Interview With Hugo Stewart – Domaine Hugo

There is no denying that English Sparkling Wine is on the rise, becoming an undeniable contender to Traditional Method Sparkling Wines around the world. To the English, it’s becoming a fan favourite and a go-to Glass of Bubbly, its quality is improving year on year and thanks to innovators and those willing to follow their dreams, the choice of English Sparkling Wine is expanding.

In this exclusive feature we speak with Hugo Stewart, the incredible owner of Domaine Hugo, in England, let’s find out a little about his life in the English wine industry.

It’s Lovely To Speak With You, Hugo, Can You Tell Us A Little About Yourself & How Your Journey Into The Wine Industry Began?

“I became interested in the whole growing and making wine having bought an old barn from a vigneron in the Corbieres hills in the Languedoc. I was farming on a small family farm in Wiltshire and would go down to the south of France and help a friend who was renovating the building. I was always intrigued about what was going on in the vineyard and on one occasion I helped my neighbour press some grapes and was even more enthralled.

I took a sabbatical from farming in England and a friend came to stay who was training as a winemaker as a second career having been a dancer. He fell for the area which has got a wonderful climate, lots of old vines and great soils. As he was originally from Australia I thought he would go back there and get involved in wine making there. However he had lived in Europe for most of his adult so did not feel that was an option.

I said that if he wanted to set up in France I could give him a hand especially as I had been brought up bilingual in French. We pondered on the idea, visited wineries that had a reputation and I decided to take the challenge with him.

It was a vertical learning curve and very exciting. Luckily once we took the plunge and bought a small vineyard on the edge of the village with 100 year old Carignan we were set on a path and I didn’t have the time to think of all the pitfalls that we might encounter.

After 10 or more years of learning and with the buzz of what was happening in the wine scene in England I decided to step back from France and plant vines on the farm in Wiltshire in 2016. I was a bit nervous about looking after vines in the UK, due as much as anything to the rain and climate, but so far my fears have been allayed.

I decided to grow vines to make sparkling wine, as that was what England was getting a reputation for and one does not have to get the grapes as ripe as for still wine.”

Do You Remember Your First Experience With Sparkling Wine? When It Was And What Kind Of Wine It Was?

“I had tasted some English sparkling from Cornwall some years earlier and it was the first English wine I enjoyed and thought there was a future for wine in this country, which I had not thought of previously.”

How Rewarding And Challenging Is Running Your Own English Vineyard?

“It’s amazingly rewarding producing wine from grapes grown from the fields in front of my window. I still can’t quite believe it and if I had been told 20 years ago that it would be possible I would not have believed it. It’s all consuming and addictive!”

When It Comes To Pairing Sparkling Wine With Food, Do You Have Any Favourite Combinations That You Would Personally Recommend?

“Pairing sparkling wine with food is something that I have given quite a lot of thought to. Traditionally sparkling wine in England has been drunk as an aperitif whereas in France Champagne is often taken with sweat food at the end of a meal.

English sparkling wine, as is Champagne, is relatively acidic, so pairing it with something sweet makes sense. So does pairing it with fatty food, as the acidity cuts into the food so one might drink it with fish and chips. This might not seem very glamorous, but it was suggested to me by a Champagne importer!”

What Future Plans Can Enthusiasts Of Domaine Hugo Look Forward To In The Coming Years?

“We are in the process of making a rosé which will be available in a year or so. This will be a blend of Pinots Noir and Meunier, but in the future might well be from some Pinot Gris and Blanc which we planted four years ago.

We are also in the process of making a 100% Pinot Meunier sparkling, so watch this space!”

Can You Share With Us One Of The Most Memorable Experiences You’ve Enjoyed With A Glass of Bubbly?

“Wine is all about sharing, even better with food which doesn’t have to be fancy but just delicious and fresh! At the end of picking last October, we all sat down late afternoon, all the grapes safely tucked away in the winery and opened a bottle or two of bubbly with friends and supporters who had come to pick the last of the Chardonnay grapes. There was something about being in the vineyard tasting the wine from a previous vintage from the same vineyard amongst people who had become friends through sharing the last of the picking.”

Thank you Hugo, for sharing your story and experiences with us and we at Glass of Bubbly wish you the very best for the future!

Images belong to Hugo Stewart. Glass of Bubbly was granted permission to use them.