English Fizz From Virgin Wines

Two English fizzes from Virgin Wines - from Henners and Ridgeview

Well-made, English fizz rivals any other sparkling wine available.

Vintage by default, it is more competitively priced for the quality than its closest rival just across the Channel.

England will never make mainstream, inexpensive, ripe fruit-forward wines - for that, look to the New World and other emerging regions.

But for classy, elegant traditional method fizz, England has come of age.

Ridgeview has long been one of my favourite English wine producers - Henners is a new name to me, but equally impressive.

Ridgeview Merret Grosvenor Blanc de Blancs 2011 (£29.95) linear and expressive with textbook orchard fruits, fine mousse and leesy biscuity-brioche. Elegant and adept. Very Good.

Henners Brut 2010 (£29.99) a Blanc de Noirs, it is sandy yellow; ripe orchard and white peach fruits, weighty and substantial with a fine mousse and linear acidity. Very Good.

Both are very versatile wines - drink as an aperitif, with light starters or seafood dishes.

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