Beyond Champagne: The Rise of English Sparkling Wine

Anna grew up in Kent, among the rolling chalk hills, the orchards, the oast houses, and the slightly moody skies that can turn glorious without warning. Tim grew up in Lancashire, which has its own charms but is not, it is fair to say, natural wine-growing territory. When Tim moved south to be with Anna in 2007, we settled in Groombridge, a village near Tunbridge Wells, in the heart of what was already becoming serious English wine country.

At that time, there were a handful of wineries and vineyards dotted across Kent and Sussex. Nothing like what is there now. The growth in English wine production over the last decade has been extraordinary: WineGB, the organisation that represents British wineries, now counts over 1,000 vineyards across the country. The moment that truly changed everything happened earlier. In 2003, Nyetimber, a West Sussex estate planted on ancient chalk, entered a blind tasting at the Sparkling Wine World Championships and beat Bollinger and Louis Roederer. French Champagne houses, outperformed by an English wine that most people had never heard of.

Most Americans we speak to have never heard of English sparkling wine. That is not a criticism; it is simply the reality. Only about 4% of English wine leaves the UK, and most of that goes to Scandinavia. So unless you have been paying particularly close attention, there is no reason you would know that England has quietly become a serious challenger to Champagne.

We would like to change that.

The Same Chalk, a Different Character

The chalk soils of southern England, across Kent, Sussex, and Hampshire, are geologically identical to the soils beneath Champagne. Same ancient seabed, same mineral-rich chalk, separated by nothing more than the English Channel. When you plant the same grape varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier), in the same soil, and make the wine using the same traditional method, with second fermentation in the bottle and months on the lees, something rather remarkable happens.

English sparkling wines have a distinctive brightness. Crisper than Champagne, with more green apple and citrus, less of the toasty brioche richness, more mineral freshness. The style makes you reach for the next glass quickly.

The Champagne houses noticed. Taittinger bought land in Kent and established Domaine Evremond. Pommery followed. When the people who have been making the world's most celebrated sparkling wine for centuries start buying English farmland, that tells you something no tasting note ever could.

Buckingham Palace Agrees

If there is one producer we reach for when someone tells us they have never tried English sparkling wine, it is Ridgeview.

Ridgeview's Grosvenor Blanc de Blancs has been served at Buckingham Palace State Banquets, not once but four times, including for President Obama and King Charles's first State Banquet. It is a pure Chardonnay sparkling wine with pronounced chalk minerality and a long, fine finish. Their Bloomsbury, a classic three-grape blend, is more approachable and a reliable introduction to English fizz. Both sit at a fraction of the price of the Champagnes they regularly compete with in blind tastings.

Producers Worth Knowing

Gusbourne, in Kent, is a benchmark for serious English sparkling wine. Their Brut Reserve spends extended time on lees, producing a wine with noticeable depth and a texture that sits closer to vintage Champagne than most English sparkling wines attempt. Their Blanc de Blancs is equally precise, all chalk and citrus, with a finish that lingers.

Chapel Down operates at a larger scale. Their Classic Non-Vintage is well-made and consistent, and at around $30 it is the most accessible entry point to the category. Between Ridgeview, Gusbourne, and Chapel Down, you have a range that covers everyday drinking through to wines that would hold their own at a formal dinner.

Hattingley Valley in Hampshire has been hiring experienced winemakers from across the world, which says a good deal about the quality being produced in southern England now. For a broader overview, Decanter's guide to English sparkling wine is well worth a read.

Why It Matters to Us

As winemakers ourselves, producing small-batch, single-varietal wines from vineyards in the Santa Ynez and Santa Maria Valleys through our own Arrowsmith Winery, we understand what goes into every bottle. Our winemaker, Riki Hill, works with small, privately owned vineyards where we can be involved in every decision from the first spring buds to the finished wine. That same commitment to site-specific, careful winemaking is something we recognise in the best English sparkling wine producers.

Both of us have PhDs, and between that academic background and our years in the wine trade, we tend to approach things with a degree of thoroughness that borders on obsessive. We personally taste everything we buy, some days fifty wines at a stretch. Both of us have to like a wine for it to make the list or a club shipment. We are looking for quality, value, and a genuine sense of place.

The challenge with English sparkling wine in America is awareness. Most drinkers do not know it exists. Persuading someone to try something they have never encountered is harder than persuading them to switch from something they already know. You cannot compete with Champagne on brand recognition, not yet. So we come at it differently. We tell the story, we pour the wine, and we let the wine make the case.

Finding English Sparkling Wine in the US

Because so little English wine is exported, finding it in America requires a bit of effort. We source English sparkling wines directly from the producers we know and trust, and ship them to your door. You can browse our English wine selection at The English Wine Shop, or find selected bottles at arrowsmithwine.com.

If you are not sure where to start, or if you would like us to put together something tailored to your tastes, get in touch. Drop us an email at info@arrowsmithwine.com or give us a call.

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