Happy English Wine Week! Now in times gone by, this might not have been much of an occasion but with English fizz’s staggering rise in quality, popularity, and reputation, it is well worth getting out there and enjoying a glass. But where?
Well, for pretty much wherever you’re based, we’ve got a stellar establishment that’s championing fantastic fizz made right here in the rolling fields of England.
VINEYARDS
All over!
Now we’re not revealing anything too shocking here, but the best place to enjoy English sparkling wine is straight from the source, by visiting one of our many superb vineyards putting English fizz on the global stage. Getting up close and personal with the process from grape to glass is a special experience and it helps that they’re in glorious surroundings too. Check out the link below to find the best vineyard tours near you (and if you’re in the South West, you’re spoilt for choice!).
LONDON
Oxeye Restaurant
Whilst it might not the cheapest option to sip on English fizz, Oxeye Restaurant in central London is a stunning establishment built around the very best of British ingredients. English bubbles dominated the huge wine list, from Nyetimber’s luxury Tillington, to Blackbook’s super silky Pinot Noir. When it comes to a premium dining experience to celebrate British food and wine, Oxeye is a treat you’ll never forget.
The George
Sister to the adored Cadogan Arms in Chelsea is The George, inhabiting a site that has hosted a pub since the 18th century. Stylish wherever you look, it’s upstairs that we’re interested in because it’s there that you’ll find it’s very own English Sparkling Wine bar. When the Wine List’s subheadings are, ‘London/Hampshire/Kent/Devon/East Sussex/West Sussex/Costwolds/Dorset’, you know you’ve got a great selection on your hands. If you want insight as you sip, keep your eyes peeled for their regular English wine tastings too!
The Coral Room
This beautiful, opulent bar sits in the heart of Bloomsbury, boasting striking art deco décor and a grand salon-style central bar from which you can order a superb selection of English sparklers. Curated by Master of Wine Anne McHale and sorted by county of origin, there are some 50 bottles to pick from, with house favourite being Ridgeview’s Bloomsbury Cuvee NV. Every style is represented here from award-winning Champagne varieties to quirky grapes you might never have tried, and there’s no better surroundings to sip them in.
MANCHESTER
Salut Wines
Like many others in Manchester, Salut is a wine shop doubling up as a dine-in venue. Slap bang in the city centre, over 400 bottles of wine surrounding you as well as a tapas restaurant, including stunning English Classic Cuvee from both Hambledon and Rathfinny. There’re also tapas if you like, stunning surroundings and all kinds of further afield wines from the familiar to the unusual.
NORFOLK
The White Horse
Coming in at Number 34 in the prestigious Estrella Top 50 Gastropubs list is The White Horse along the stunning marshes of Brancaster Staithe, an area of outstanding natural beauty. Top-notch gastropubs like this now rival swanky restaurants for their wine selections, and The White Horse provide a trio of English stunners from the masters at Nyetimber. Classic Cuvee NV, Rose NV, and Blanc de Blancs all feature, as well as locally made Cobble Hill Bacchus. English fizz and incredible seafood – what a pairing.
CORNWALL
The Idle Rocks
Cornish wine continues to go from strength to strength, and where better to celebrate it than the gorgeous coastal town of St Mawes where boutique hotel and restaurant The Idle Rocks sits. A personification of waterside comfort, the wine list is varied with options from across the globe, but it’s the Cornish and English Sparkling Wine Section that caught our eye. Again, Nyetimber provides tasty options alongside Knightor’s Classic Cuvée Brut and Sugrue’s The Trouble With Dreams. The wine list not only pairs with the dishes on offer but is also entirely sustainable – bravo!
BRIGHTON & HOVE
etch. By Steven Edwards
Winner of MasterChef the Professionals, Steven Edwards’s first restaurant, Etch in Hove showcases English wine’s cream of the crop brilliantly. Stocking wines from all over the South-East, there are dry Whites like Davenoport’s Horsmonden and Tickerage’s Chardonnay, but it’s the sparkling wine section that really celebrates the English Wine Revolution. Nyetimber, Wiston, Ridgeview, Rathfinny, Tickerage, Hoffman & Rathbone, Westwell... if you’re anywhere near Hove then this is the place to be.
If you want to get closer to England’s beautiful wines, then there are some incredible Winery Tours available here! Or, if you’d rather sip at home then these our are recommended bottles!