The sommelier suggests… English sparkling wine by Charles Carron Brown

Charles Carron Brown has worked in the restaurant trade for 14 years, at the Ritz London, among others. He joined the Simon Rogan group in 2015, and while there has spent time at Michelin three-star L’Enclume and Henrock in the Lake District, the group’s Hong Kong restaurants (Roganic/Aulis Hong Kong and The Baker & The Bottleman), and now Michelin one-star Aulis London, which he joined in 2022. He holds the ASI Diploma, as well as being certified with the Court of Master Sommeliers.

We Brits love a reason to celebrate, don’t we? Birthdays, weddings, a half-decent summer… And in recent years, it has become increasingly common to raise a toast with an English sparkling wine. English fizz isn’t exactly a new phenomenon, but the rate of production is climbing. The latest estimates from trade body WineGB put the number of vineyards in the UK at above the 1,000 mark, and the excitement on the scene is palpable.

I’ve been a fan of English sparkling wines for many years and love being able to support producers, visit them and enjoy their wines. I grew up in Dorset in the southwest, just around the corner from Langham Wine Estate, and relish any opportunity to spend time among the vines listening to the stories of the people behind the labels and learning more about the viticulture and winemaking. Most English vineyards are tiny, and production levels are a fraction of those in Champagne, but it’s rewarding to find boutique producers to champion, in an artisanal, farm shop-style economy.

Most estates are concentrated in the south of England, and the variety of soil types – including chalk, sand, clay and limestone – creates a thrillingly diverse line-up of styles. The vineyard site and vintage character add further variation. Global warming has led to a jump in wine quality over recent years, demonstrated by the much-lauded warm 2018 vintage, which produced a huge, high-quality crop.

Buying wine that fits with my ethical values has always been important to me, and English wine scores highly here, too. Sustainability is a buzzword in the UK wine scene, with WineGB’s Sustainable Wines of Great Britain certification scheme encouraging producers to create a biodiverse mix of habitats. Some vineyards have gone a step further by practising organic and/or regenerative viticulture, and I firmly believe that this approach – where producers strive to create a balanced ecosystem in which people and nature both thrive – also produces better quality wines.

Why English sparkling over Champagne, you might ask? There’s something about buying local that really appeals to me. Plus, the flavour profile is very different to that of Champagne, with (in my opinion) higher acidity, a fresher fruit profile in many, and a unique character.

Discover English sparkling wine: Charles’ two to try

A couple of vineyards that I applaud for their efforts in organics and regeneration are Oxney Organic Estate and Everflyht, both in East Sussex. We showcase both producers on our wine list at Aulis London, alongside the tasting menu.

Founded in 2012 by Kristin Syltevik, Norwegian former owner of a global PR group in the technology sector, Oxney Organic Estate, near Rye, now claims to produce about 20% of the UK’s organic grapes. The Oxney, Brut NV (£28-£31.49 Grape Britannia, Oxney Organic, Quaff, The Green Room, Vintage Roots) is my personal favourite of the range. A blend of Seyval Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier, this is a real gem, with fresh orchard fruit character, as well as delightful floral notes – very English! – and fantastic body. Different bottlings of the wine may have a dosage in the order of 6-8.5g/L, yet the palate is dry, with the acidity really showing through. The wine has been made in a non-interventionist way to showcase the purity of the fruit. A perfect pairing for this would be some south coast oysters, served with a simple vinaigrette – the wine’s acidity matches perfectly with the saltiness…