cuban white, light rum with the subtle complexity of a more aged one. We love it for its spicy notes of pepper and ginger, which mingle seamlessly with fresh cherry and plum flavours and quirky notes of tobacco, cocoa and coffee bean. Glorious neat, over ice, with simple mixers or even in cocktails. 

Size: 700ml
ABV: 41.3%
Find here: £43.95

Tequila

Pancho Datos Reposado Tequila

If dads need to be a bit more ‘reposado’, then a bottle of top end, sipping tequila could be the answer. This is a 100% agave reposado that has been ‘rested’ for six months in white oak barrels that previously held bourbon whiskey. There will be no shotting this with lime and salt though, please! Think creamy vanilla fudge notes here with a classic earthiness from the agave itself and a lovely salinity that keeps it fresh. Have it alone over ice or it makes a banging Paloma Reposado! (1 part tequila to 3 parts pink grapefruit soda, lime or grapefruit garnish). The name Pancho Datos by the way, celebrates the work of historian and poet Ricardo Grijalva de León who made his name during the Mexican Revolution in 1910. 

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £49.95

Irish Whiskey

Bushmills 21 Year Old, Triple Distilled, Rare whiskey

For a sipping whiskey that will knock anyone’s socks off, this 21 year old, blended, Irish superstar from the whiskey gem in Northern Ireland’s crown is hard to beat. With 19 years spent in oloroso sherry and bourbon-seasoned casks, it then spends a further two years in madeira casks. The result is a silky smooth and unctuous spirit with enormous depth of flavour. Every sip will offer something new, from fruit cake, to cocoa, chocolate, raisins, hazelnut and caramel. Just, wow. 

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £159.90 // US $268.79

Scotch Whisky

Spirit of Art Whisky Range by Distillers Art

If your father is a fan of Scotch and beautiful landscapes, this spirited gift combines the two beautifully. Like us, the company believes that Scotch whisky, like wine, is synonymous first and foremost with the place it comes from, from the soil and aspect to the barley, the water… everything. What Distillers Art do is look at the character of an area and commission an artist to create a limited edition, signed print to go with it, which comes with the whisky (inside the tube, so frame is not included). We just adore this concept of where art meets spirits. Choose from the stunning landscapes of the Spey, Ben Rinnes hill, Islay and more with famous whisky names such as Clynelish, Caol Ila and Craigellachie.

Size: 700ml
ABV: From 53%
Find here: From £130

English Whisky

Masthouse Column Malt Whisky from Copper Rivet

Hailing from Copper Rivet Distillery in Kent, this limited-edition whisky is only the second in their Masthouse range. It’s also the first column still single malt ever to be released by a British distillery (Scotch whisky must be produced in a pot still) and is made with Belgravia barley malt, which is grown locally on the Isle of Sheppey. Unfiltered and matured in first and second-fill ex-bourbon casks, what you get is a lighter style of whisky with appealing notes of caramel, banana and baked apple pie up front with creamy, orchard fruit flavours on the palate. It’s fresh and perky and each bottle comes with a copy of Copper Rivet’s own Invicta whisky charter.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 45%
Find here: £44.95

Shanky’s Whip Black Liqueur & Whiskey Blend

A quirky, retro one in looks this. Thoroughly Irish, Shanky’s Whip is a sweet and creamy liqueur made from a blend of black Irish whiskey and other Irish spirits blended with natural vanilla and cream flavours before being infused with caramel. The box is inspired by the look of vintage Irish matchboxes and features fantastical Irish jockey, ‘Shanky’ who was the wild boy of racing. His character was known for being one that always one bucked the trends and once, when thrown from his horse, he returned to a race with an ostrich, a cart and a whip. Naturally! Lots of fun and there are many ways to drink it. 

