Classic Method Sparkling Wine
In just over a decade, English and Welsh sparkling wine producers have gained a world-class reputation for ultra-premium quality. This is a huge achievement; many sparkling wine styles would love to be in this enviable position. Sparkling wines produced by the Traditional Method are the products which are almost entirely responsible for this remarkable status in the wine world.
We are now confidently and proactively championing this hero style as the authentic expression of sparkling wine from Great Britain, and the greatest expression of its terroir.
These are our Classic Method wines
Why? The fresh and crisp quality of grapes grown in Great Britain cry out for this style. The pure base wines, when enhanced by lees ageing, create something highly distinctive. That is why we are confident that we are on a path to be accepted as one of the finest wines of the world.
We are positively differentiating sparkling wines made by the Classic Method from those made by other processes. We are using the excellence and reputation of Classic Method sparkling to highlight the growing diversity and increasingly varied positioning of all wine styles produced in Great Britain.
Our Classic Method wines remain the dominant style produced in Britain, accounting for some two-thirds of total production. From Buckingham Palace and Downing Street to British embassies the world over, English and Welsh wines are flying the flag for Britain at home and abroad with Classic Method wines as our flagship style.
Typically the three Champagne grapes are used (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier). These three varieties represent over 70% of all vines planted in the UK. Several producers use other varieties, including Seyval Blanc, that lend themselves well to the winemaking process.
Most sparkling wines are made using grapes harvested in a single year (vintage), but more non-vintage (NV) wines are now available. A range of styles are now produced: Classic Cuvée, generally a blend of any or all three traditional varieties; Blanc de Blancs; Blanc de Noirs; and Rosé. From Brut to Demi-Sec, these wines come in many different styles to suit most palates.
The Great British Classic Method Hallmark
To illustrate this method of production, we have created a Hallmark to support the highest level of these wines – those that have achieved PDO and PGI status. The aim is to provide a quality mark to identify these wines in point-of-sale and marketing material.
For further information or to access downloadable Hallmark assets please contact us.
Sustainability
WineGB aspires to establish the British wine industry as a world leader in sustainability. We recognise the responsibility and opportunity we have to encourage and support the industry in its sustainability journey, to gain international recognition for the standards we set and the progress we make.