The winter is here once again, it’s that time of year to enjoy the forthcoming winter holidays as well as the festive and New Year period. The exquisite way to warm your heart while the chill is through a nice glass of refreshing wine whilst sat inside by the fire. While the area east Sussex can’t always offer the warmth of a fire, it does possess among the most unabridged ranges of wine in the country.
The yield of wine in England’s vineyards has come along way in the last 20 years and many have won coveted wine accolades and awards. The South East of England is now home to many of the country’s top wine producers and, with East Sussex and the neighbouring county of Kent boasting a largest portion of England’s finest producers.
Wines
Vineyards in the South East, in single those within the South Down’s have a single benefit over many others in the country, especially when it comes to producing English bubbly.
This is in general due to the unique type of soil composition found in this areas’ terrain, which happens to have a very similar chalky soil composition to that of the famed French region of Champagne, predominant for its sparkling wine production. Subsequently the rise in potential sparkling wines from English vineyards has dramatically risen in the last 10 years, which means they now offer both potential and value to consumers.
With this in mind if you are seeing for some extra sparkling wine or champagne for the festive season here is a brief choice of some of the best found in East Sussex. First is the highly regarded Ridgeview Vineyard at Burgess Hill, known for its exquisite range of sparkling wines. The sparkling wines from Ridgeview have all been produced using the three customary Champagne grapes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Menuier and using the customary “methode champenoise” (or champagne method) where the wines are fermented in the bottle.
Next is the Carr-Taylor vineyard at Hastings, also gift award-winning wines which are well worth trying, as they narrate a good introduction to potential English sparkling wine. The Carr-Taylor vineyard were one of the first to produce sparkling wines in the Uk and currently offer an array of bubbly, which includes one Rosé sparkling wine and all produced using the ‘traditional method’.
The other predominant vineyard in East Sussex that produces great English sparkling wines is the “Breaky lowest vineyard” just face the historical town of Lewes. Like the other vineyards mentioned Breaky lowest uses the ‘traditional method’ for bottle fermentation and extended bottle maturation, giving their wines an elegant feel and subtle taste. These wines have also won complicated awards and offer a predominant way to toast in the Christmas holidays and the New Year.
A Guide to English Vineyards and Festive Wines From East Sussex
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