In advance of English Wine Week, which this year runs from Saturday 28 May to Sunday 5 June, the second of our features showcasing the very best of the specialist suppliers we work with at Farmers & Fletchers In the City, we turn our attention to English sparkling wines.
Ridgeview Wine Estate is a family run company based in the picturesque South Downs National Park in the village of Ditchling in East Sussex, which produces award winning sparkling wine from traditional Champagne varieties and methods.
The company was founded in 1995 by Mike and Chris Roberts who had the ambition and dedication needed to create world class sparkling wines. Mike was a pioneer in the English wine industry and chair of the English Wine Producers. He was awarded the MBE for services to the English wine industry in 2011. He sadly passed away in 2014.
Mike Roberts recognised the potential of the South Downs region and its proximity to Champagne. Mike believed “it was obvious that sparkling wine was the way to go because what you get here in Sussex (and in Champagne) is fully ripe grapes with great flavour, but which aren’t high in alcohol, as this prevents fermentation, which creates fizz. Because the nights get cold, even in summer, English grapes have super-acidity – the hallmark of a good sparkling wine.”
The original vines were planted in 1995 on a site at the foot of the Sussex Downs, which has almost the identical geology and climate of Champagne. And in 2000 the first Ridgeview wines went on the market.
The second generation of the Roberts family continue to hold key roles in the management, winemaking and marketing of the business; continuing and expanding on the legacy and retaining Ridgeview’s core values as producers of the highest quality English sparkling wine.
The dedication and hard work by the Ridgeview team has reaped rich rewards as their wines now have world class status reflected in the number of national and international medals and trophies they have been awarded since the release of their first vintage.
“We are immensely proud that in 15 years of sales, Ridgeview has won more than 250 medals and 27 trophies in International and National Competitions and has been awarded English Wine of the Year on four occasions,” said Mardi Roberts, Sales & Marketing Manager.
“In 2010 we achieved the ultimate accolade by being awarded the trophy for the ‘Best Sparkling Wine’ at the Decanter World Wine Awards; the only time this trophy has been awarded to a wine outside Champagne.”
Mardi is also keen to point out a royal connection: “Our wines were served for the official Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Ridgeview wines have also been served at State Banquets at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, including the State Banquet for President Obama, and the State Banquet during the visit to the UK of the Chinese Premier Xi Jinping.”
Ridgeview has a purpose built winery with an underground cellar where the wines can be stored in perfect conditions for the secondary fermentation, lees aging and the development of a very fine mousse. The company is continuously investing in state of the art specialist equipment.
“These investments enable us to have complete control over all the stages of the winemaking and production process. We perform all aspects of the production on site from pressing the grapes to bottling, ridding, disgorging and labelling the wines on our fully automated production lines,” said Mardi.
Ridgeview has also continued to expand production through the development of partnerships with a number of growers who are predominantly in or adjacent to the South Downs National Park.
Farmers & Fletchers In the City offers clients a selection from the Ridgeview Wine Estate including:
Ridgeview Cavendish 2013 a classic Champagne blend (34% Chardonnay, 26% Pinot Noir, 40% Pinot Meunier), a great food wine, a wonderful accompaniment to seafood or canapés featuring duck or beetroot.
Ridgeview Fitzrovia Rosé 2013 (80% Chardonnay, 17% Pinot Noir, 3% Pinot Meunier,) Ridgeview’s Signature Rosè which is an ideal aperitif, especially on a warm summer evening. It pairs beautifully with canapés and fresh English strawberries.
Ridgeview Knightsbridge 2013 a Blanc de Noirs, a very distinctive wine with a rich complex palate and a mouth watering freshness complements light game meats or canapés featuring mushrooms or lamb.
Ridgeview Blanc de Blanc Magnum 2004 (100% single estate Chardonnay from the original vine yard,) one of the best English sparkling wines, an ideal aperitif and a great match for light canapés, shellfish or perfect with prawns.
Farmers & Fletchers In the City is proud to support independent, specialist suppliers such as the Ridgeview Wine Estate, a successful wine business set up by a family who had foresight and vision to create fine English sparkling wines good enough to complete in an international market.
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