Size: 700ml
ABV: 33%
Find here: £23.95

No-Lo

OTO CBD Cocktail Bitters

We’ve tried and tested this (non-alcoholic) product over time and can honestly say that it works and is fabulous. Not only does it add an intriguing, warm and spiced flavour to cocktails with its extracts of licorice, cacao and lemongrass, but we’ve also had it in a our morning decaf latte and mixed it with a little warm water at night, so it’s wonderfully versatile. CBD in the right quantities can melt away anxiety in a way that does not make you feel anything specifically; it’s more about the bad stuff that it makes you stop feeling. Just add 4 dashes to your drink of choice and there you are. 

Size: 100ml
CBD: 1800mg
Find here: Currently £63.20 on offer (usually £79)

Juke Cordialities

Created by well-known wine writer Matthew Jukes, Jukes Cordialities are a very swish looking, intriguing take on non-alcoholic wine, so we expected these to be good! Made using fruit, vegetables, fresh and dried herbs, spices and flowers with a backbone of fine, organic apple cider vinegar, these are complex, interesting and very tasty non-alcoholic drinks that actually mimic the complexities of wine very well, while offering some intriguing, new flavour profiles. Naturally made, these are ultra low calorie, unfiltered and unfined without any manipulative techniques so they can also throw a small sediment. Quirky, beautifully packaged and worth a go if dad is trying to moderate. The gift box includes 9 small bottles, enough for around 15-18 glasses. 

Size: 9 x 30ml bottles
Find here: £35

Cool Stuff

The Checkin Journal

With Father’s Day coming at the end of Men's Health Week (June 15th - 22nd), we wanted to highlight a thoughtful gift to help men become more aware of their thoughts and feelings with an eye to improving their mental health. This simple, beautiful journal does this with its space for daily checkins. It’s a collaboration between MAL Paper and Matt Johnson, a Mind Ambassador and TV Presenter with the express aim, as Matt says, “to help the user connect with their emotions in an unapologetic way, without fear of judgment.” It’s simple and incredibly effective. Even better, for every journal sold, Mål Paper donates £2 to Mind Charity.

Find here: £21.95

Glencairn Whisky Pipette

After hundreds of requests from fans of their iconic Glencairn whisky glass, Glencairn have released their very own whisky pipette to go with it. The perfect length for the glass, this pipette is made from hand-blown glass and holds the ideal amount of water to help moderate flow (1ml).  It also has a very sweet little mini glass to weight the top. For £6, it’s a bit of a no-brainer and it is also available to buy as a set with a Glencairn Glass or a jug.

Find here: £6

CBD gummies by Cold Pressed

The one for stressed out dads who need to take some time for themselves. These cute and tasty gummies by British CBD brand Cold Pressed are made using a cold-pressed extraction method to retain the organic goodness of the CBD. 100% natural ingredients, vegan and with 10mg of cannabidiol in every gummy, these bonbons with benefits are available in strawberry, grape, apple, grapefruit and pineapple flavours. The CBD extraction process they used is brand new to the UK and ensures that all of the added benefits such as vitamins, omegas, nutrients and phytonutrients remain within the extract.

Size: 30 gummies per jar
CBD: 10mg per gummie
Find here: £6.99 per jar

Not found what you were looking for here? Fear not! We have plenty of other suggestions for great wine, spirits, beer and no-lo for you to check out too.

Thursday Club with Talk Radio: Top Wines from Morrisons

It’s Thirsty Thursday and that means time for the Thursday Club with talkRADIO! This week, we continue the supermarket theme and taste three wines that impressed me from Morrisons. Two whites and red. Have you heard of any of these?

Morrisons ‘The Best’ Rioja Blanco

White Rioja is a totally different animal to red Rioja, even though it is made in the same region.  While the reds are based largely or entirely on the Tempranillo grape, white Rioja is all about white grapes, especially one called Viura, which has to make up at least 51% of the blend. Other local white grapes can be added too, such as  Malvasía de Rioja, Garnacha Blanca, Tempranillo Blanco, Maturana Blanca, Turruntés de Rioja, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Verdejo. The style of these can be light or heavy and there is often a bit of oak involved. They have age statements too like the reds, from Joven, which means young, up to Gran Reserva, which will be released after a minimum of 48 months. This one is fairly young and has a good balance of ripe fruit, oak and texture. 

