English Wines have continued to do well this year but have you tried an English Sparkling or would you choose a “traditional” French Champagne for that special occassion?
With so much focus on English Wines, it made us think – just how different to Champagne are they? Or not?
Sparkling Similarities
- Champagne and English Sparkling wine are made from the same grapes – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
- The same seam of chalk runs under the Channel and informs the terroir of both Champagne region and the South of England.
- The grapes are produced in a similar climate believe it or not!
- They tend to be similarly priced. English sparkling wine is rarely cheaper than
- Champagnes of an equivalent level.
Champagne and English sparkling wine are produced the same way, with a first fermentation in tank then, after addition of the liqueur de tirage (sugar syrup and more yeasts), a secondary fermentation in bottle, followed by a period of ageing on the lees under a crown cap, then disgorgement, addition of the dosage, followed by a final period of ageing. - There are definite similarities in how they taste. Both require high acid base wines and even after a second fermentation the palate should be very clean and refreshing with mouth-puckering acidity.
Taste is of course, very personal and it should also be acknowledged that most English sparklers taste different from Champagne – they have a fresh apple crunchiness and more marked acidity on the palate and less autolytic (lees) character.
Any other differences?
Well of course, Champagne has been producing wines for much longer so also this means the Champagne vines are much older.
England produces about 1% of the amount of Sparkling Wine as France does… a drop in the ocean?
And finally, Champagne is incredibly strict about what can be called “Champagne”, and rigidly demarcates Grand Cru, Premier Cru and other vineyards as well as yields and production factors. In the UK, we have not got to this yet.
Personally we think it is all a simple matter of opinion! Both can be opened with a Sabrage, which starts every bottle of with just a little more fun and fanfare! Cheers and enjoy – whichever you are drinking!
