The future of English Wine is Crystal Clear
The first ever Riedel and English Wines workshops to determine the best glass shapes for three eminent wines confirmed the importance of glassware in presenting wines at their best.
Balfour Brut Rosé 2008, Chapel Down Pinot Chardonnay 2006 and 2010 Camel Valley Darnibole Bacchus were tasted at workshops led by Georg Riedel, 10th generation and owner of Riedel Glass, on Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 September at Hush Heath Estate and Camel Valley respectively. Winemakers, key members of the English wine industry and select members of the UK wine press shared their expertise to uncover the perfect wine and glass combinations.
During the tastings at Hush Heath, the new Riedel Celebration Glass was chosen overall as the most appropriate vessel to compliment English sparkling wines. However, Georg Riedel emphasised that to enhance the complex flavours of every individual wine, a single glass for all English Wines is inadequate. This was confirmed by the panel also selecting specific glasses for Balfour and Chapel Down.
Richard Balfour-Lynn, CEO of Hush Heath, says: “This tasting highlighted the need for English sparkling wine to look at the next generation of glassware to best compliment the style of our wines.”
The Celebration Glass is an appropriate choice due to the way it delivers the delicate composition of the wines to the palate, whilst showing the bouquet well and maintaining the wines bubbles.
Frazer Thompson, CEO of Chapel Down, confirmed the importance of using the appropriate glassware saying: “All our passion, care, dedication and obsession can be ruined by a poor choice of glass!”
A new panel of experts convened at Camel Valley Vineyards in Cornwall to find the perfect glass for Camel Valley Bacchus, this time the Vinum Sauvignon Blanc glass being declared the victor.
Bob Lindo, Owner of Camel Valley, says: “We became convinced that during the vertical tasting, we were tasting Camel Valley Bacchus at its very best, once we had discovered the appropriate Riedel glass.”
Georg Riedel, Owner of Riedel Glass, says:
“I have been watching developments in the English wine industry for some time and am impressed by the passion, drive and commitment to produce high quality products. As an innovative company, we pride ourselves on forward thinking and although our involvement within the English wine world is still in its infancy, we are already looking forward to future collaborations.”
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