Sparkling wine: France, England, Germany, Spain, Chile, Oz, Italy, S Africa...

THE LATEST VERSION OF THIS PAGE CAN NOW BE FOUND IN THE PAGE ARCHIVE HERE.

 

A gratuitously fizzy post simply to create one central URL for a handy 'wine words' side-bar link (below right) to all pieces on sparkling wine... Updated: from June 2015 posts and features on Champagne are now appearing on a special page HERE.

Gusbourne Estate, Kent

Excluding Crémant de Bourgogne, which you'll find there on my Burgundy page; and Limoux fizz (May 2012) among my French Med Wine posts which was updated in July 2015 HERE. It's that time of year anyway (if you need a time of year), when you may be more inclined to crack open the bubbly out in the garden (huh!) or better still on your hols. If you're travelling or chilling in France or elsewhere in €uro land, Champers and other sparklers are less expensive than in the UK or North America. So here are a few links pointing to sparkling stories and recommended bottles on WW.com / FMW.com...

Latest bubbly pieces from Italy & Spain are linked directly below:

Italy: Bottega Prosecco (Dec 2015)

Spain: more "wines of the moment" (May 2015)

Spain: "wines of the mo" (Dec 2014)

Italy: Nino Franco, Prosecco (Nov 2014)

Spain: Loxarel - Catalunya (Aug 2013)

Spain: Garnacha / Garnatxa, red white and rosé (Feb 2013)

Spain: Catalan "wines of the moment" (Aug 2012)

Find more Spanish fizz by doing a Cava search (click there).

Champagne: Drappier IV 'Quattuor' (June 2015) - after this one, Champagne links can be found HERE.

English sparkling wine supplement (updated May 2015) - "I've put together a 14-page special supplement on English sparkling wines, which is fizzing over with great 'Champagne' lookalikes, and taste-alikes, from 15 exciting English wine estates, vineyards, wineries and brands featuring Upperton, Hattingley, Brightwell, Digby, Henners, Hush Heath, Jenkyn Place, Danebury, Gusbourne, Chapel Down, Bolney, Bluebell, Ridgeview, Knightor and Furleigh..."

Champagne & sparkling wines festive fizz (Dec 2013) featuring nice bottles that crossed my path: Cava, Prosecco, the Cape, England, Champagne and sparkling Shiraz.

A couple of Champagnes "of the moment": Champagne Louis Chaurey Brut (M&S) and Premier Cru Champagne (Tesco) (New Year's Eve 2012, updated with super-duper Croser Sparkling from Aus).

England: Furleigh Estate, Dorset featuring their 2009 Classic Cuvée (Oct 2012).

Reichsrat von Buhl Riesling and Pinot Noir Sekt, 2004 to 2009 vintages (Nov 2011).

Champers vs English fizz: Pierre Gimonnet et Fils and Gusbourne Estate, Kent (Sept 2011). I hear from Decanter.com (full story on their site) that Gusbourne has been poured recently at some right royal Olympic do.

Fizz of the moment: Royal Seyssel Brut: obscure yet pretty sparkling wine region in Savoy on the way up to skiing country in the French Alps (Sept 2010).

English Wine Week (almost): Ridgeview, Nyetimber (W. Sussex) & Camel (Cornwall) (June 2010).

Delmas Crémant de Limoux (Jan 2010).

"Yawn, yet another luxury special edition..." : Champagne Gosset (Dec 2009).

Pass the Bolly or "if it's the 85 you were expecting me...": Bollinger feast including some fab old vintages (May 2004).

Even more international fizzy links:

Cava guide (Spain, on-going: updated Aug 2015)

Isla Negra Brut sparkling rosé, Chile (May 2011).

Pirie & Petaluma Australia (Feb 2010).

And you'll probably find more using the search box top right...