A glass of champagne or a glass of Sussex? 'Sussex' is given special protection.

[Herr Tubthumper]

"First it was Prosecco"?

Do people really drink this as a champagne substitute?

Yes they do. Champagne sales have been hit hard as people have made the switch, despite the fact that most supermarket stuff is absolutely dire.

I've been invited to a Xmas party with my client tomorrow tonight. The usual champagne reception is now Prosecco. It's in The City as well. WTF.

 

[Monkey Man]

I've been invited to a Xmas party with my client tomorrow tonight. The usual champagne reception is now Prosecco. It's in The City as well. WTF.

We're all in this together and all that ...

To be fair some Champagne is pretty dull and some Prosecco is rather good, but by and large anything made in the traditional Champagne method is likely to have more flavour and complexity than your cheapo Italian fizz made in a tank with a grape called Glera.

But I guess many people are just happy with bubbles, in whatever form they come.

 

[Superphil]

I'm guessing two of the largest English vineyards - Denbies (Surrey) and Chapel Down (Kent) won't be too pleased. I gather Nyetimber will also be excluded as some of their grapes come from just over the border t.

Not sure about that, their vineyard is in West Chiltington, which is a fair old way from Hampshire, and they just bought the local golf club and are changing it to a vinyard, and they've also bought More land and fields adjacent to the old golf course.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Not sure about that, their vineyard is in West Chiltington, which is a fair old way from Hampshire, and they just bought the local golf club and are changing it to a vinyard, and they've also bought More land and fields adjacent to the old golf course.

Changing a golf course into a vineyard.....I totally approve of this.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

We're all in this together and all that ...

To be fair some Champagne is pretty dull and some Prosecco is rather good, but by and large anything made in the traditional Champagne method is likely to have more flavour and complexity than your cheapo Italian fizz made in a tank with a grape called Glera.

But I guess many people are just happy with bubbles, in whatever form they come.

I've had a few pilsners made with champagne yeast. Gives an excellent dryness to the drink. I'd rather have this than Prosecco.

 

[Giraffe]

"putting Sussex on a par with La Rioja in Spain and Champagne in France"

A ridiculous quote.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

"putting Sussex on a par with La Rioja in Spain and Champagne in France"

A ridiculous quote.

In time the quality will be on a par. I have no doubt about this.

 

[beorhthelm]

In time the quality will be on a par. I have no doubt about this.

Ridgeview and Nytimber regularly win awards against Champagne competition.

 

[Brovion]

"First it was Prosecco"?

Do people really drink this as a champagne substitute?

We're not all ****ing champagne socialists

 

[Machiavelli]

Prosecco is a nonsense drink, as is cheap supermarket 'on-offer'/'half-price' champagne.
The likes of Ridgeview and Nyetimber are a match for many champagnes, but it'll take a long while before 'Sussex' is considered on a par with champagne. Part of the perception is informed by the size of production, and Sussex will remain considerably behind champagne on that front. In terms of quality, your best guide is blind tastings done by experts, but I'm oh so aware that this isn't a very popular view at present.

 

[In The Rough]

I've had a few pilsners made with champagne yeast. Gives an excellent dryness to the drink. I'd rather have this than Prosecco.

Chapel Down on the Kent/Sussex border does an excellent beer range to compliment their Wines. They use champagne yeast in one of their beers and it is superb.

 

[Notters]

Not sure about that, their vineyard is in West Chiltington, which is a fair old way from Hampshire, and they just bought the local golf club and are changing it to a vinyard, and they've also bought More land and fields adjacent to the old golf course.

It says so on their website.

 

[Notters]

Chapel Down on the Kent/Sussex border does an excellent beer range to compliment their Wines. They use champagne yeast in one of their beers and it is superb.

This, it's called curious brew, we had it as our lager of choice last Christmas.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

We're not all ****ing champagne socialists

This is patently obvious when I'm at my Labour Party meetings.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Prosecco is a nonsense drink, as is cheap supermarket 'on-offer'/'half-price' champagne.
The likes of Ridgeview and Nyetimber are a match for many champagnes, but it'll take a long while before 'Sussex' is considered on a par with champagne. Part of the perception is informed by the size of production, and Sussex will remain considerably behind champagne on that front. In terms of quality, your best guide is blind tastings done by experts, but I'm oh so aware that this isn't a very popular view at present.

I was reading that the soil is very similar to the champagne region. The climate differs a little but over time the grapes will adapt to the slightly wetter and windy conditions. This latter point has, in part, led to the improvement in quality over the past 5 or so years and it will get better and better apparently.

 

[Two Professors]

Prosecco is a nonsense drink, as is cheap supermarket 'on-offer'/'half-price' champagne.
The likes of Ridgeview and Nyetimber are a match for many champagnes, but it'll take a long while before 'Sussex' is considered on a par with champagne. Part of the perception is informed by the size of production, and Sussex will remain considerably behind champagne on that front. In terms of quality, your best guide is blind tastings done by experts, but I'm oh so aware that this isn't a very popular view at present.

Blind tasting by experts is perfectly ok.They are not predicting what the grapes will be like in 5 or 10 years time.The main problem,IMHO,with English wines is consistency.I have tasted Nyetimber vintages better than Veuve Cliquot,and ones akin to Drainol!

 

[Machiavelli]

I was reading that the soil is very similar to the champagne region. The climate differs a little but over time the grapes will adapt to the slightly wetter and windy conditions. This latter point has, in part, led to the improvement in quality over the past 5 or so years and it will get better and better apparently.

Sussex is on the same seam of chalk/limestone/whatever-geological-material as Champagne. The climate's not too dissimilar. Sussex, or England and Wales, is good for fizz and dessert wine, and some whites (although they remain over-priced in comparison to Germany, for instance). Reds are in general very poor, but there are the odd good Pinot Noirs (I haven't had it, but Bolney, available in Waitrose, is getting a lot of good reviews).

 

[AmexRuislip]

I've been invited to a Xmas party with my client tomorrow tonight. The usual champagne reception is now Prosecco. It's in The City as well. WTF.

I went to Searcys last year with some friends, great champagne bar.
Also have bars in the Westfield shopping centres, in London

 

[Machiavelli]

Blind tasting by experts is perfectly ok.They are not predicting what the grapes will be like in 5 or 10 years time.The main problem,IMHO,with English wines is consistency.I have tasted Nyetimber vintages better than Veuve Cliquot,and ones akin to Drainol!

Viticulturalists have been recording weather conditions in minute detail for decades. Guess what the evidence is pointing to? Or is that the point where expertise or knowledge suddenly becomes unacceptable?

 

[Two Professors]

Viticulturalists have been recording weather conditions in minute detail for decades. Guess what the evidence is pointing to? Or is that the point where expertise or knowledge suddenly becomes unacceptable?

I would imagine the evidence points to slight warming,but other experts say we could possibly be on the way to a new ice age due to low solar activity.Nobody can predict the quality of a vintage wine in future years!