December - English Wines

 

English Wines, Presented by: Jasia and Bill, December 2025.

This presentation on English wines was supposed to have been given by Keith Martin, a society member. Sadly he died suddenly a couple of months ago, so Bill and Jasia stepped in to the breach.

Most English wines are now sparkling, about 75% of production – which is pretty astonishing. Unfortunately, the prices of the sparkling wines did not allow such a tasting, so Bill and Jasia focused mainly on still wines, with one Sparkling. Wines from 8 different vinyards were presented, 1 sparkling, 3 white, 1 rose, 3 red. With almost all the typical English grape varieties represented.

The Wines:

Ridgeview Bloomsbury (NV) Chardonnay/Pinot Noir/Pinot Meunier. 12.0%

               A very decent Methode Champagnois. – On offer at Witrose, £25. Normally >£30

The Society's English White (Three Choirs), 2024. 11.4%

A blend of 7 English grape varieties. Special blend for TWS. £9.95. Perfectly respectable.  

Chapel Down Bacchus, 2023 Bacchus 12.0%

Bacchus is the main English Still wine grape. £14 from Waitrose. Very nice. Certainly better than a cheap Sauvignon

Balfour 1503 Albariño 2023 Albariño 12.0%

Albarino, native to Galicia, but works well in the UK, needs to be late picked – as in early November! We sampled this one as part of the selection process, and was very nice but on the night, not great. £17, Majestic

Bolney Estate Rosé 11.5%

A very pleasant Rose, if a little “bubble gummy”. I liked it anyway. Grapes? We found 4 different descriptions on the website, so we don’t know.. £12 Waitrose (on offer)

New Hall Wine Estate, Barons Lane Red, 2022 Regent, Rondo and Acolon. 11.0%

Not for me. Thin. Acidic. Nasty. £15.50, Direct from Vineyard.

Biddenden Vinyards, Gribble Bridge Dornfelder, 2023 11.5%

Still quite a thin wine, but reasonable. Recommended by Jane McQuitty recently. Quite high volume at 80,000 bottles a year. £15.95 direct from the Vineyard.

Simpsons 'Rabbit Hole' Pinot Noir, 2023 Pinot Noir 13.5%

Very nice indeed. The Vineyard is right near Dover, so as close to the continent as possible. Note the Alcoholic strength. £25 TWS.

November 2025. Leona De Pasquale, Low Intervention wines

 

Low Intervention/Natural Wines resented by Leona De Pasquale

 This was a very interesting evening, but I’m not sure I’ll be dashing out to buy many of the wines

The history of Low Intervention wines (preferred to Natural wines) is quite fascinating. Historically almost all wines would have been low or no intervention – the Qveri style of Georgia for example. The problem is that if you just pick the grapes, press and ferment and do nothing else, you are very unlikely to get a good product at the end. So over the last few decades we’ve ended up with high intervention wines, with a very long list of additives and processes etc. Interestingly wine makers do not have to put any of this on the label, unlike all other foods. You could argue that many commercial wines are in fact UPFs! So, the Low Intervention wine movement is trying to get back to basics, and do the minimum required to still get a decent wine.  

The wines range from close to zero intervention to just a little less intervention than the norm.

 The Wines Were – 5 white, 3 red

Sandridge Barton Pinot Rosé Devon - Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier. 9.4%

Sandridge Barton Dart Valley Reserve 2023 Devon - Madeleine Angevine, Bacchus, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc 10.5%

The Sandridge estate specialises in Still wines, not Sparkling, hence the use of historical varieties like Madelaine Angevine. They do like to go for low intervention as much as is sensible and are very into low carbon, high conservation etc. The wines were perfectly fine, but quite pricy – around £18, available from the Vineyard.

Harvest White Diogenes the Dog Puglia, Italy - Manzoni Bianco Chardonnay, Moscato. 12.0%

This has to be as close to zero intervention as we are likely to see. Lots of sediment, unlabelled with a cork stuck in. Available from the Diogenese the Dog Wine bar in south London, decanted from 20 litres containers, imported direct from the Vineyard. Well, it’s wine, but…..

Camí del Drac, Carignan Blanc, Vielles Vignes, 2022 South West France - Carignan Blanc 12.5%

A rare variety, grown high, late picked with a very slow fermentation.  Ok-ish

Paros Farming Community Seiradi Monemvasia 2022 Paros, Greece – Monemvasia. 12.8%

Another rare grape variety, grown at high altitude. I rather liked this one.

Harvest Red Diogenes the Dog Puglia, Italy – Montepulciano 12.0%

Another very low intervention wine, but a lot better than the White.

Domaine Capmartin, Pimpant, 2023 Côtes de Gascogne, France - Syrah 50%, Tannat 40%, Grenache 10% - 12.0%

This is Biodynamic/Organic – A Madiran, but IGP not AOC.

Paros Farming Community Seiradi Mandilaria 2024 Paros, Greece – Mandilaria. 12.3%

The most popular wine of the evening. Another relatively rare Indigenous grape.  

 

Note that all these wines are relatively low in Alcohol – this is due to a few things

1)     No chaptalisation (added sugar)

2)     Everything else. Minimal or Low intervention all through the process. Basically cutting back on all those little steps which are giving us the 14 – 15% wines these days.

October 2025 - Wines of Galicia - Jessica Williams

 

This month was a presentation on Wines of Galicia (Northwest Spain) by Jessica Williams. Jessica is a Wine educator, attached to the West London Wine School https://www.localwineschool.com/west-london/

I was on Holiday – In very northern Portugal, just a stone’s throw from Galicia. Some quite rarely seen grapes in here, which is a miss for me.

Apparently a very good evening, just under 40 people went.

The wines were:

 

White

Terra De Asorei ‘1953 Brut’ Sparkling Albariño NV - 100% Albariño

The Cup and Rings Albariño Sobre Lías, Rías Baixas, 2022 - 100% Albariño

Moncreque Treixadura Ribeiro 2024 - 100% Treixadura

Amor de Bares, Viña Costeira, Ribeiro 2022 - blend including: Teixadura, Torrontés, Albariño, Godello, Loureira

 Gaba do Xil O Barreiro, Valdeorras, 2024 - 100% Godello

 

Red

Abadia da Cova Fudre, Ribeira Sacra 2023 - 100% Mencia

Abadia de Gomariz, Ribeiro 2022 - blend : 50% Sousón + Brancellao, Mencia, Ferrol

Dominio do Bibei, `Lalama` Ribeira Sacra 2021 - blend: 85% Mencia + Brancellao, Mouratón, Sousón and Garnacha Tintorera