There have been several articles recently about Prosecco, here on The Write Taste. The iconic Italian bubbly has seen huge success over the years and is a firm favourite among many UK wine lovers.
Prosecco is made primarily using the Glera grape (which used to be called Prosecco) and by secondary fermentation in tank. It's a fresh and fruity category of sparkling wine with different levels of quality and sweetness to suit many tastes, budgets and drinking occasions.
In contrast, the traditional method used for Champagne, Cava, most English sparkling and other sparklers, involves secondary fermentation in bottle using grapes such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir etc.
The 'tank method', aka Charmat or Martinotti, is not restricted to Prosecco, so German Sekt and many other sparkling wines from around the world are often made in this way too.
Most English bubbly uses the traditional method. However, one recent development is the emergence of lower-priced 'Charmat' sparkling wine. It's a somewhat controversial subject with critics pointing to the ever-increasing high quality and prestigious accolades seen in English sparkling wine made by the traditional method.
However, as Will Coren of House of Coren said last year (which you can read about on The Write Taste), "[Charmat] is different from the traditional method - not better or worse, just different. Having diversity in the market is really important."
One new entrant to the English sparkling scene is Silverhand Estate, nestled deep in the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Home to the 1000-year-old manor house, Luddesdown Court, the estate is owned by MDCV UK, which is aiming to become the largest producer of wine both in England and Provence by 2027.
Silverhand takes its name from King Ludd, a pre-Roman, first century Celtic King who founded London. According to legend, after losing his hand in battle, a new one was made for him out of silver by Gorfannon, the divine-smith god.
MDCV has a passion for sustainability and manage all of their vineyards organically with minimal impact on the environment. They use techniques, such as composting organic waste, harvesting rainwater and heating their sites using ground source heat pumps or other natural sources.
Similarly, Silverhand Estate is farmed organically, with a strong sustainability programme and a dedicated conservation team. It's the largest single organic vineyard in the UK, covering an area of more than 200 hectares and all wines are made using handpicked grapes.
Silverhand's sparkling range currently includes a Classic Brut NV, a vintage Blanc de Blancs and an ultra-premium, limited edition vintage Blanc de Noirs KYNG. The winery also makes two still wines - a Chardonnay and a Solaris. However, it's their first release in June this year that caused a bit of a stir!
Silver Reign is a multi-award winning, Charmat-method sparkling wine, made from a blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, This marks a departure from the more typical practice of using these grapes to make traditional method bubbly or still wine. Controversial? Well you decide!
🎚️ ABV: 12.5%.
🍬 Residual Sugar: 13g/L.
🍇 Grapes: 60% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier.
👁️ Appearance: Straw colour with a fine mousse.
👃 Nose: Floral and fruity with notes of pear, elderflower, peach and a touch of lemon peel.
😋 Palate: Light, fresh and juicy with fruity notes of citrus, apricot, peach, green apple and green pear, leading to a persistent, dry finish.
🍴 Food Pairing: Perfect with picnics (better leave that till the weather is warmer!) or for drinking on its own, try with fish goujons, cold cuts of chicken or turkey, cheese salads and vegetarian risottos. 🤤
🎶 Music accompaniment: We All Need Christmas by Def Leppard.
💷 Where to buy: You can buy a case of six Silver Reign bottles for £89.25 from The Wine Caverns.
Silverhand Silver Reign is English fizz at an affordable price and is a great alternative to other bubblies over the festive season 🍾 🥂 🎉 🥳
Sure - there are more complex English sparkling wines around, made by the traditional method … and I've argued many times that this boutique, relatively low volume and so often high quality category should not be labelled as too expensive. However, with many people preferring the light, fresh touch of Prosecco, but want something different, homegrown and easier on the wallet, then this is worth a try. Enjoy!
