English Wines & the Perfect Food Pairings!

English Wine is going from strength to strength, with English Sparkling wines frequently outshining Champagne and Prosecco in numerous global awards. The UK has in fact continued to achieve accolades on it's wines consistently at rates never seen by other countries. It's unsurprising therefore that famous worldwide counterparts are continuing to buy up vineyards in the UK ready for future harvests.

England is home to roughly 770 vineyards and 165 wineries, where Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier grapes in particular have excelled. Three classical grape varieties they are crucial to sparkling wine production and the boom in fabulous English rosé wines. It's no surprise that we are also starting to see a growth in highly reviewed red and white English wines as well.

The Bacchus grape variety has enabled a flourish in unique English white wines ranging from dry & crisp to fruitier glasses that work with a host of dishes. English red wines are typically lighter in body & richly textured in comparison to deeper bodied red wines we may be used to from France, Spain and beyond. It means English red wine can be enjoyed with lighter meals than usual as well, like salads and even fish.

Selecting the ideal English wine from the growing options can be overwhelming, so I've wrapped up some of my favourites with some perfect food pairings for you to enjoy.

Botham & Balfour English Rosé

This Provencal style rosé wine is a wonderful collaboration between Sir Ian Botham's wine and the Balfour family at Hush Heath Estate.. The grapes are hand harvested to provide a bright, full fruit flavour and typical English acidity. With delicate citrus and orchard fruit notes and subtle spice hints.

This makes it a great wine to stand up to a dish with a creamy sauce and pair with some beautiful British lamb! I served the rosé with grilled lamb chops from my local butcher, dressed new potatoes, asparagus & a creamy garlic caper sauce. This was a really easy meal to cook and wonderfully light for a summer evening!

I also have used the wine in a raspberry & rosé wine pot de crème! The acidity of the wine is crucial to preventing the dish from being too sweet (it's largely cream & sugar!). These can be made a day in advance, so are ideal for summer entertaining!

Folc Rose

Releasing it's first vintage in 2020, Folc has already won numerous awards for it's amazing small batch rosé wine. The wine uses a blend of local grapes from several vineyards before being transported to their WineGB Sustainable accredited winemaker.

The wine is a beautiful pale salmon colour, slightly lighter than comparable Provençal Rosé varieties. It has a subtle perfume nose, showing off hints of citrus alongside the red fruits that shine through. It's extremely delicate, balanced and dry wine that is perfectly refreshing for the summer heat and sharing with your tribe.

I love enjoying Folc on a sunshine filled picnic, as I did for a Moveable Feast themed event! It's contemporary styling and flavour also means it pairs with quirkier modern foods. As founder Elisha recommended to me, it's absolutely fantastic with fish tacos as The long finish of the wine cools down the chilli heat and cuts through the salmon creaminess wonderfully. I served it up with Cajun spiced salmon, a zesty chilli & pineapple salsa on traditional Mexican blue corn tortillas for a girls night and it went down a storm!

Danebury Schönburger

One of my favourite English white wines, Danebury have produced an outstanding Schönburger wine. This uses an unusual German grape that is frequently grown in England, which is a hybrid of Pinot Noir and another grape. The outcome is a delicate aromatic dry white wine, featuring floral aromas, ripeness on the palate and English complexity.

It also has a lower alcohol percentage at 11.5% ABV which means it's the perfect accompaniment to a spicy dish as the lower percentage means it won't elevate the chilli heat in the dish any more (like your beer sometimes does!) My perfect pairing for the Schönburger is a delicious homecooked Thai green salmon curry! This is a pairing I rave about to friends constantly!

Jenkyn Place Blanc de Noirs

I discovered the Jenkyn Place Blanc de Noirs at a Vineyards of Hampshire Fairylights and Fizz event several years ago and it's complex maturity continues to bring me back for more! This mature Blanc de Noirs is made from equal parts of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and has gorgeous pale golden hue, with a strong savoury nose. I love enjoying this wine with friends and getting them to smell it first as it has  distinctive umami cheese/mushroom nose!

Acidity shines through the wine, but it has a depth on the palate and bold flavours & aromas that are expertly balanced as a fantastic example of a well developed English Sparkling Wine that will be unique to those most people will have experienced.

As with other sparkling wines & champagnes, this Blanc de Noir pairs well with fried foods! They highly recommend trying it with your fish and chips as the bubbles break up the oily texture & the salt in the mouth. For me this is a fantastic New Years Eve bottle as it will cut through any rich, creamy, oily dishes - think dishes like lasagne or a cheeseboard for a wonderful celebration!

Chapel Down - Bacchus and Brut

Bacchus is a common English white wine variety and is similar to a Sauvignon Blanc but usually lower in alcohol and with beautiful elderflower notes that are so typically English. The Chapel Down Bacchus uses 100% Kent grapes to make it's delicate crisp wine with a fresh palate of lime and honeysuckle and the floral aromas. It is an ideal pairing for seafood, summer salads or Thai food. I think the crisp finish would be great with a goats cheese salad or a crab & prawn Thai spiced salad if you wanted a lighter summer dish.

Their Brut NV is a classic and widely available example of an English sparkling wine. It has aromas of red apple, citrus and refreshing strawberry notes with plenty of bubbles. This would be great for an occasion and served with canapes. Also, they always recommend English Sparkling wine pairs perfectly with.... the great British classic of fish and chips as the bubbles cut through fried foods! Give it a go next time you're feeling extravagant!

Giffords Hall St Edmundsbury Pinot Noir

Giffords Hall named this red wine in honour of their home town where vines were grown in St Edmundsbury Cathedral in medieval times! The vineyard in use now was planted 30 years ago and is still producing high quality grapes for the Giffords Hall wines.

A medium bodied red wine packed with plenty of fruit flavours like plum, rhubarb & cranberry acidity and has a generous mouthfeel. This depth means it pairs brilliantly with a traditional roast dinner (especially beef), pasta dishes like lasagne and with some of our wonderful British game. I like to pair this with a comforting dinner of venison steak, celeriac mash and a fruity blackberry & cranberry jus to pull out the flavour notes of the wine. Ideal for when autumn hits!

Simpsons Estate Rose

Produced on the slopes of the North Downs in Kent the Simpson Estate Rosé has a lovely summery pale pink hue with fresh floral aromas with plenty of citrus & lychee notes. It's has a very crisp clean and slightly acidic finish.

This makes it the perfect rosé to pair with a slightly spicy dish, like this Vietnamese style Prawn Salad! Rice noodles topped with green beans, red pepper, cherry tomatoes, and marinated lime prawns. Served with a lime and sweet chilli dressing for a bit of a kick. It would be great with other crustacean or fish based dishes and a little spice as well.

What's your favourite English wine and food pairing? I'm sure I'll be adding some more as I continue to try some of our wonderful wines!

If you enjoy trying English wines and want to learn more why not read some of my other blog posts!

English Rosé Wines and A Moveable Feast! Enjoying the perfect summer picnic!