English Sparkling Day 2015

Shakespeare’s Birthday, St George’s Day, World Book Day and now English Sparkling Day. April 23rd is a busy day for bibliophiles, patriotic types and now English oenophiles. This year, Thursday 23rd April saw the inaugural celebration of English Sparkling Day 2015 with a series of wine events in the UK.

At Fareham Wine Cellar we celebrated by hosting a wine tasting with Champenoise Didier Pierson, of Meonhill Wines and Hambledon Vineyard, who just so happened to have a French Film Crew in tow. Didier is both the co-owner and winemaker at Meonhill Wines, whose vineyard is located on Old Winchester Hill near Droxford. Didier also has a consultancy role at Hambledon Vineyard where, with a state-of-the-art gravity-fed winery, future Meonhill cuvées will be made. We are very lucky to have two of the best Hampshire Sparkling wine producers on our doorstep. So armed with wines from both Hampshire Sparkling Wine producers, we had a great tasting, all of the wines were very well-received – and those who didn’t know about English sparkling wine were very pleasantly surprised, which is what it is all about, spreading the word!

Please see my photographs of the English Sparkling Day wine tasting below. It was quite a feat fitting 7 customers (thank you for your time!), Didier, Phil Kellett from Hambledon Vineyard, a three-person film crew and assorted equipment, tripods etc. into our tiny shop, but we managed it with no mishaps!

After our wine tasting Didier Pierson and the film crew were going to visit Danebury Vineyard near Stockbridge, Hampshire for some more filming and then headed to Oxford to host an English Sparkling Day dinner at The Oxford Kitchen. Let’s hope there are more events next year. English Sparkling Wine is a great product, a world-class sparkling wine right on our doorstep which easily competes with sparkling wines from other wine-producing countries. Now it is up to producers, restaurateurs and retailers, like myself, to really promote and sell these fantastic wines to the British public. Just remember to pick up a bottle for your next celebration!

Onwards and upwards for English Sparkling Day!