Prosecco, Cava and Champagne have gone flat \u2013 but British fizz is popping<\/strong><\/h2>\nWith Prosecco losing its sparkle, Cava no longer the bargain it once was and Champagne painfully pricey, Matthew Jukes<\/em> says Britain\u2019s best sparkling wines are ready for their sunshine moment<\/h4>\n![\"IMG](\"https:\/\/www.matthewjukes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG-1302-687x1030.jpg\" "\\"IMG")
<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a question: what glass do you reach for when someone opens a bottle of sparkling wine?<\/p>\n
A coupe looks the part, of course. It has glamour, history and a certain louche, party-season charm. It also gives you plenty of surface area for those first few aromatic moments. The problem is that the bubbles disappear far too quickly, and the balance of this top-heavy glass in the hand is often too wobbly.<\/p>\n
A flute, meanwhile, has tradition on its side. It looks celebratory, keeps the bubbles in a tidy stream and has become the default choice for birthdays, weddings and hotel bars everywhere. But the narrow bowl traps the wine instead of releasing it, gives you no room to swirl, stifles the perfume and leaves you drinking from a glass that is, quite frankly, too small.<\/p>\n
The right answer is a white wine glass<\/em>. It has the proportions sparkling wine actually needs: enough height to preserve the bubbles, enough width to let the aromatics open, and a gently rounded bowl that allows a slow swirl without flattening the wine. And if you don\u2019t believe me, look at how Champagne is served in the best restaurants \u2013 the white wine glass has become the new standard.<\/p>\nNow that you have the correct weapon in hand, what will you be pouring into it as the mercury rises this summer?<\/p>\n
I think most consumers have long since tired of Italian Prosecco; it is often too sweet, too bubble-bathy and not nearly gastronomic enough.<\/p>\n
Cava seems to have had its moment as a fashionable choice. Made using the Traditional Champagne Method, this Spanish sparkling wine has always been a clear step up from Prosecco. The problem is price. It was once highly competitive \u2013 I have often said the big brands offered some of the best value on Earth \u2013 but price creep has pushed many bottles close to the \u00a320 mark, which seems ludicrous.<\/p>\n
Cr\u00e9mant has sneakily sidled into our hearts, not least because this is a French phenomenon, and it again uses the Traditional Method of secondary fermentation in the bottle to bring a degree of class to proceedings. Certainly, the French in France love this style for parties and large gatherings, with Alsace, the Loire, Bordeaux and Burgundy all bringing their own flavours to the fore. Drinkers outside France would be well advised to follow suit, as the best still sit under \u00a315, and tend to have more finesse than other similarly priced world styles.<\/p>\n
Naturally, Champagne sits atop the pile. But you might need a defibrillator on hand if you have not seen the prices of your favourite Grandes Marques of late. And don\u2019t get me started on the prestige cuv\u00e9es. I am not going to single out individual bottles or producers, because that would be unfair. But when so many familiar Champagnes now cost so much, it does raise a second question: how often do you drink Champagne these days?<\/p>\n
I would wager that it is less often than ever, and rarely out and about, because the damage to your credit card is so painful.<\/p>\n
Given the state of Prosecco, the price creep of Cava and the cost of Champagne, this English wine writer has a patriotic solution.<\/p>\n
I am sure you saw this coming a couple of sentences ago, but English wine is the answer. Serious interest in home-grown bottles was seemingly kicked into life by the twin pillars of the late Queen Elizabeth II\u2019s Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics in 2012. Since then, sparkling styles, and indeed carefully chosen still wines, have leapt up the quality ladder year after year.<\/p>\n
The International Wine Challenge 2026 awarded Trophies across still white, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, non-vintage, vintage ros\u00e9, and classic blend categories. Is any other country in the world improving its wine quality as quickly as Great Britain?<\/p>\n
Warmer weather, ideal soils, fascinating microclimates, and wizard-level viticulture and winemaking have fast-tracked Britain\u2019s wine cosmos to unprecedented levels of \u00e9lan. So here are some bottles you should do everything you can to track down. This is not intended to be a roll call of every Tom, Dick and Harry now making wine in Britain. I have kept it personal and practical, focusing only on bottles I know well, genuinely rate, and would happily serve to friends and family at home.<\/p>\n
Starting with sparkling whites, Red Johnson\u2019s pair of Albion English Fizz starts at \u00a320 for the white and \u00a325 for the ros\u00e9. No one ever thought English fizz of this quality could be made at this price, but Red, son of English wine-writing royalty Hugh Johnson, has proved us all wrong.<\/p>\n
In the epic value and grand flavour camp, look no further than this stellar roll call of astonishingly impressive producers: Black Chalk, Camel Valley, Greyfriars, Harrow & Hope, Langham, Oxney Organic Estate, Roebuck and Simpsons, to name but a few. If you are happy to spend a little more, while still staying below the all-important \u00a350 barrier, look to beauties from Breaky Bottom, Coates & Seely, Domaine Evremond, Exton Park, Gusbourne, Hambledon, Hattingley Valley, Nyetimber, Rathfinny, Saffron Grange, Sugrue South Downs, Weyborne and Wiston.<\/p>\n
