Chapel Down flags expertise with England's first orange wine launch

By Mathew Lyons

Published: 05 November, 2015

Chapel Down has announced the release of England's first orange wine.

The Chapel Down Orange Bacchus 2014 is the fifth single varietal Bacchus the winery has produced.

It is aimed at asserting the technical credentials of the team at Chapel Down in working on still wines.

Chapel Down winemaker, Josh Donaghay-Spire said: "As England's leading winemaker we are keen to push the boundaries and experiment with winemaking techniques in order to produce the best quality and innovative wines.

"With England increasingly becoming known for Bacchus as a white wine varietal, I was eager to explore the potential of this versatile variety.

"Often Bacchus is compared to Sauvignon Blanc in style, however our Orange Bacchus has added weight and depth of flavour with smoky notes, a rich palate and a really interesting tannic edge which makes it ideal for pairing with weightier foods, especially smoked meat or oily fish.

"England is gaining a deserved reputation for world-class sparkling wines but I hope with our Orange Bacchus it demonstrates the quality of English still wines and winemaking excellence that we offer as a growing industry."

Wine sales for the first half of 2015 at Chapel Down were up 45% year on year to £2.3 million.

Sales of still wine at the company were up 57%.

The company recently appointed Mark Harvey from LVMH as its managing director of wines.

It also announced a major round of crowd-funding for its Curious Drinks brewing subsidiary which could raise over £3.5 million.

Beer and cider sales at the company were up 33% to just under £1 million.

The Chapel Down Orange Bacchus 2014 is a limited release with an ABV of 12%.

It will be available to the premium on-trade and independent off-trade at an RRP of £20.

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