“All the world’s a stage”, as some bright spark once wrote. There comes a time in a winemaker’s life when they must decide whether they are going to step onto that world stage or continue to make local wines for local people.
There are only a handful of English and Welsh wines that venture beyond our borders with any conviction, but I suspect the time is right, now, for more wineries to throw the dice. Of course, this requires the entire company to be on the same page, considerable and relentless investment, and for the chosen ‘players’ to be the very best, most representative, and unique wines in one’s portfolio. It is literally a case of best foot forward. So, how many wines can you think of that tick the relevant boxes to step into the unknown and stand a good chance of making their mark internationally? In all truth, there are not as many as I suspect we collectively believe.
To begin with, the backing alone is daunting, so having deep pockets is essential. You can spend three, four, or five years finding distribution, training staff, launching, and then repeat-visiting your targeted countries and their key accounts to establish a foothold. However, once you are on that hamster wheel, you cannot get off for a moment. It is exhausting and repetitive, but if you believe in your wines and they are beautiful enough to give it a go, the only person getting in the way of their success is you.
You must trust in your wines. If this challenge is not appealing, you can skip to this week’s recommendations, which all work remarkably well whether you drink them in Hastings or Honolulu. If you are interested in giving it a go, you will find yourself representing the UK abroad. This involves cheerleading for our entire wine trade, telling a national story, and, in the same breath, championing your labels. I take my hat off to you.
We produce a significant number of world-class wines in the UK, and we cannot hope to sell them all domestically. Some have made the bold decision to break into new markets, and with success! We need more brave souls with outstanding wines to do the same. You will find this a Sisyphean task to begin with, but when the groundwork is done, and with good partners and a decent slice of lady luck, you will find the rewards are incredible.
This month, I have selected three wines that I believe are indelibly English, world-class, from a flavour perspective, and that possess the flair and uniqueness that enable them to make confident and memorable waves overseas.
2024 Cobham House Vineyard, Rosé, Kent
£42.00
www.cobhamhouse.co.uk
Since Emma Rice’s move from Hattingley Valley, she has been bounding around our trade, helping out those who love handcrafted wines with credible stories, a unique sense of place, and a singular character, to engender fascination and surprise in the taster.
When I first tasted this wine, I was impressed with the lavish packaging and the unusual bottle shape. This is an eye-catching number, to put it mildly.
But, of course, I only care about the contents, and in the case of this rosé, it breaks new ground for a couple of relevant reasons! For a start, it is made from 100% Gamay (which is in itself an incredible rarity on our shores), and it is fermented in old Ruby Port barrels from Portugal, making it truly unique! The flavour has a wickedly enticing Gamay halo of hedgerow fruit and cherries with a hint of spiciness and greenery that adds to its depth of field. In addition, the barrels do something intangible and imaginative around four seconds into the experience. They appear to add a hint of exoticism and juiciness!
This is a delicious, inventive, unique and involving wine, and with only 1407 bottles produced, it has a cache that will appeal to collectors and geeks alike. I think it would floor curious sommeliers and give chefs a new flavour to think about, too, and this makes it a dead ringer for this month’s theme.
2014 Roebuck, Rare Expressions, No.96
Approx. £95.00
www.roebuckestates.co.uk
The Wine Yard Farnham
My second discovery this month is another small production wine. Only 1,600 bottles of this 2014 vintage were carefully secreted in the Roebuck cellar.
Roebuck Estates Head of Viticulture, Jake Wicks, noted: “We tasted the wine every year to assess its evolution in bottle”. After 96 months on its lees, it was deemed to be at its peak of perfection. After 24 months on cork, we find ourselves here today.
Made from 47% Chardonnay, 38% Pinot Noir and 15% Pinot Meunier, and with a hint of oak, superb acidity and a gentle 7g/L dosage, this is a grand wine with stunning generosity and ample upholstery. It is every bit as complex and layered as any elite international sparkler, yet it retains its indelible English signature of our green and pleasant land, making it unique and entirely relevant on a global stage.
2023 Marbury, Crouch Valley Chardonnay
£38.00 www.stswithinswineshippers.com
I wonder if this wine’s international connections make it too obvious a candidate for this month’s piece. Regardless, it has just been launched, it is drop-dead gorgeous, and it could sit on any wine list in any country in the world, so it already possesses the skills, and it is another debut creation!
Made by Charlie Holland in his new position as the Jackson Family Wine’s special envoy, with a directive to enchant and captivate those who come under Marbury’s spell, this wine is not what you might expect. You can bet your bottom dollar that when you taste one of the 2,000 bottles produced, it is likely to be one of the most discreet, elegant and refined Chardonnays of the year. Not just English either. You can compare this diaphanous white wine with any of its international counterparts, and it maintains its sophistication, balance and poise.
The 12.5% alcohol, slight, 15% new oak and silky Crouch Valley fruit make it a mesmerising and entirely convincing first foray for this Californian wine dynasty’s English adventure. It doesn’t need to find its way to a world stage: it was born there.
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