Hampshire's wine producers sparkle in top wine magazine's tastings
English sparkling wines are at last being taken seriously not only in this country but also across the waters and Hampshire's wine producers are up at the top with the most respected vineyards.
In a recent tasting of 55 English sparkling wines, conducted by Britain's leading wine magazine, Decanter, three of Hampshire's vineyards were recognised and awarded top scores. The wines were tasted by a panel of highly experienced and respected judges including two Masters of Wine - Justin Howard-Sneyd who used to head up the Waitrose wine team and Stephen Skelton who is one of the UK's top wine consultants.
The panel placed two wines from Jenkyn Place and one from Danebury Vineyard in the 'Recommended' category. The judges described the Danebury Cossack Vintage Brut 2006 as having 'real class and character'. The judges thought that the Sparkling Rose 2008 from Jenkyn Place was 'bursting with flavour' and that the vineyard's Brut 2009 was 'elegant, with a lovely balance'.
Both vineyards are proud members of Hampshire Fare and are delighted that this latest recognition by some of the country's leading wine experts confirms the quality of Hampshire's wine and firmly places the county on the map as one of the UK's leading wine regions.
Caroline Stevens of Danebury Vineyards near Stockbridge said, 'We are all thrilled that our wine has been so well received by such a discerning group of wine experts. We have worked hard to ensure our wines are of a consistently superior quality and this kind of recognition puts English sparkling wines on the map.'
Simon Bladon of Jenkyn Place Vineyard near Alton commented, 'We are delighted with how well our wines have performed in this prestigious tasting as we were up against some of the very top producers. After the success of last year's Diamond Jubilee and Olympics it seems that English sparkling wines are finally being taken seriously both by consumers and by wine experts.'
Hampshire's mild climate and ground conditions are ideal for vine growing and both vineyards have already received prestigious awards for their wines. The wines are available to buy from independent wine merchants and other retailers. They can also be ordered directly from the vineyards or online at www.sparklingenglishwine.co.uk
If you are eager to learn more about Hampshire's vineyards look out for tours and tastings taking place as part of the Hampshire Food Festival at vineyards across the county in July.