South West sparkling wines for Christmas

Jane Rakison puts English fizz to the test and reveals five of her favourite South West sparkling wines for Christmas

Langham Wine Estate, Rosé NV, Dorset, £36.95

Justin Langham was inspired by his father’s hobby vineyard when he started planting vines in 2009. He’s still planting now as the venture goes from strength to strength; this year Langham Wine Estate was named The Real Review’s Winery of the Year Great Britain 2024.

The winery’s rosé makes the most of the two Pinot varieties loved for sparkling wine – Noir and Meunier – and the ‘bigger’ flavour of these red grapes gives the raspberry fruit a really bold character. When combined with the wine’s gentle buttery creaminess, it makes for a dry pink sparkling of real complexity. It’s super versatile for food matching too.

Pair with a festive ham. The rounded fruitiness of this rosé is not only fantastic for offsetting the saltiness of ham but also for standing up to all types of cures and glazes.

Huxbear, Classic Sparkling 2018, Devon, £25

Lucy and Ben Hulland planted their vineyard in the Teign Valley in 2007 and it went so well they planted more in 2013. Sustainability is central to everything done at Huxbear, where the off-grid winery runs on solar power.

This wine is made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, and is aged for three years on the lees, giving it a lovely rich roundness of flavour, including pastry and biscuit, which nicely offsets the bright bubbles.

Pair with panettone. Although this is technically a dry wine, the glossy roundness of flavour makes it a great match for any kind of sweet bread.

Swanaford Estate, Classic Cuvée 2018, Devon, £28.95

Caroline and Ben Goulden quit London in 2013 in search of the good life and started making wine in Devon. They produce both still and sparkling wines, and host lucky visitors at their bespoke tasting barn.

Classic Cuvée is usually the flagship wine of an estate, and typically means using the trio of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes. That’s the case with this award-winning wine based on the incredible 2018 vintage, when warm temperatures and a long summer boosted the flavour and pedigree. This wine has a great lemon-sherbet zing and freshness together with savoury pastry flavours.

Pair with cheese. The freshness of the wine cuts through its dairy fat brilliantly, while the lightly toasted flavour matches the richness of varieties from brie and cheddar to goat’s.

Continue reading to discover more great sparkling wines for Christmas.

Bride Valley, Blanc de Blancs 2018, Dorset, £38

This dream-turned-reality wine estate for a global wine superstar, the late Steven Spurrier, has picked up a legion of fans since its first harvest back in 2011.

Blanc de Blancs is a Chardonnay-only style of sparkling wine. The grape brings serious quality characteristics to this fizz, including freshness, the bold citrussy flavours of grapefruit and lemon, and the trademark Blanc de Blancs quality of flinty oyster-shell salinity. All are perfectly illustrated in this particular example.

Pair with seafood. The inherent salinity of the wine makes it a no-brainer to match with any well-seasoned festive fish or shellfish. Trout paté, gravadlax or ceviche – this wine would elevate them all.

Trevibban Mill, Pét-Nat 2023, Cornwall, £25.45

This super-contemporary and award-winning winery near Padstow specialises in both wine and cider.
Pét nat (pétillant naturel) is a style of sparkling wine which finishes its fermentation inside the bottle.

Typically they’re fun, fresh and sometimes a little yeasty (cloudy) and they’re bang on trend right now. This version really champions the lesser-known red grape Dornfelder with all its sour red cherry and cranberry juiciness.

Pair with cranberry sauce. Often, sauce is the hero ingredient to pair with wine (rather than the protein or carbs). The refreshing sour factor of this wine gives it perfect cranberry sauce-matching creds, whether served with the full roast or Boxing Day sarnies.

Enjoyed 5 of the best South West sparkling wines for Christmas? Discover our favourite gift ideas for wine lovers.

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