Find it here for £7.75

Masseria Pietrosa Verdeca 

We’ve talked previously about how Italy has some really interesting and brilliant value grape varieties, so here’s another one for you: Verdeca. It’s fairly rare, comes largely from Puglia and Emiglia-Romana and tends to be aromatic with herbal notes and ripe, citrussy flavours with a mineral core. It’s often used in blends from smaller DOCS around Southern Italy, so it’s interesting to see it here as a varietal wine (With just one grape on the label). Masseria Pietrosa means old stone farmhouse and refers to the famous trulli houses in the area. 

Find it here for £7

Morrisons ‘The Best’ Barolo 2017

Barolo is the famous Italian wine hailing from Piedmont in the North and made with the Nebbiolo grape. It’s often a bit of a surprise as it often looks pale and delicate and has pretty, aromatic notes of rose petals and violet but then get it in your mouth and it’s hugely powerful and full-bodied. Think tar and roses, truffle and marzipan. Needs time open and an amazing meat stew. This one won a gold in the recent International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC). 

Find it here for £14

Is This the Future of Wine Tastings?

Like pretty much everything over the past year, wine tastings have gone virtual. And while these have made for some fun nights in – knocking back bottles while winemakers give their spiel on Zoom – in most cases it’s felt like a temporary replacement until we can all get together again and do things ‘properly’.

New brand VIVANT is looking to change all that. This is the first truly digital-forward wine tasting platform we’ve tried and actually, it turns being online into a benefit.

Here’s how it works: For an annual fee (£149, following a one-month free trial) you can join unlimited themed online sessions, though you’ll have to pay extra for tasting samples, generally suitable for two people (price point varies, but around £50 as these are premium wines). The sessions, which are run live by wine ‘advisors’, teach you to taste the wines and include videos from winemakers themselves. The best bit? They’re interactive – as you go, ask questions, answer quiz questions and get feedback on your tasting notes. It’s great if you’re looking to properly learn more about how to analyse what’s in your glass.

Founded by the owner of Burgundy’s Château de Pommard, Michael Baum, VIVANT is, like the château itself, big on sustainability, and promotes producers that are chemical-free and minimal intervention. On our 45-minute tasting called ‘A Sea of Pinot Noir in the Côte de Nuits’, we sampled silky reds from Domaine Antoine Lienhardt and Domaine Rossignol-Trapet (the latter’s Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru was seriously tasty). Even though it was pitched at an advanced level, we thought it would still be accessible for relative newbies – anyone with an interest in wine would get something out of it.  

Most experiences currently involve French producers and given that samples are shipped from the continent, you’ll need to order well in advance to ensure a timely arrival. Double-check the time you’ve booked, too – catering to audiences in different countries, sessions run anytime from weekday lunch breaks up to 11pm on a Saturday night.

You can find out more about Vivant here and if you would like a list of other companies doing online wine or spirits tastings then make sure to have a look through our Companies Running Virtual Wine & Spirits Tastings guide!

6 Stunning Rose Wines For The Summer

As if we needed another excuse to drink more pink, it’s International Rosé Day on June 12th! As luck would have it, we’ve been bathing in the stuff all year already, so are well placed to recommend a few pretty pinks from around the world. You are welcome!

The Hidden Sea Rosé, Australia 2021

A gloriously unpretentious pink packed full of ripe fruit thanks to the blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and some good old Australian sun. What a mix! Even better, for every case of wine they sell, they pay to remove and recycle the equivalent of 60 x 500ml single-use plastic bottles from rivers and oceans. I mean, what better reason do you need to drink pink?

