This autumn, Asda is entering the battle of British bubbly with the launch of its first Extra Special English Sparkling. Priced at just £25, the grapes and method used for the bubbly are the same as those in Champagne, making for a quality bottle akin to the pricey French fizz.
Produced with exclusive grapes from the 2015 vintage by award-winning Surrey winery, Denbies, Asda’s Extra Special English Sparkling continues the trend for British bubbles, with British sparkling having seen growth of over 30% between 2015 and 2017*.
Following the boom in popularity of Prosecco, English sparkling has become a more frequent guest in British homes, as the nation look for locally-produced, premium bottles for something that little bit more special.
The recent heatwave has also meant English wine will be flourishing, with the perfect growing conditions producing a bumper crop of quality grapes from this year’s vintage.
Sean Aitken, Asda wine buyer, comments: “English sparkling has seen such incredible growth over the last year, with our customers now looking to trade-up from Prosecco to something a little more premium for special occasions.
“To ensure we’re providing customers with quality sparkling, we’ve worked closely with the team at Denbies to bottle a crisp, delicious English fizz plucked straight from vines on London’s doorstep.”
With notes of baked apple, citrus and complex toasty aromas, Asda’s English sparkling is perfect as an aperitif, and matched with seafood or poultry.
John Worontschak, Denbies Winemaker, comments: “Having been a part of the English wine industry for 30 years, it’s extraordinary to see it blossoming so quickly, with many of the world’s finest sparkling wines now straight from English vineyards.
“The Extra Special Sparkling we’ve produced for Asda is made from the traditional varieties of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, and is an excellent example of a high-quality sparkling wine showing all the finesse and complexity that can be obtained with careful winemaking and a temperate climate.”
Asda’s Extra Special English Sparkling is available in-store and online now for £25.