I only recently found out that Cava and Prosecco are made in slightly different ways, which (apparently) explains why Prosecco is typically sweeter than Cava. For my money, I think cava is way preferable to prosecco, at least in the UK - the prosecco I’ve bought in Italy has been lovely, even the cheap supermarket stuff.
As for France, the various Cremants de … are also excellent and you don’t pay the Champagne markup. Ackermann from Saumur in the Loire is extraordinary value for money, for example.
And the ‘real thing’? We’ve been several times to the Champagne et Vous festival in late October in Chateau-Thierry. Several dozen lesser-known (i.e. cheaper!) Champagne producers show off their wares, you can taste all day long and we usually come home with enough bottles to last us a year or more. A great weekend away.
Anyone fancy arranging a forum meetup there? Might make a fun change from Salisbury!
Cremant du Jura is my favourite cremant - this one from Aldi.
While working in Kuwait, Krug was relatively affordable and is one of my favourite champagnes.
I lived in Robertsbridge until recently, twinned with St Brice Courcelles near Reims. Many twinning trips includes visits to tiny local vignerons and much sampling and purchase direct from the producers - happy days!
Martin
Ooh, interesting! For several years when I was in my teens my parents had a plot of land nearby, above the Darwell reservoir, wher we spent several fantastic summer holidays camping. Having no car our travel there from west of London was either train to Mountfield Halt with bikes, then cycle, or train to Battle, bus to Brightling then a mile and a half walk, or train to Robertsbridge and 2 mile walk mostly across fields to Robertsbridge. I hadn’t been there for decades until about four years ago, when I was driving nearby so detoured to look round - and not how much has changed.
About time someone mentioned Nyetimber. England now make some of the best sparkling wines in the world, also check out Camel Valley from Cornwall, the French can keep their own stuff
There are also some very good English sparkling wines which can be found (usually on offer) at about £25 a bottle. Nyetimber, Ridgeview and Chapel Down are all excellent. The Wine Society has its own branded versions of Ridgeview which always excellent value for money.
Also, there are some very good cavas in the £10 to £15 range. Again from the Wine Society, there is their own and a vintage Muga.
The English sparklings I’ve had have been nice; my only problem with them being that they charge ‘ambitious’ Champagne prices for a non-Champagne product. Many of the lesser-known Champagne houses charge less than €20 or even €15 for a bottle, to say nothing of the Cremants which are often even cheaper, so how English producers manage to get away with charging Moet or even Veuve prices for a bottle, I’ll never know.
But, that’s a free-market economy for you. Personally, I’ll stick to a good cava for everyday, Cremants for fun and Champagnes for occasions.
The highest up the ladder we’ve ever gone was a 2003 Dom Perignon P2 for the eldest daughter’s 18th birthday:
Quite extraordinary - didn’t taste like a normal sparkling wine at all. Lovely and complex, but definitely different. The younger daughter is 18 in a few months’ time and has already reminded us that we have set a precedent!
The Aldi Cremant de Jura is tremendous value and is probably the single most recommended bottle by Jane McQuitty in the Times. There was a definite change a couple of years back which suggests either a different grower/negociant or some other change. Seems to be getting back on track recently.
Cost of production is the same. Cost of packaging and distribution is the same. Cost of land (and labour) is higher.
But there is now so much vineyard in England and Wales that there will be wine made in future (possibly already) for which there is no market, and that will only cause a decline in selling prices (and probably the least pleasant kinds of ‘consolidation’).
Not tried ant Nye Timber but bought this today Denbies Whitedowns Brut from Waitrose 13,99 a reasonable price .
Also have a bottle of English sparkly from Pommery not yet tried also hear that Tattinger have an English sparkly due this year def worth a look out
Another nice bottle is this its a Cremant de Loire part owned by Bollinger’s
17 quid a pop so not pricey and very good just cracked open the Denbies not at all bad!
I am going to bring the conversation right down, but sometimes on Christmas Day , I have no wine , or bubbly whatsoever , but this makes a lovely alternative.
If money were no object it would have to be Krug for me - whenever I’ve been lucky enough to have it, it has been consistently on a different level to everything else. However, I do also have a bit of a soft spot for Bollinger R.D. (and not just because it carries my initials!), especially the '79, the last bottle of which I had for my 50th…
Of the more down to earth Champagnes, taking a quick look at the wine racks here I have tended to gravitate towards Taittinger or Verve Clicquot, but on the latter at least it may just be a force of habit and the lovely orange boxes and labels…
Otherwise, these days I’ve been trying to support the local heroes, in particular Chapel Down, which is just a few miles down the road from me and which has a very good restaurant attached, called The Swan.
I bought a few Chapel Down shares (enough to get a discount on every order) and think their Three Graves is quite delicious. I know one or two others on the forum are keen too. Given the chalk soils of the Downs, as well as the effects of climate change, there is no reason why English fizz can challenge top Champagne houses, and I would argue that Dermot Sugrue who has been at Wiston for some time is definitely delivering - but not cheap. The future at the top end will a likely to be strong especially as often backed by deep pocketed owners. Smaller estates might struggle as Rod suggests. An additional barrier for new entrants is land costs.
