8 hours ago
Raise a glass to English Wine Week with these bargain bottles – including a new strawberry wine perfect for Wimbledon
WE don't really need an excuse to crack open a bottle come the weekend, but English Wine Week (June 21-29) is a more than good-enough reason.
Sales of English sparkling have surged 187% since 2018, as people have realised how good they really are - with many outperforming their champagne rivals in taste tests.
Roebuck, Bolney, Nyetimber... these English vineyards are becoming household names, and they're often to be found on supermarket shelves at excellent prices.
Whether you prefer a sparkling, rose, red or white, our own vineyards have it covered.
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We love the fact you can also visit the vineyards easily for the day - grab your best girls or your guy and enjoy a fun day of tasting the best of British in glorious countryside.
So, to accompany your summer of staycationing and British sport, these English Wine Week bottles are just the ticket.
To celebrate English Wine Week, Aldi is offering its Winemaster's Lot English Sparkling Wine for just £9.99 - that's 44% off its usual £17.95 price tag (available June 19-25).
Julie Ashfield, chief commercial officer at Aldi UK, said: 'English Wine Week is a great moment to showcase the quality of British winemaking."
You can also pick up cracking Specially Selected English Bacchus, £7.99 - a riot of passionfruit, gooseberry and rose petal some have called a true taste of a blooming English hedgerow.
And Aldi's Specially Selected English Pinot Noir Rose, £8.69, makes the perfect choice if you're looking to supply the booze for a summer wedding or gathering.
Talking of reds, if you're a fan of chilled red wine - a massive trend this summer - you'll love Devon-based winery Sandridge Barton's Don't Feed The Ponies Billy.
In fact, what's not to love about a wine with a name like that (which comes from a campaign across Dartmoor National Park to stop people feeding the wild ponies, FYI)?
Blending flavours of tart red berries, red apple and blackcurrant and cranberry, it's a light red at the higher end of the budget at £21.50 - but 25p will go to Dartmoor Preservation Association.
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You've probably heard of Nyetimber wines - and for good reason, as yet again the winemaker recently picked up an award for its English Sparkling at London Wine Fair's Battle of the Bubbles, where 1086 by Nyetimber 2010 pipped prestige cuvées including Dom Perignon to the top spot.
Nyetimber was the first British producer to release a prestige cuvee back in 2018, and it's now served to first class passengers on British Airways flights.
Obviously, it's a little pricier than most at £145 a bottle, but the same vineyard's Classic Cuvee Brut comes in at a much more affordable £30.
And if you fancy a trip to an award-winning winery, book in for a tour and tasting at the Nyetimber Estate on the South Downs, £50 per person.
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With the Wimbledon Tennis Championships starting on June 30, the smell of strawberries is definitely in the air, so we were excited to discover this treat from the family-run Lyme Bay Winery in picturesque East Devon.
The new Lyme Bay Winery Strawberry Wine, £12.79, tastes wonderful served chilled or as a spritzer with lemonade, prosecco or soda water.
The perfect picnic wine!
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Finally, if you're doing your big shop in Tesco, be sure to check out its fantastic line in English Wines, starting from just £4.75 a bottle.
Graham Nash, lead product development manager at Tesco says: "Last year, our Tesco Finest English Sparkling Brut was our bestselling English wine, though English still wines continue to improve."
Try the Bolney Lychgate Bacchus, £12.50, made in the heart of Sussex, if you like a lemony, floral, fresh white.
And fans of a rose will find Tesco Finest English Rose, £12.50, rather moreish, plus it's made by father and son winemaker Balfour Winery.
And if cash is tight, The Straw Hat White, £4.75, is a fun British option.
WINE culturist Amelia Singer hails 'The Chassaux et Fils Rosé' as a "really savvy move from Aldi". Here, she gives Fabulous her verdict...
Sainte Victoire is my favourite part of Provence to find personality filled yet great value Rosé.
Thanks to the altitude of the Sainte Victoire hillsides, the grapes get exposed to plenty of sunshine during the day but their ripeness is moderated by cooler evening temperatures.
This enables the wine to brim with intense, complex fruit which is balanced by elegant acidity and herbal finesse.
I am delighted that Aldi are highlighting an actual area of Provence as quality and flavour profiles can vary greatly – however I always know with Rosé from Sainte Victoire that I will not be disappointed.
Amelia Singer's podcast, 'Ameliarate Through Wine', which pairs celebrities' personalities, core values, and careers with wine. Available on Apple & Spotify.
