Gosh, there are a lot of English sparkling wines out there. More brands than you can shake a stick at. To try to narrow the field down a bit for this taste test, I’ve only included wines made in the champagne style ie. from French grapes like chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier (and a little pinot blanc), and bottle-fermented.
We are now starting to see cheaper English sparkling wines made from Germanic grapes like bacchus and with bubbles created in a tank as with prosecco but I’ll save them for another time.
Of the champagne-style wines, £20 seems to be about the minimum price that it’s worth buying English. Growing grapes in this damp cold country is not easy despite warmer summers, bottle fermentation is complicated and remember you need to keep the wines for around 18 months before they can be sold. You’re not going to get rich quickly making sparkling wine.
The sweet spot seemed to be around £30 though I have included some cheaper and some seriously fancy bottle that gives grand cru champagnes a run for their money.
Overall quality is high. There’s much less of the tooth enamel-stipping acidity of old. Don’t get me wrong, these are still bracing wines, but with most the fruit was beautifully ripe. I was particularly impressed with the rosé wines; these get their colour from extended skin contact with red grapes. Whereas many rosé champagnes aren’t particularly distinctive, some of the English ones were fantastic with lots of pinot noir character despite the fashionable pale colours. These are really versatile food wines.
The established names all performed well with companies like Chapel Down and Gusbourne making delicious wines at all price levels. There were also some exciting new names like Roebuck Estate and Everflyht that I was particularly impressed with. In fact, I liked so many wines that I have chosen more than ten. The future is looking bright for English sparkling wine. Read on to discover my pick of the best English sparkling wine.
For more unbiased expert buyer’s guides and taste tests, visit our reviews section to find 400+ round-ups from experts including the best prosecco, champagne, cava and rosé.
Best English sparkling wine at a glance
- Best blanc de blancs: Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs 2018, £58.95
- Best organic sparkling wine: Davenport Limney 2014, £27
- Best own label brut: Definition Brut NV, £27.99
- Best budget rosé English sparkling wine: Balfour 1503 rosé, £24.99
- Best non-vintage: Ambriel Classic Cuvee NV, £33
- Best with strawberries: Bolney Cuvee Rose 2018, £35.95
- Best blanc de noir: Ridgeview Blanc de Noir 2015, £38.36
- Best premium wine: Langham Meunier 2018, £47.99
- Best for an aperitif: Westwell NV, £29.99
- Best with fish: Roebuck Classic Cuvee 2016, £38
- Best rosé wine: Everflyht Rose de Saignee 2019, £40
- Best with smoked salmon: Henners Brut NV, £37
Best English sparkling wine to buy 2022
Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs 2018
Best blanc de blancs
Rating: 5/5
Blanc de blancs means this is only made from Chardonnay. This version from Gusbourne is always a great favourite of mine and it’s particularly good in 2018. On the palate you’ll find fresh green apple notes with apricot, pastry, orange peel and marmite.
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Available from:
The Whisky Exchange (£58.95)
Davenport Limney 2014
Best organic sparkling wine
Rating: 4/5
It’s not easy growing organic grapes in England’s damp climate but Davenport manages it with style. The fruit is superb with notes of lemon peel and crunchy green apples. I imagine this would be incredible with shellfish.
Available from:
Corkk (£27)
Definition Brut NV
Best own label brut
Rating: 3/5
It’s worth buying six bottles and then this comes down dramatically in price (to £17.99 per bottle) making it one of the best bargains on the high street. This is delicious classic brut fizzz made by one the country’s most prolific producers, Hambledon.
Available from:
Majestic (£27.99)
Balfour 1503 Rosé
Best budget rosé English sparkling wine
Rating: 3/5
Made at the Hush Heath estate in Kent which makes a lot of supermarket wines as well as some more expensive things. This shows what good value English sparkling wines can be. With its jolly cherry red fruit, it’s impossible to resist.
Available from:
Majestic (£24.99 per bottle, £18.74 per bottle if buying 6)
Ambriel Classic Cuvee NV
Best non-vintage
Rating: 4/5
A producer based in the South Downs in West Sussex. It smells of caramelised apple with a touch of Marmite, take a sip and there’s firm lemony acidity with beautiful delicate little bubbles and a yeasty finish.
Available from:
Corkk (£33)
Bolney Cuvee Rose 2018
Best with strawberries
Rating: 4/5
Don’t be fooled by the pale colour, this is meaty wine. With it’s dark cherry flavours it tastes almost like a red wine. For the money, I’d rather drink this over most pink champagnes.
Available from:
The Whisky Exchange (£35.95)
The Champagne Company (£30.50)
Ridgeview Blanc de Noir 2015
Best blanc de noir
Rating: 5/5
Ridgeview are one of the pioneers of sparkling wine in England and up there with the very best, especially with their more premium wines. This is made entirely from black grapes (Pinot Noir and Meunier) and it’s rich with dark cherries, spices and tobacco. You could drink this with meaty dishes.
Available from:
Wine Direct (£38.36)
Langham Meunier 2018
Best premium wine
Rating: 5/5
Pinot meunier is very rarely seen on its own but tasting this extraordinary wine from Dorset, you will wonder why. Initially it tastes like cooked apple and cherry but after a while it explodes in all sorts of directions with baking spices, toffee and subtle woody notes. It’s an extraordinary wine and definitely worth the price tag.
Available from:
Langham (£47.99)
Westwell NV
Best for an aperitif
Rating: 4/5
I tried this blind recently and thought it was one of the richer Grand Marque champagnes like Roederer. There’s a savoury meaty nose showing lots of maturity, then on the palate there’s brown apples, orange peel and rich yeasty notes. The label is absolutely gorgeous too.
Available from:
The English Vine (£29.99)
Roebuck Classic Cuvee 2016
Best with fish
Rating: 4/5
A new producer that really impressed me last time, Roebuck just seems to go from strength to strength. This is leaner and fresher than the previous vintage with lots of citrus and a floral quality. This would be lovely with a nice bit of sea bream roasted with lemons and olive oil.
Available from:
Roebuck Estates (£38)
Everflyht Rose de Saignee 2019
Best rosé wine
Rating: 4/5
The name might be unusual but new brand Everflyt is doing some remarkable things. If you think roses can be a bit boring then think again. This is bursting with raspberries with cranberries with oaky flavours and even a little tannin. It’s a little bit wild and all the better for it.
Available from:
Grape Britannia (£40)
Henners Brut NV
Best with smoked salmon
Rating: 4/5
Always one of my favourite producers and not just because of the name. It’s in a rich hedonistic style that will appeal to lovers of richer champagnes. Think cooked apples, crème brûlée and a long toasty finish. Great value for the quality too.
Available from:
Henners Brut (£37)
ND John (£29.95)
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This review was last updated in October 2022. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.
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