Dulwich OnView

by Greville Havenhand, who is a member of the Dulwich Wine Society

The last week in May is English Wine Week organised by “English Wine Producers.” Here he goes again, you may say. Having praised English sparkling wine in my notes on springtime drinking it may seem that I am over keen on what some people refuse to take seriously, but not all wine critics are Malcolm Gluck! I do mean English (and Welsh) wine. If you see “British Wine” on a label it is an altogether unpleasant concoction made from imported concentrated grape juices.

Time was when much of the wine coming from English vineyards was not very well made from not the best grape varieties. Many vineyards were hobby enterprises or convenient tax losses but in the past twenty years much has changed. The best English sparkling wine beats many high level Champagnes in international competitions, and some table wines are following.

If it is so good why do we not see more. Well, that is partly what English Wine Week hopes to rectify with help from wine merchants, restaurants pubs, farm shops and the like. That apart, it is interesting what the supermarkets are doing. Marks and Spencer are bringing out a range of five own-label English wines made by Chapel Down Wines. Tesco have recently increased their support for the English and Welsh wine industry by adding selected wines near vineyard areas to the five that they already carry.

Waitrose, with more Masters of Wine on their staff than the rest of the supermarkets put together, have for a long time stocked English wine, often, but not exclusively, in stores near to wine areas. They carry around 40 English wines, but only a handful in most stores. You can buy the full range, however, from their on-line wine business. What is more interesting is that they are establishing a vineyard at their huge estate in Hampshire, but we will not be seeing the wines until 2014.

So what should we be looking for? On St. George’s day I spent a productive and interesting few hours at the English Wine Producers’ annual Press Tasting. There were many good wines and some not so good , but one can say that about any tasting. I have mentioned before the excellent sparkling wines from Ridgeview and Nyetimber. They are rivalled by Chapel Down who are based at Tenterden in Kent and do a very full range of wines from grapes from their own vineyards and from those grown for them elsewhere. You will find their very good Flint Dry Kent and an aromatic wine made from the Bacchus grape in most Waitrose stores and in a good number of other shops. If you fancy a day out in Kent visit their winery.

There is a rising star in the South West. Bob Lindo and his award winning winemaker son, Sam, of Camel Valley Vineyards in Cornwall have ignored the classic Champagne grapes for their “Cornwall Brut”, a classy, fruity fizz made from Seyval Blanc, Reichensteiner and Huxelrebe, but they use Pinot Noir in a sparkling Rosé and even more so in their sparkling “Cornwall White Pinot” - for my money among the best sparkling wines around at the moment. Their still wines rank very highly, too , the Bacchus in particular .

Still in the west, but a little nearer is the Three Choirs vineyard which also has a very classy Bacchus and some pleasant blends, notably their “Midsummer Hill” and a medium sweet made for Tesco.

The surprise for me was a wine from Eglantine Vineyard in, above all places, Nottinghamshire where Tony Kuriat has made a dessert wine “Eglantine North Star ” which he calls “England’s answer to Ice Wine”. Ice Wine usually found in Germany and Austria where the grapes are allowed to freeze on the vine, thus extracting water and concentrating natural sugar and flavour.

For Mr Kuriat’s wine Madeleine Angevine grapes are harvested very late and then subjected to some time in the freezer and two years in oak barrels. His 2004 won Gold Medals at the “Vinalies Internationales Paris 2008″, a Gold at the “Concours des Vins des Vignerons Indepedents 2007″ and a Silver Medal and bet in class at the “International Wine and Spirits Competition 2007″. It has a beautiful nose and a luscious palate with a refreshing hint of acidity which prevents it being cloying. What is more you can buy it direct or online.

What about red wines then? England does not have the ideal climate for red grapes, but having said that more and more Pinot Noir is grown for sparkling wine (though only using juice with no skin contact.) There are a few red wines made from early ripening varieties such as Dornfelder and Rondo. Bookers from East Sussex make a very drinkable Pinot and a blended red which are quite good. If you come across Brightwell’s “Oxford Regatta” give it a try, but on the whole the sparkling wines are best, followed by the Whites.

Think of Wine Miles and Carbon Footprints but above all think of pleasure in a glass.