Find it at Sainsbury’s £9 here

Marius Rosé, Chapoutier, Pays d’Oc, France 2019

Marius takes us over to the South of France where this perky little number comes packed with refreshing notes of fruit salad, from white peach and strawberry to a touch of the tropics. Very easy drinking but elegant with it, from top producer, M. Chapoutier. 

Find it at Simply Wines Direct for £7.99 on offer! (usually £9.80)

Babylonstoren Mourvedre Rosé, Simonsberg, South Africa 2021

This South African pink made with the Mourvedre grape took me by surprise with its incredibly voluminous body and silky texture. Everything about this wine is perfectly together from its ripe peach and spicy notes to its refreshing, saline finish. Just gorgeous!

Find it a Wanderlust Wine for £14.90 

Maison No. 9 by Post Malone, Rosé, Pays d’Oc, France 2020

Created by famously tattooed musician Post Malone and named after his favourite tarot card, (we all have them, right?).  Maison No.9 brings together Post Malone’s love for the Mediterrnean lifestyle with his own unique style and messaging about overcoming challenges. The wine itself from the South of France is understated and elegant with notes of pineapple, peach and citrus. You’ll want to keep the bottle too as a piece of art. Available in larger formats too!

Find it at The Wine Caverns for £18.99. Coming to Tesco soon too. 

AIX Rosé Coteaux d'Aix en Provence

AIX is the failsafe rosé wine from Provence which, with every vintage, manages to bring to the bottle what we have all come to expect from the world famous region: Pale colour, super dry, saline twist and a hint of strawberries and cream. Definitely one for the parties too as it comes in ALL THe SIZES! Have fun. 

Find it in magnum from Majestic for £27.99 (mix six price)

Gusbourne Pinot Noir Rosé, Kent, England, 2020

We couldn’t do pink without looking at England and shining a light on the fabulous wines we make nowadays (not that we can take the credit!). We’re proper fangirls and boys of Gusbourne as you know and this, their limited edition pink is particularly special. Made with 100% Pinot Noir, it’s crisp and elegant with notes of wild flowers, crunchy cherry and orange citrus peel. Just so pretty and every so slightly quirky in the best, most English of ways. 

Find it at Gusbourne.com here for £25

Want some more recommendations? Check out our recent piece on English wines, some of the best cocktail terraces in London or even the best canned wines for summer picnics!

Thursday Club with Talk Radio: Waitrose Summer Whites

Carrying on our supermarket theme for the Thursday Club on Talk radio, we look at Waitrose this week with some pretty, summer whites! How much do you know about Vinho Verde? Have you ever had Grillo when on holiday in Sicily and how about the italian grape Vermentino, but made in Australia? Here are four slightly different whites for summer that are great value for picnics, barbecues and glugging in the garden.

Waitrose Blueprint Vinho Verde

Waitrose Blueprint is their own label, produced to give classic examples of regions and styles. Their Vinho Verde from the north-west corner of Portugal is crisp, zesty and lightly aromatic, with notes of citrus and apple. There’s a little spriitz too and it’s not so high in alcohol, so perfect for hot summer nights and great with salads and seafood, especially grilled fish.

Find it here for £6.99

Vermentino, Berton Vineyard

The Aussies love Italian and French grapes and this Vermentino comes from vineyards in the South East of Australia, which suits it well as it keeps its cool acidity even in the warm sun. Pale lemon colour , it has a vibrant nose of tropical fruit and lemon rind, with a waxy, weighty body reminiscent of apple pie.

Find it here for £7.99

Grillo, Stemmari

Grillo is a grape famous in Socily that makes inexpensive, but delicious sunshine wines oozing with notes of fresh orange and pineapple, mango and jasmine, with a cool, saline freshness. Always a bargain and a great crowd pleaser, particularly with anything grilled on the barbie, especially prawns and white fish.

