It’s all Ok Prosecco isn’t going anywhere!

Well I met the wine-man himself and I don’t know what possessed me (probably 2 glasses of pink British bubbly and a glass of Greenock shiraz) but I attempted to ask the God of wine writers, Hugh Johnson, about a British equivalent to replace Prosecco, especially as I’d heard us Brits were drinking the region dry. He gave me a sympathetic look of, ‘Dear girl, it’s all ok’ and reassured me, ‘There’s quite a way to go’.

Our brainstorm (ok our two minute chat, ok me rambling to him about British bubbles -allow me a little indulgence), left me thinking perhaps Prosecco isn’t going anywhere but there’s some worthy homegrown fizz to check out to shake up the Prosecco scene (see below). As I was about to leave he said, ‘or pink Prosecco?’ Now there’s a thought. Take a good thing and turn it pink! I think he’s onto something.

Eco bubbles
‘Herbert Hall, Kent, One of few organic wine growers making good (if quite dry, high-acid) sparkling from Champagne varieties.* Click here for stockists.

Think pink

Heath Estate, Kent, One of England’s best. Impressive vinyards near Staplehurst, only Champagne varieties’*. Their Balfour brut rose gets a ‘best’ in Hugh Johnson’s pocket wine book and I believe this fizz is the culprit for leading me to ask the man himself for a selfie. £35.99, available from Waitrose

Quality and quantity

‘Bolney wine estate, West Sussex, Est 1972, now 2nd generation making good sparkling and still’*. Go large, the magnum of Blanc de Blanc 09 with 5 yrs bottle age makes it into Hugh’s recommendations. Easier to get hold of is the 2010, £26.99 from www.bolneywineestate.com

HUGH’S BOOK

For endless sparkles of wine-wisdom and a charming read for any food and wine lover, delve into Hugh Johnson on Wine, Good bits from 55 years of wine scribbling, RRP £20.

*Quote from, Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book 2017, RRP £11.99. A must for those in the trade.

SSSsssshh! SHOOT SECRETS

What can I say, any form of fizz doesn’t hang around long in Britalian Kitchen. Bring in the cold tea, soda water, tonic (that I found under the stairs) , a straw and Alka-seltzer: