‘British Fizz’ – Official Name for English Sparkling Wine?

English sparkling wine has finally hit the big apple and it seems the Americans have quickly come up with their own name for the drink, endearingly called ‘British Fizz’.

Could this become the new protected name for the UK’s bubbly?

Wine producers have been debating a catchy new name for the industry since the rise of its popularity, with ideas such as ‘Bubbleigh’, ‘Britagne’, ‘Albion’ and ‘Merret’ being suggested, but none managing to catch on.

However, if British Fizz catches on, it could gain PDO (protected designation of origin) status.

The problem is that currently the name British sparkling wine on a bottle only means the wine is fermented and bottled in Britain, but from cheap grape juice, grown abroad. The final product is, in quality terms as well as price, at the bottom of the market. English wine and Welsh wine, however are cultivated on vineyards here in Britain, where temperate conditions and fertile soils produce a crop rivalling Champagne.

English producers are now seeking to amend current EU regulation, which would strip British producers of their status and allow English and Welsh wines to use the British hallmark instead.