Celebrate St. George’s Day With 8 English Sparkling Wines

What is St. George’s Day?

St George’s Day is on Thursday, 23rd of April 2020

A day to remember England’s patron saint, St George, we celebrate this day on the anniversary of his death, on the 23rd of April.

But who is St George? Not a lot is known about him, but this is what we do know

The Facts

• He was born around the year 280 in Cappadocia, which is now in Turkey.
• He joined the Roman army and rose through the ranks to become the personal guard to Emperor Diocletian.
• He was then later executed for being a Christian on the 23rd of April in the year 303.

The Fiction

• In the town of Silene, a dragon guarded the town’s only water supply.
• The dragon didn’t want to give his water away for free, he wanted sacrifices.
• The town would altogether choose which beautiful girl to sacrifice to the dragon every time they needed water.
• One day, they had no choice but to sacrifice their princess.
• Luckily for the princess, George was passing by that day.
• He then slayed the dragon and gave the people of Silene access to the well.
• He is most famously known for slaying a dragon.

St George’s Day isn’t just celebrated in England, it is also celebrated in Spain, Portugal, Russia, Greece and Canada, just to name a few.

The most famous symbol of St George’s Day is the English Flag, the red cross and the white background, the flag of England is also known as the St George’s Cross, it first became England’s flag in 1190.

England isn’t the only country to bare the St George’s Cross, the maritime Republic of Genoa started using it during the 10th century and still has it as their national flag today, there are also other countries that use their own versions of the St George’s Cross, like Georgia’s flag, which bares 4 extra red crosses in the white boxes.

One more thing to note is that St George’s Day isn’t actually a public holiday, so you still have to go to school or go to work.

Bolney Wine Estate

There is no better time to be celebrating all things English than St George’s Day and Blanc de Blancs 2016, a bottle of high quality English bubbly from Bolney Wine Estate in the heart of rural Sussex is the perfect tipple for such a day.

Here is Sam Linter’s tasting notes, she is MD & Head Wine Maker at Bolney Wine Estate: “A very stylish, single vintage, traditional method, quality sparkling wine. Elegant fruit and hazelnut aromas complement the smooth texture and creamy finish. Gentle fruit and lovely length.”

My Tasting Notes

Aroma – “Creamy green apples on the aroma.”

Taste – “Orchard fruits and baked green apples on the palate.”

If you would like to try a bottle, it is available from www.bolneywineestate.com & www.waitrosecellar.com for only £29.99

A Silver Medal winner in the Light & Fruity Category at The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly Awards 2019.

Woodchurch Wine Estate

Woodchurch Estate was Established in 2009 and is based on the edge of Kent, in the village of Woodchurch, they manage their vines by hand throughout the year to make sure they deliver the best quality English Sparkling Wines.

You can buy one of their Sparkling Wines from their website www.woodchurchwine.co.uk starting at £30.

Tasting Notes

Aroma – “Ripe green apples and pears on the aroma with a hint of citrus.”

Taste – “Sweet citrus flavours with green apples and gooseberry.”

A Bronze Medal winner in the Zesty & Zingy Category at The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly Awards 2019.

Fox & Fox

The Fox & Fox winery started planting vines in 2004, just 1 year after Jonica & Gerard Fox decided they wanted to make sparkling wine. They first started producing their own sparkling wine in 2009 and in 2010 they had to expand to a larger vineyard, they currently have 30 acres.

You can buy one of their Sparkling Wines from their website www.foxandfox.wine starting at £29.

Tasting Notes

Aroma – “Red fruit aromas with lovely spices in the background.”

Taste – “Dark cherries, red rose petals and redcurrant.”

This Sparkling Wine pairs well with most dishes.

The Fox & Fox Midnight 2011 won a Trophy in the Gastronomic Category at The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly Awards 2019.

Raimes

Raimes is a real family run business located in the South Downs National Park in Hampshire. Augusta and Robert are the fifth generation of the family to farm the fields now flourishing with 10 acres of vines.

You can buy one of their Sparkling Wines from their website www.raimes.co.uk starting at £30.

Tasting Notes

Aroma – “Vibrant summer fruits and red berry aromas.”

Taste – “It has a beautiful strawberry flavour and it really is like Summer in a glass.”

This Bottle of Raimes won a Trophy in the Summer Days Category at The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly Awards 2019.

Fitz Sparkling Wine

A Sparkling Wine Made In England but not able to call itself English Sparkling Wine.

Fitz didn’t want to be like the other English Sparkling Wines, they wanted to be different, so they decided to make their fizz using the Charmat Method instead of the Classic Method.

If you want to find out more about this fascinating story, like the origins of their name and the fact they’ve hidden a naughty word on their bottle, you can right here.

You can buy one of their Sparkling Wines from their website www.fitz.wine for only £22.

Tasting Notes

Aroma – “Nutty and yeasty with green grape and white pear purée.”

Taste – “Soft citrus, hazelnut and white floral.”

This Sparkling Wine Made In England won a Silver Medal in the Spring Fling Category at The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly Awards 2019.

Camel Valley Vineyard

An English Sparkling Wine with a great honour, by Command of His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, Camel Valley has been awarded the Royal Warrant, which they proudly show on their bottles.

You can buy one of their Sparkling Wines from their website www.camelvalley.com starting at only £27.95 per bottle.

Tasting Notes

Aroma – “White strawberry, strawberry yoghurt and chewy strawberry sweets with dried raspberry.”

Taste – “A crisp and alive rosé, ideal for that Summer’s day in the park or garden.”

A Gold Medal winner in the Summer Days Category at The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly Awards 2019.

Poulton Hill Estate

Poulton Hill Estate is a small family-run vineyard in the Cotswolds, it is situated in the idyllic Cotswold countryside, near the Roman town of Cirencester and Regency spa town of Cheltenham. It was founded in 2010 and produces limited batches of wine from grapes harvested by hand.

You can buy one of their Sparkling Wines from their website www.poultonhillestate.co.uk starting at £27.99.

Tasting Notes – “Crisp and full of English country garden fruits including gooseberry, green pear and apples.”

A Silver Medal winner in the Zesty & Zingy Category at The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly Awards 2019.

Denbies Wine Estate

Comprising of 627 acres, Denbies Wine Estate is the biggest in England, they have planted vines in 265 acres of their land and they have had two very special visitors, in 1851 Prince Albert visited the estate and then in 1986 Queen Elizabeth II graced them with her presence.

You can buy one of their Sparkling Wines from their website www.denbies.co.uk starting at £16.95.

You can also Visit, Eat, Drink and Stay at Denbies Wine Estate, they have their own on-site hotel, so if you are travelling from far away you won’t have to feel rushed while exploring their vineyards and winery.

Tasting Notes – “Creamy aromas. Floral and light fruit flavours. A pleasing and memorable tasting experience.”

A Silver Medal winner in the Summer Days Category at The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly Awards 2019.