English Sparkling Wine Food Pairings

Enogastronomy = The Art Of Knowing How To Pair Wine With Food

Making the connection between wine and food has for a long time been just a passion of wine and food lovers, but in recent years this art, or skill, for pairing wine with food has grown exponentially.

Enogastronomy gained its popularity thanks to Instagram Influencers and innovation from both wineries and restaurants, it takes part of the skills of a Sommelier and expands it into a new league of its own, thanks to this, it has become a viable career path taking a vast amount of knowledge and experience to become one of the greatest.

Focusing solely on the pairing combination between a glass of bubbly or a glass of wine with different cuisines, dishes and meals, helping you find the perfect Sparkling Wine or Wine to enjoy with your starter, your main and your dessert, either suggesting a new bottle with each dish or finding that perfect balance to harmonize throughout the entire dining experience.

As you may be aware, Sparkling Wine has varying levels of residual sugar, which for the skilled Enogastronomic, is one way that helps them identify the correct Sparkling Wine to pair with your meal.

• Brut Nature – 0 to 3g/l of residual sugar
• Extra Brut – up to 6g/l of residual sugar
• Brut  – up to 12g/l of residual sugar
• Extra Dry –  12 to 17g/l of residual sugar
• Dry (Sec/Secco) – 17 to 32g/l of residual sugar
• Semi-Secco (Demi-Sec) – up to 50g/l residual sugar

Then you have the tannin levels in red wines, the pink/red touch of a Rosé or the varying styles of white, from France to Germany and from Australia to California, including the more than 10,000 different grape varieties, this isn’t even touching on the food side of the equation, from the cut of the meat, the seasoning, the herbs, spices, sauces, from the sea, to the land, to the sky, that’s why you’ll likely find it easier to get into Enogastronomy with a history as a Sommelier, Winemaker or Chef, as part of the knowledge and experience already exists within, but there are many influencers, especially on Instagram and TikTok, that are picking up the required skills and knowledge through experience alone, with no qualifications behind them.

Now that you know a little about Enogastronomy, let’s discover a little about one of England’s finest Sparkling Wine producers, Fox & Fox Mayfield in Sussex.

The English Sparkling Wine

Jonica Fox and her husband Gerard Fox planted their first vine in 2004, it was Gerard who inspired Jonica to get into the fizz business after he tasted some English Sparkling Wine at an event in London in 2003 and by 2009 they had started producing their own Sparkling Wine. They currently own 30 acres and grow the following grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

As well as offering enjoyable Sparkling Wine, Fox & Fox also offer bespoke wine tastings, either hosted by Jonica or Gerard, it’s perfect for any group of friends, birthday parties, or work socials, if you would like to find out more, just click here.

If you like the sound of this English Sparkling Wine, then you can check out more of their history and their Sparkling Wines in this article: Fox & Fox – Award Winning English Sparkling Wine

What Has Been Your Hardest Obstacle To Overcome In Producing English Sparkling Wine?

“Actually – it’s finding time to do everything. I love all aspects of our lives as vine growers and wine producers but am a bit obsessive about doing things to the very best of our abilities, I need longer days to cram it all in.” – Jonica Fox

Read about the marvellous lady herself, in her own words, as Glass of Bubbly Interviews Jonica Fox from Fox & Fox Mayfield

The Food Pairings

A lunchtime plateau of cheese and meats is a divine beauty to the palate, and incorporating egg mayonnaise, crackers a bit of salad, gifts you an enjoyable and healthy meal for lunch, but to perfect any plateau, a bottle of English Bubbly should be relished alongside, and what better than Fox & Fox’s limited edition ‘The Elizabethan’.

Fox & Fox Mayfield – The Elizabethan Won a Gold Medal in the Meditation Category at the Glass of Bubbly Awards 2022.

Fox & Fox Mayfield – The Elizabethan – Tasting Notes

Aroma – “Wonderful, elegant aromas of pastry, shortbread, croissants, brioche, biscuits, green apples and apple pie, all joining in unity.”

Flavour – “The flavours take a trip around the palate with lovely smooth floral notes, nice citrus, yeasty, pastry, and so much more to explore.”

Did you ever have the honour of meeting the Queen? – “I was lucky enough to have (very briefly) met the Queen at a Buckingham Palace garden party about ten years ago.” – Jonica Fox

Boiling some eggs and chopping up a little salad for lunch is a classic for the English, and now that English Sparkling Wine has burst into the scene with such amazing quality, English Bubbly will be popping more and more in the years to come as the production and quality continue to increase.

Fox & Fox Mayfield – Essence 2015 Won a Gold Medal in the Gastronomic Category at the Glass of Bubbly Awards 2022, chosen for its great qualities in pairing with different dishes.

Fox & Fox Mayfield – Essence 2015 – Tasting Notes

Aroma – “Pastries, brioche, biscuits, shortbread, and toasty notes on the aroma.”

Flavour – “Silky butter and creamy notes with pastry, brioche, biscuits and toast, along with nuttiness and a lemony toasty/brioche finish.”

The Chairman’s Vat or ‘C.V.’ is Gerard Fox’s take on English Sparkling Wine, his own personal blend.

Grilled fish on toast with a display of red onions, prawns, gherkins and salad, creating a gourmet meal out of simple ingredients at home isn’t too much of a challenge, it takes some inspiration, repetition and dedication, the Chairman’s Vat (C.V.) is a fine partner to this dish.

Fox & Fox Mayfield – Chairman’s VAT (C.V.) Won a Gold Medal in the Pastries Delight Category at the Glass of Bubbly Awards 2022, and also took home the Michael Edwards Award.

Fox & Fox Mayfield – C.V. 2014 – Tasting Notes

Aroma – “Crisp cooking apples, ready salted crisps, hints of floral and dry cheese, finishing with white blossom and peach skin aromas.”

Flavour – “Smooth and crisp green apple juice, zesty green fruits, with hints of honey on the palate.”

A Salmon Bagel and display of Creamy Cheeses, along with some sugar snap peas, served on a wooden board with a Glass of English Sparkling Wine, which will help enhance the creamy cheese characters and cut through the oily texture of the salmon, a wonderful pairing for any lunchtime craving.

It’s time for a dessert, Sponge Fingers soaked in cream, syrup and rum, and while enjoying every bit, enjoy a sip of English Bubbly, taking in the sweetness and sharing its wonderful flavours.

A homemade Fish Burger, created with 1 white fish and 1 salmon fillet with 1 egg to blend it all together, then sprinkle on some herbs and serve on a burger bun, a healthy and fishy take on the classic burger, enjoy it with some avocado, gherkins and a Glass of English Bubbly, enriching the sea characters within.

The Local Alternative

Buying local may mean spending a little more on each item, but typically the quality will be enhanced, as it is not as mass-produced, it tastes better, healthier and gives you a little piece of mind, knowing you’ve just helped a local family run winery, butchers or farm shop, a little support.

English Sparkling Wine will continue to build its fan base, as more and more people discover that it’s no longer a joke and that some wineries can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Champagne, and on some occasions, like with Fox & Fox, outperform a lot of them.