Woodchurch English Sparkling Wine

English Sparkling Wine is for sure making a name for itself and has more than enough qualities to stand alongside some of the world’s most famous fizz such as Champagne, Cava, Franciacorta, South African Bubbly (MCC) and many more. With a blanket of medals and trophies collated by many of the top wineries and a growing export market, things are very rosy in the garden for English Sparkling Wine.

English Sparkling Wine is made in the same production process as Champagne (Traditional Method) though you can also find Sparkling Wine from England which uses the Charmat Method (Tank method / Prosecco Method). Scattered across the country, mostly Southern counties, you will find wineries with fields galore of stunning vines enjoying the recent natural climate change thus a slightly warmer setting (similar to that of Champagne a generation or two ago).

A search for Woodchurch (as a location in England) online shows not only is it an area of Birkenhead on the Wirral Peninsula, but also a village located in the borough of Ashford in Kent and close to Tenterden, rather nicely in amongst a prime vine growing spot.

Woodchurch – Fine English Sparkling Wine

“At Woodchurch, our vision is to create the world’s finest sparkling wines. Every step of the vine growing and winemaking process is approached with a meticulous attention to detail. Throughout the year the vines are managed by hand and treated with great care which in turn means the fruit harvested is of the highest quality. Our wine is made in a state of the art winery by one of the UK’s leading winemakers whose philosophy of minimal intervention and diligent approach to winemaking result in superb wines.” quote from Woodchurch website.

 

Kent is one of the most acclaimed counties of England for English wine and especially for those which are sparkling wine. Home to many top producers with many acres of vineyards, the East side is home to underlying chalk whilst over towards the West side you will find Sandstone.

“The Food Standards Agency, which collects wine production data and runs the Vineyard Register, reports there were 770 registered vineyards in the UK in 2020.” source Strutt & Parker

Woodchurch is a family producer that was founded fairly recently in the world of sparkling wine, 2009. With a focus on vines in the classic Champagne grape varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier) the winery holds some 12 acres proudly producing part of the growing 0.2% of total global sparkling wine volume coming from the UK.

Sparkling Wine is the more common wine production in England with 70% of the grapes going towards making bubbles. Rosé, white and red sparklers can be found with average prices usually around £20 to £40 per bottle. More and more fine dining restaurants across the country will usually have an English sparkling wine on the menu.

 

Classic Brut (60% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir, 10% Pinot Meunier) – Silver Medal at the 2021 Glass of Bubbly Awards London – Price £33 per bottle available here

Classic Rosé (47% Pinot Noir, 33% Pinot Meunier and 20% Chardonnay) – Silver Medal at the 2021 Glass of Bubbly Awards London – Price £36 per bottle available here

Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay) – Price £42 per bottle available here