Find it here for £8.99

Waitrose Sauternes 2013

Made by the famous house Chateau Suduiraut in the French region of Sauternes, just below Bordeaux proper, this famously sweet wine is unctuously rich with notes of marzipan, marmalade, apricot jam and zesty lemon citrus. A fabulous match for blue cheese, you could also try this over crushed ice with an orange wheel and sprig of mint!

Find this in half bottles here for £16.99

Tune into talkRADIO every Thursday to join Helena and Mike Graham as part of the Thursday Club. You can now watch live too!

Sencha Tea Sour

As made by Aidy in The Bring a Bottle Podcast Episode 46 this fancy cocktail has some slightly more unusual ingredients but it’s a doddle to make and tastes divine! Cheers!

Ingredients

45ml Glenturret 10YO Peated
45ml Sencha summer fruit tea (fancy kind of sencha tea)
25ml Red Verjus (pressed juice of unripened grapes)
15ml Lime syrup
20ml Egg white

Method

Add all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker and give it a dry shake (a shake with no ice) before then carefully adding ice to give it a wet shake. Strain into a champagne flute and enjoy!

Liked this? Then you may also like The Crabbie’s Colada or The Jura Sunset!

The Best English Wines To Try This Summer

June has become a time where English wine is celebrated in all its glory here in the UK and as we gradually creep out of lockdown, there are even more reasons to celebrate it as many wineries open their doors for tastings, lunches, dinners and events. Don’t forget; English Wine Week also falls on the 19th - 27th June this year, so why not support the industry and celebrate by cracking one of these fantastic bottles - all from producers you really need to know. 

STILL

Bolney Estate Chardonnay 2020 (West Sussex)

Bolney Wine Estate in West Sussex is becoming well known both for its fantastic wines covering just about every style as well as for its status as an enviable wine tourism destination, thanks to its tasting tours, restaurant and experiences. Their still Chardonnay 2020 is a limited edition that shows off both crispness and texture, combining notes of lemon peel, apricot, lightly toasted brioche, baked peach and honeysuckle. It reminds us of a Premier Cru Chablis, but with a beautiful, British accent.

Find here: £24.99

Denbies Pinot Noir 2018 (Dorking, Surrey)

Planted in 1986, Denbies is one of the largest wine estates in the country and was one of the first on the wine tourism scene with its vineyard hotel and restaurants. Mostly famous for its sparkling wines, this still Pinot Noir is only made in exceptional years when the grapes are perfectly ripe. They get the proper French oak treatment for 17 months, no less. It’s really gorgeous, with enticing notes of dark cherry, cocoa and a waft of vanilla bean, plus a silky, elegant raspberry milk chocolate palate.

Find here: £22.50

BRUT SPARKLING

‘Brut’ is simply the French word for ‘dry’ in the world of sparkling wine. You will see it on sparkling wines from all around the world including Prosecco and English fizz. Here are two you need to try. 

Rathfinny Brut 2017 (South Downs, Sussex)

Rathfinny is rapidly establishing itself as a leading light for Sussex sparkling thanks to its incredible location on a south-facing slope in the South Downs. Here, the climate, chalk soil and aspect make it ideal for producing grapes for fizz. The Brut 2017 is a blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay and has a quintessentially English note of tangy apple skin and lightly baked brioche. Lovely chalky texture too. 

Find here: £29.50

Exton Park Reserve Blend 32 Brut (South Downs, Hampshire)

Exton park is a 60-acre single vineyard located in the South Downs National Park divided into nine separate plots according to terroir and aspect. Since 2011, winemaker Corinne Seely has kept an extensive library of reserve wines in order to create what she describes as an ‘English Bollinger’, where most of the blend (80%) is made up of reserve wines rather than the base from the most recent vintage. This Brut is 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, has had 3 years on lees and uses 32 different reserve wines. Expect notes of apple pie, a golden weight and a cool, mineral core. Weighty and serious.

