Wine Lister: English sparkling competes with Champagne in quality perception
A new report on English sparkling wine from Wine Lister, the fine wine consulting agency, shows that on average critics’ score the category 90.6, which compares favourably with sector-leading Champagne wines (90.8).
The data, collated from reviews from Decanter, Jancis Robinson, Vinous and the Wine Advocate, also shows English sparkling outcompeting Franciacorta (90.1), Prosecco (88.6) and Cava (88.9) in terms of quality perception.
Of the 15 English sparkling wines examined in the report, Sugrue South Downs' The Trouble with Dreams Cuvée Brut achieved the highest average critic’s score with 93.1. The report, analysing the presence of English wines at the UK’s top 87 restaurants, showed that Nyetimber achieved the most listings at the estate level while its Blanc de Blancs achieved the most listings at the wine level.
English sparkling remains the second-highest priced sparkling wine category after Champagne though its three-year price growth lags behind that of Cava, Champagne and Franciacorta.
The Wine Lister report highlighted that despite the positive signs for English sparkling’s quality perception, there is still a lingering perception that consumers think of it as an “inferior product” compared to Champagne, as a head sommelier from a Michelin-starred London restaurant put it.
Of the 23 sommeliers and on-trade professionals surveyed for the report, 18 of them saw tastings and events as vital to the discovery of new English sparkling wines. The survey also highlighted that 17 respondents saw pricing as the most important factor they consider when adding an English sparkling to their list.
The global online search volume for English sparkling remains diminutive compared to Champagne, though searches have increased most quickly over the past three years (+11%) relative to all sparkling categories with the exception of Prosecco (+13%), highlighting the categories increasing popularity.
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