And that is not all. Sink your teeth into some beautiful Blanc de Blancs from Albury Estate, Chapel Down Kits Coty, Exton Park and Nyetimber, or indulge in the hedonistic indulgence of Blanc de Noirs from Exton Park, The Grange, Harrow & Hope, Langham, Rathfinny and Roebuck.<\/p>\n
Top ros\u00e9s can be found at Artelium, Exton Park, Harrow & Hope, Langham, Sugrue South Downs and Wiston, and there is even an emerging \u2018crazy stuff\u2019 category (for the very brave and deep-pocketed) with wines such as Exton Park\u2019s Blanc de Noirs 60 Above & 60 Below, Gusbourne\u2019s Oak Reserve and 51 Degrees North, Langham\u2019s Perpetual and Nyetimber\u2019s Tillington.<\/p>\n
I am sure I have missed a few out, but this collection ought to keep you busy. And when you have made some serious inroads into this mountain of deliciousness, I would be interested to learn which styles of sparkling wine you revert to.<\/p>\n
I know the results of my own \u2018experiments\u2019, or rather my 24\/7, four-decade life in the wine world. In all honesty, I drink an ever-decreasing pool of epic Champagnes, including nerve-tingling beauties from Billecart-Salmon\u2019s entire portfolio, Bollinger\u2019s RD, Charles Heidsieck\u2019s vintage creations, Henri Guiraud\u2019s MV and Argonne cuv\u00e9es, Taittinger\u2019s Comtes de Champagne, Paul D\u00e9thune\u2019s bargains and odd bottles of Jansz Tasmania for parties or school fundraisers.<\/p>\n
While the top-quality sparkling wine world appears to be getting smaller, as climate change upsets the planet\u2019s balance and the perfect spots for making elite sparkling wines are disappearing fast, English fizz is soaring. Once a hobby for retired colonels and gung-ho landowners, Britain is now, in the blink of an eye, a vital sparkling wine hub.<\/p>\n
Who\u2019d have thought it? Christopher Merret, that\u2019s who, on 17 December 1662 when he presented a paper entitled \u2018Some Observations concerning the Ordering of Wines\u2019 to the newly formed Royal Society.<\/p>\n
FIN<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Prosecco, Cava and Champagne have gone flat \u2013 but British fizz is popping With Prosecco losing its sparkle, Cava no longer the bargain it once was and Champagne painfully pricey, Matthew Jukes says Britain\u2019s best sparkling wines are ready for their sunshine moment Here\u2019s a question: what glass do you reach for when someone opens […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7056423,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[178071],"tags":[1837,2570,3162,19047,1836,539],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-7056422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-notes","tag-edition","tag-english","tag-european","tag-fizz","tag-special","tag-summer"],"yoast_head":"\n
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<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a question: what glass do you reach for when someone opens a bottle of sparkling wine?<\/p>\n
A coupe looks the part, of course. It has glamour, history and a certain louche, party-season charm. It also gives you plenty of surface area for those first few aromatic moments. The problem is that the bubbles disappear far too quickly, and the balance of this top-heavy glass in the hand is often too wobbly.<\/p>\n
A flute, meanwhile, has tradition on its side. It looks celebratory, keeps the bubbles in a tidy stream and has become the default choice for birthdays, weddings and hotel bars everywhere. But the narrow bowl traps the wine instead of releasing it, gives you no room to swirl, stifles the perfume and leaves you drinking from a glass that is, quite frankly, too small.<\/p>\n
The right answer is a white wine glass<\/em>. It has the proportions sparkling wine actually needs: enough height to preserve the bubbles, enough width to let the aromatics open, and a gently rounded bowl that allows a slow swirl without flattening the wine. And if you don\u2019t believe me, look at how Champagne is served in the best restaurants \u2013 the white wine glass has become the new standard.<\/p>\n Now that you have the correct weapon in hand, what will you be pouring into it as the mercury rises this summer?<\/p>\n I think most consumers have long since tired of Italian Prosecco; it is often too sweet, too bubble-bathy and not nearly gastronomic enough.<\/p>\n Cava seems to have had its moment as a fashionable choice. Made using the Traditional Champagne Method, this Spanish sparkling wine has always been a clear step up from Prosecco. The problem is price. It was once highly competitive \u2013 I have often said the big brands offered some of the best value on Earth \u2013 but price creep has pushed many bottles close to the \u00a320 mark, which seems ludicrous.<\/p>\n Cr\u00e9mant has sneakily sidled into our hearts, not least because this is a French phenomenon, and it again uses the Traditional Method of secondary fermentation in the bottle to bring a degree of class to proceedings. Certainly, the French in France love this style for parties and large gatherings, with Alsace, the Loire, Bordeaux and Burgundy all bringing their own flavours to the fore. Drinkers outside France would be well advised to follow suit, as the best still sit under \u00a315, and tend to have more finesse than other similarly priced world styles.