Last night I had the pleasure of trying these two beautiful bottles of bubbly that hailed from Ridgeview in England. I have had other English sparkling wines in the past which I wrote about here but never these two and never a blanc de noir. The winery started in 1995 in Sussex. The winery’s second generation is now also involved. Ridgeview is a certified B Corporation and is also a founding member of Sustainable Wines GB. The vines at Ridgeview are up to 28 years old, some of the oldest in England.

Map @WineFolly

SUSTAINABILITY

Some of the techniques they use include improving the soil health using cover crops, pruning techniques, and reducing the use of chemicals and herbicides. The winery is working with Marco Simonit, a super pruner from Italy that I know well and highly respect who works with sap flows in keeping vines healthy. He is a true genius. Years ago I had the pleasure of translating from Italian into English a series of conversations with journalists for the famed team known as the Vine Master pruners or Simonit and Sirch. Marco and Paolo were amazing people to speak with and I learned so much that I will never forget our conversations about doing plant “surgery” to cure vines of infections. Someday I hope to be able to attend their pruning school academy. I have always hung onto the drawings Marco made of grape vines and the cuts he makes to help them grow and live long lives.

WATER & ENERGY USE

Ridgeview are also attentive to their carbon footprint in terms of water resources and energy use. They use both solar energy and sensor-activated lighting systems as well as sustainable packaging. They also treat waste water and harvest rainwater. At Ridgeview, they have underground cellars which require no energy and use the ambient temperature to maintain their wines.

ENGLISH WINE IN GENERAL

The winery uses both estate fruit and also buys grapes from other growers from Southern England. England has 897 vineyards, some 140 of them in Sussex.

SUSSEX WINE

With a marginal climate, it is a hard place to grow grapes. However, there is also lots of sunshine with an average of 1,400 hours annually in the area. That combination of sun and cool climate with chalky soils make it an area that is perfect for sparkling wines made from Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. Sussex has actually had vines for other 2,000 years thanks to the presence of Romans and other tribes. Furthermore Sussex wine is a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) since 2022.

Wines:

I tried two wines, the Bloomsbury and the Blanc de Noirs. The former was a blend of the three classic varieties – Chardonnay 61%, Pinot Noir 27%, and Pinot Meunier 12%. It had numerous, fine, fast bubbles which created a beautiful perlage. On the nose white flowers and citrus came through and on the palate, apples and brioche notes were also present. A long and elegant finish completed the picture. It paired beautifully with many of the dishes on the table from Latkes to Salad, and Bourekas that our host, Francine Kowalsky from Wine Distilled ,served. I also had it with pieces of cheeses, dried fruits, and nuts.

The Blanc de Noirs was beautiful in color with a reddish golden hue. Bright in color, with fine, delicate bubbles and a fine mousse. It was made with Pinot Noir 67% and Pinot Meunier 33%.. It spent 72 months aging on its lees. This gorgeous wine had a rich bouquet of berries, cherries, baked apple, toast, and stewed fruit. On the palate, the acidity was crisp, apricot, honey, and nutty aromas came through. The wine was well balanced, elegant, and complex with layers of fruit coming through as it evolved in the glass. It paired marvelously with meatballs, mushroom lasagna, and other richer fair. It’s 7.1 g/l acidity made it quite food friendly as well. It was simply glorious and I would love to drink this wine with a roast during the holidays.