Find here: £39

BLANC DE BLANCS

Translated literally from the French, blanc de blancs means ‘white from white’, i.e. white wine made from white grapes. With Champagne, this always means 100% Chardonnay as it will also do for English Sparkling wine and many other fizzes from around the world, but not all of them. It’s a style known for making great food matches, especially with the likes of fish and seafood, from lobster and fish and chips, to sashimi and even cheese.

Rathfinny Blanc de Blancs 2017 (Alfriston, Sussex)

The 100% Chardonnay offering from ravishing Rathfinny down in Sussex, is a limited production of only 9,333 bottles, each aged for 36-months on the lees to give it a glorious, golden colour, a creamy weight and complex flavours of tropical fruit, white peach, blossom and a squeeze of lime. A serious wine that’s light on its feet, giving any blanc de blanc Champagne a run for its money. 

Find here: £39.50

Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs 2016 (Appledore, Kent)

Gusbourne is another need-to-know name in English wine as it continues to win just about every award going. 2016 was an exceptional year in England with all that sunshine and this resulting fizz from grapes grown in Appledore in Kent offers a heady mix of flavours taking in ripe citrus, pear and orange peel with subtle, toasty notes and a moreish salinity on the finish. Very elegant. We love it.

Find here: £59

SPARKLING ROSE

Langham Rosé 2017 (Dorchester, Dorset)

This elegant beauty from Dorset was the only pink English sparkling wine to be awarded a Gold Medal in this year's International Wine & Spirits Competition (the IWSC). Made with 54% Pinot Noir, 23% Pinot Meunier and 23% Chardonnay, it’s pale and pretty with a nose of fine strawberry tart decorated with other ripe, red fruits. Refreshing, pure and perfumed. Lovely!

Find here: £29.90

Exton Park Reserve Blend Rosé

Another in the Reserve Blend (RB) range, the Exton Park pink is extraordinary. Made with 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Pinot Meunier using 23 reserve wines and 3 years on the lees to give weight and complexity, this is a rich and textured pink that’s dry and savoury with notes of dried rose petal, peach and a hint of spice. Allow it to open up in your glass over time and you’ll be treated to a flavours that change subtly with every sip. 

Find here: £39

Roebuck Estates Rosé de Noirs (Petworth, Sussex)

Roebuck is a relatively new kid on the sparkling wine block and it arrived with a bang, winning a tonne of awards for its inaugural release. This is their first ever rosé, made with 100% Pinot Noir grapes from their stunning Roman Villa vineyard. With a delicate, rose petal hue, this is a classy, elegant wine with notes of red apple, hawthorn, cranberry and soft brioche. A lovely pink with its own personality and it has just won the trophy at the IWC this year!

Find here: £40

Hambledon Première Cuvée Rosé (Hambledon, Hampshire)

And now for something completely different; a very dark rosé made from 100% Pinot Meunier. This savoury fizz is full in body and flavour with notes of smoky strawberry, tobacco leaf and even a touch of grilled meat. With a fabulous texture and no added sweetness, this a great food wine and certainly one for a meaty barbecue in the sunshine. Hambledon established themselves early on as one of England’s top wine producers. Definitely a name to watch. 

Find here: £69.50

DEMI-SEC

Charles Palmer Demi Sec 2014 (Winchelsea, East Sussex)

When you want an elegant fizz with a lighter pudding or even a salty cheese, the Charles Palmer demi-sec has a little sweetness and a lot of personality. With 5 years spent on lees giving it those toasty, brioche notes, this Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blend has got a good amount of age in its too, which adds to the complex and fruity flavour profile. Think apricot, apple and peach compote under a delicate crumble. It’s amazing with pavlova. The palace is also worth a visit and they have rooms! Ideal for after that long tasting tour when you forgot to spit...

Find here: £26

Want to know more about English wines? Check out this piece on The Best UK Vineyard Stays.