Date night - English Sparkling vs. Champagne

'Come quickly - I am drinking the stars' Dom Pierre Perignon exclaimed when he discovered the first sparkling wine.

 Champagne is iconic. But with climate change, the south of England is getting warmer. And the chalky ground is not dissimilar to that of France. Can English Sparkling wine rival true champagne?

Champagne can have Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier within it, however, to make this a fairer test, we've gone for blanc de blancs. These are 100% chardonnay grapes with a 2020 vintage.

The English blanc de blanc is from a beautiful little vineyard in West Sussex. It is said to be a delicate pale gold wine with silvery highlights, the palate has a firm attack, making this wine genuinely refreshing, with green apple and white tropical fruits in abundance — a beautifully balanced, clean finish that lingers for a moment.

The French blanc de blanc is from the Champagne region and is a classic. It is dry with those tiny bubbles that old Dom was so excited about all those years ago.

Can you tell which side of the Channel produced which sparkling wine in this blind tasting? 

Whats in the box:

• two anonymised bottles of sparking wine,
• two wine flight paddles to keep track of your glasses
• tasting notes and information on the wines to help you decide which wine you think matches the description.
• decision discs to put under your glasses to lock in your answer