Over the last few years, English sparkling wine has been rapidly acquiring prestige and worldwide recognition, with many connoisseurs comparing it’s quality to that of it’s fizzy French rival, Champagne, and Italian favourite, prosecco.
Cue Tinwood Estate; a beautiful family owned vineyard located in the rolling hills of West Sussex, and the place to be and be seen for all things English sparkling wine this forthcoming spring and summer season.
Prepare to embrace the emergence of a new wine growing region right on our doorsteps, as English vineyards are fast becoming a firm fixture in counties such as Sussex, Kent and Essex. This is due to the increase in temperatures over the last decade, which have created a warmer, drier climate which can produce more varieties of delicious grapes. And with many more English winemakers becoming trained professionals, English wines have become vastly more consistent in quality and as a result much higher in demand alongside their mainstream counterparts. So with the promise of an early Spring, there’s no better time to choose local and support British wineries – so why not book an exciting tour of the Tinwood Estate followed by a tasting of their three delicious sparkling offerings.
Boasting a vast outdoor south facing terrace overlooking the vines, Tinwood Estate is located just over an hour from London, next door to the world renowned Goodwood Estate – making it ideal for a day trip. Meet the winemakers themselves and gain an insight into how they grow the vines and produce the wines. The tour takes 1.5 hours and you will be shown around the vines and estate, followed by a tasting of three crisp glasses of Tinwoods finest. After the tasting, why not stay and indulge in an extra glass or a chilled bottle.
Since the first vines were planted in 2007 at the foot of the South Downs National Park, Tinwood Estate has quickly established a reputation for producing the very finest English sparkling wines, including the Estate Brut, the Blanc de Blancs and an exquisite Rosé. Owner Art Tukker says, ‘The weather in 2018 was the best year we’ve ever had at Tinwood, so I would go so far as to say this was the vintage of a generation.’
Tinwood’s three wines include:
Tinwood Brut
Tinwood Brut, the vineyard’s first English sparkling wine, is a delicate pale gold in colour with a lovely mousse and a fine stream of bubbles. Enjoy aromas of citrus melon fruits with hints of toast and honey. Fresh fruit flavours continue on the palate with depth and refinement added by the Pinots, while chardonnay dominance brings finesse, along with crisp fruit freshness and toasty notes.
Tinwood Blancs de blancs
Tinwood Blanc de Blancs, Tinwood’s second English sparkling wine, is a delicate pale gold wine with silvery highlights and persistent bubbles giving an exceptional mousse. The bouquet is subtle with a suggestion of honey and brioche, which will become more noticeable with aging. The palate has a firm attack which makes this wine truly refreshing, with citrus and white tropical fruits in abundance. This wine has a beautifully balanced finish that lingers and can be enjoyed and savoured on its own, or makes for a great pairing with light canapés and shellfish.
Tinwood Brut RoséTinwood Rosé, our last English sparkling wine, is a gorgeous salmon colour with an abundance of bubbles and a beautifully creamy mousse. Chardonnay dominance brings freshness and finesse, whilst the pinots simply hint at the classic red fruits for which England is so acclaimed. A raspberry and red currant nose with hints of strawberries and cream carry through to a delightfully fruit driven palate. Tinwood recommends serving as a refreshing aperitif or accompany it with smoked salmon dishes or fresh English strawberries.
Daily vineyard tours and wine tasting start from £21 pp from April, and run daily at 3pm, and on Saturdays at both 12pm and 3pm.
Sparkling Afternoon tea is £49pp, including tour, tasting (3 glasses) and food.
