Nyetimber in the Press

By Neal Martin

Last August, I drove down to Nyetimber’s winery and spent a day with wife and husband Cherie Spriggs and Brad Greatrix, head winemaker and winemaker, respectively. After inspecting their nearby vineyard, we conducted a comprehensive vertical that included current releases and a look back to the wines from the Nineties.

“All fruit comes from our own vines. Anything with Nyetimber on the label is 100% from our vines, so production depends on the season.” Brad Greatrix explained.

“One big change in terms of harvesting is that we were one of the first to go and taste the grapes at harvest. – Also, in using the parcel-by-parcel approach, we taste grapes to inform us where there are differences between blocks or within the block due to undulations, so that we can harvest them separately. That has continued as we have grown. We use only three varieties but with all 11 sites in full production, we will have well over 100 base wines.” Greatrix continued.

What better way to enjoy the heat of summer than with a delicious sparkling wine? Nyetimber’s Multi-Vintage Rosé is the perfect beverage for summer afternoons, bringing a touch of English elegance to picnics, celebrations or even just casual drinks at home. And it is the perfect complement for Japanese food! If you’re looking for a drink to go with a fresh seafood dish, then Nyetimber’s Classic Cuvee is also highly recommended.

Right now, UK wine is fizzing with energy. Pioneering sparkling wine producers have turned a former joke, English wine, into an internationally award-winning force, the success of which is attracting new producers as UK vineyards grow rapidly.

According to industry body, WineGB, Britain is now home to 165 wineries and 770 vineyards. Their output is not huge – around 9-16 million bottles are produced annually, in a country which drank 1.7 billion bottles last year, reports IWSR Drinks Market Analysis. But what this craft industry lacks in size it makes up for in quality.

Naturally, the royals are also devotees of English-made goods, and this English sparkling wine brand is not only rumored to be a favorite of Her Majesty, it also earned the honor of being served at Kate Middleton’s sister, Pippa’s, wedding.

Where’s it from?
The greensand and chalk soils of Nyetimber — a winemaker that owns ten vineyards across West Sussex, Hampshire and Kent. This sparkling rosé benefits from the British climate, allowing for slow ripening.
Which grape varieties?
That that textbook Champagne blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. Handpicked at the optimal time every year, the grapes are gently pressed to extract maximum flavour.
Flavours and aromas?
Boasting a beautiful, sunset pink colour, this bottling has creamy brioche notes, barrels of rich red berry flavours — and an intriguing touch of spices ranging from anise to lavender.

Quite bright pink in colour. The nose shows enticing red fruit (strawberry, raspberry) with warm brioche notes. This is a very accomplished English pink fizz, on the dry side, crisp and firm. It bears comparison with big names from Champagne, at a similar price.

The success story of English sparkling wine: we set out to discover what has made English bubbly so much better and popular in the last decade, and what the future holds. And of course, we offer some top recommendations too.

As one of the best-known and most appreciated English sparkling wine producers, Nyetimber has been a pioneer in its category. Listen to owner and CEO Eric Heerema tells us how he has worked to raise its profile.

Nyetimber 1086 Prestige Cuvée Rosé 2010: Silky and elegant, Nyetimber’s top-of-the-line vintage rosé proves England knows a thing or two about making sparkling wine. Crafted by husband and wife team Brad Greatrix and Cherie Spriggs, who actually moved to Britain to work at the winery after discovering the sparkling wines by happenstance, the 2010 vintage is the first-ever rosé sparkling wine in the country. There is a strong focus on the long aging on the lees (yeast particles) giving the wine pastry notes alongside its bold cassis flavors. It’s not far from my favorite black currant macaron in spirit, and it’s simply foreshadowing for what we’ll see from West Sussex in the future.

‘The 50 best British brands’ has been published online. Nyetimber is mentioned as one of these brands, alongside other important names in British luxury including, Holland & Holland, Floris and Rolls Royce. The journalist Johnathan Wells writes, ‘Every gentleman should have a taste for the finer things in life, and that includes a beautiful bottle of sparkling wine, describing Nyetimber as ‘the bubbly your flutes have be waiting for.’

Victoria Moore for The Daily Telegraph has listed Classic Cuvee MV as one of her ‘Wines of the Week’, a feature within an article entitled, ‘The best English vineyards to visit for wine tastings, tours and treehouse stays’, in which she lists the best English vineyards have to offer this summer.

‘Nyetimber is one of the most famous English sparkling wines, so I would usually assume you can find your way to it yourselves, but I wanted to highlight these half-bottles currently on offer and handy for those times you want a glass or two. Creamy, toasty and assured.’

Nyetimber Rosé is mentioned as one of the newspapers top picks for Mother’s Day… ‘of all the English wine producers, Nyetimber is the one that, over the years, has done the most to push the reputation of English sparkling wine forward, both as an early pioneer and more recently with the release of its luxury cuvées’.

Nyetimber Rosé ‘is excellent – a dance of crunchy redcurrants, raspberries and strawberries with a biscuity note underneath.’