Domaine Evremond, the result of a unique collaboration between Champagne Taittinger, historic wine merchant Hatch Mansfield, and close friends, has reached a significant milestone with the official opening of its winery in Chilham, Kent. The event, attended by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh, marks a pivotal moment for English sparkling wine, and it’s a development I’ve followed with particular interest.
The next vineyard on the Bentley Flying Spur tour was the Bolney Wine Estate in West Sussex. They are another family run business, who have been experimenting and developing English wines for many years. They are also one of the first, started back in 1972 by Janet and Rodney Pratt. Rodney became interested in producing wine whilst studying Chemistry and Engineering in Germany, spending his spare time learning what he could from German vineyards.
After an informative morning steeped in oenology, and a lot of spitting and no swallowing (well in my case anyway) we got back in the Bentley V8 S, placed our Blanc de Blancs 2008 in the Bentley’s wine cooler, with its two designer glasses and Star Trek swooshing glass door, and headed back out on to the country lanes. We were now bound for Ridgeview Estate Winery, a vineyard in the Sussex Downs and official suppliers to Downing Street. Rolling along in the Bentley was as usual a distinct pleasure. The comfort specification now coming into its own as we had been driving a few hours.
What better way to tour the best English vineyards producing award winning sparkling wines than in the Bentley Flying Spur V8 S? The Flying Spur is without doubt one of the most comfortable luxury cars ever made and ideal for a luxury tour of the chalk and clay landscapes of southern England that now host some of the finest wines in the world.
‘today, the house is regarded as one of England’s finest wine producers’
In 1988, Nyetimber planted its first vines and today, the house is regarded as one of England’s finest wine producers. Owner and Chief Executive Eric Heerema and Winemaker Cherie Spriggs are committed to producing wines of a Grande Marque Standard.
In the 1980s, some English winemakers started to grow the grape varieties as used in Champagne – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier – and in the ensuing decades availability of English sparkling wines made from these varieties increased. Today, there are over 100 vineyards in England producing sparkling wines.
