Steven Spurrier's Bride Valley wines to be imported by Jean-Claude Boisset in US

By David Furer

Published: 17 November, 2015

Steven Spurrier has contracted with US importer Jean-Claude Boisset to import his Bride Valley wines to the US.

He'll launch his Bride Valley Vineyard Blanc de Blancs 2013 on January 28 during Florida's Naples Winter Wine Festival at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in conjunction with Napa Valley's Chateau Montelena and Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, wineries which produced Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay respectively which first garnered international recognition through Spurrier's 1976 'Judgement of Paris' tasting. Thereafter Spurrier's Blanc de Blancs will be sold directly through the Boisset Collection's Raymond Vineyards in Napa Valley until being released into general US distribution in October.

Steven & Bella Spurrier's 25 acre Dorset vineyard rests upon Kimmeridgian chalk and limestone soils which help it possess what The Times wine critic Jane Macquitty referring to its 2013 Blanc de Blancs describes as "this nifty English sparkler with minimum dosage and just 11.5% alcohol, is a razzle-dazzle of a Chardonnay whose crisp, slim lemon zest and green apple crunch of a fizz makes it so darned good."

Spurrier doesn't foresee his nor other English winegrowers' supply exceeding what is a strong domestic demand for English wine to be able to supply export markets thirsty for sources of new, if not inexpensive, fizz. But considering wineries on the scale of Nyetimber, Ridgeview, Denbies, and a few others are positioned to soon be producing upwards of a million bottles this may slowly shift as the British public tastes can shift as the novelty of quality English wine wears off simultaneous to production ratcheting up.

With 470 commercial vineyards now growing 1884 hectares of vines, the HMRC in 2014 received applications from an additional 65 new producers doubling the number received during the 2012-2013 period. With over 40% of the current hectarage comprised of Chardonnay and Pinot noir, the imminent plantings begun upon HMRC approval being directed to these varieties and their subsequent production of sparkling wine is a likelihood.

Since the establishment of Sussex's Nyetimber winery over 25 years ago, English sparkling wines have won numerous awards at British-based competitions. Since then fellow Sussex winery Ridgeview did the same at Decanter's World Wine Awards, then to be served by HM Queen Elizabeth II to President Xi of China at Buckingham Palace.

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