<\/p>\n Naturally, Champagne sits atop the pile. But you might need a defibrillator on hand if you have not seen the prices of your favourite Grandes Marques of late. And don\u2019t get me started on the prestige cuv\u00e9es. I am not going to single out individual bottles or producers, because that would be unfair. But when so many familiar Champagnes now cost so much, it does raise a second question: how often do you drink Champagne these days?<\/p>\n I would wager that it is less often than ever, and rarely out and about, because the damage to your credit card is so painful.<\/p>\n Given the state of Prosecco, the price creep of Cava and the cost of Champagne, this English wine writer has a patriotic solution.<\/p>\n I am sure you saw this coming a couple of sentences ago, but English wine is the answer. Serious interest in home-grown bottles was seemingly kicked into life by the twin pillars of the late Queen Elizabeth II\u2019s Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics in 2012. Since then, sparkling styles, and indeed carefully chosen still wines, have leapt up the quality ladder year after year.<\/p>\n The International Wine Challenge 2026 awarded Trophies across still white, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, non-vintage, vintage ros\u00e9, and classic blend categories. Is any other country in the world improving its wine quality as quickly as Great Britain?<\/p>\n Warmer weather, ideal soils, fascinating microclimates, and wizard-level viticulture and winemaking have fast-tracked Britain\u2019s wine cosmos to unprecedented levels of \u00e9lan. So here are some bottles you should do everything you can to track down. This is not intended to be a roll call of every Tom, Dick and Harry now making wine in Britain. I have kept it personal and practical, focusing only on bottles I know well, genuinely rate, and would happily serve to friends and family at home.<\/p>\n Starting with sparkling whites, Red Johnson\u2019s pair of Albion English Fizz starts at \u00a320 for the white and \u00a325 for the ros\u00e9. No one ever thought English fizz of this quality could be made at this price, but Red, son of English wine-writing royalty Hugh Johnson, has proved us all wrong.<\/p>\n In the epic value and grand flavour camp, look no further than this stellar roll call of astonishingly impressive producers: Black Chalk, Camel Valley, Greyfriars, Harrow & Hope, Langham, Oxney Organic Estate, Roebuck and Simpsons, to name but a few. If you are happy to spend a little more, while still staying below the all-important \u00a350 barrier, look to beauties from Breaky Bottom, Coates & Seely, Domaine Evremond, Exton Park, Gusbourne, Hambledon, Hattingley Valley, Nyetimber, Rathfinny, Saffron Grange, Sugrue South Downs, Weyborne and Wiston.<\/p>\n And that is not all. Sink your teeth into some beautiful Blanc de Blancs from Albury Estate, Chapel Down Kits Coty, Exton Park and Nyetimber, or indulge in the hedonistic indulgence of Blanc de Noirs from Exton Park, The Grange, Harrow & Hope, Langham, Rathfinny and Roebuck.<\/p>\n Top ros\u00e9s can be found at Artelium, Exton Park, Harrow & Hope, Langham, Sugrue South Downs and Wiston, and there is even an emerging \u2018crazy stuff\u2019 category (for the very brave and deep-pocketed) with wines such as Exton Park\u2019s Blanc de Noirs 60 Above & 60 Below, Gusbourne\u2019s Oak Reserve and 51 Degrees North, Langham\u2019s Perpetual and Nyetimber\u2019s Tillington.<\/p>\n I am sure I have missed a few out, but this collection ought to keep you busy. And when you have made some serious inroads into this mountain of deliciousness, I would be interested to learn which styles of sparkling wine you revert to.<\/p>\n I know the results of my own \u2018experiments\u2019, or rather my 24\/7, four-decade life in the wine world. In all honesty, I drink an ever-decreasing pool of epic Champagnes, including nerve-tingling beauties from Billecart-Salmon\u2019s entire portfolio, Bollinger\u2019s RD, Charles Heidsieck\u2019s vintage creations, Henri Guiraud\u2019s MV and Argonne cuv\u00e9es, Taittinger\u2019s Comtes de Champagne, Paul D\u00e9thune\u2019s bargains and odd bottles of Jansz Tasmania for parties or school fundraisers.<\/p>\n While the top-quality sparkling wine world appears to be getting smaller, as climate change upsets the planet\u2019s balance and the perfect spots for making elite sparkling wines are disappearing fast, English fizz is soaring. Once a hobby for retired colonels and gung-ho landowners, Britain is now, in the blink of an eye, a vital sparkling wine hub.<\/p>\n Who\u2019d have thought it? Christopher Merret, that\u2019s who, on 17 December 1662 when he presented a paper entitled \u2018Some Observations concerning the Ordering of Wines\u2019 to the newly formed Royal Society.<\/p>\n Prosecco, Cava and Champagne have gone flat \u2013 but British fizz is popping With Prosecco losing its sparkle, Cava no longer the bargain it once was and Champagne painfully pricey, Matthew Jukes says Britain\u2019s best sparkling wines are ready for their sunshine moment Here\u2019s a question: what glass do you reach for when someone opens […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7056423,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[178071],"tags":[1837,2570,3162,19047,1836,539],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-7056422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-notes","tag-edition","tag-english","tag-european","tag-fizz","tag-special","tag-summer"],"yoast_head":"\nFIN<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"