English sparkling wine: the drink Christmas has been waiting for?

CHRISTIAN

Here in London the pre-Christmas parties have begun in earnest. I’m struck this year by how many friends and colleagues are trying to drink smarter. It seems no-one wants to be entirely abstemious, yet the novelty of feeling Satanic the day after (and the day after that) is wearing decidedly thin.

For me this is where English sparkling wine – Bride Valley in particular – comes into its own. Whenever I open a bottle of BV for friends, they’re always pleasantly surprised by how light and easy it is to drink, without the gas or heavy creaminess of Champagne or the sickly sweetness of Prosecco. They also enjoy how it delivers the required shot of fun and elegance, without knocking any heads off.

English sparkling’s production is so much more simple and natural, with much less sugar in the end product, than other party fizzes, which are often heavily intervened with in the processing. Perhaps because of this, or perhaps simply because it tastes great, I’m seeing English sparkling wine appearing more and more on Christmas menus and wine lists across town. Could Bride Valley be the drink your Christmas party has been waiting for?