Summer has a way of drawing life outdoors. Garden lunches become evening gatherings, picnics stretch long into the afternoon, and ordinary weekends become excuses to bring people together.
Whether it’s a celebratory lunch, impromptu picnic, evening with friends, garden party or even a wedding, if you can source the perfect bubbles for your bash while championing a local business at the same time, even better. We asked three local experts for their recommendations for this summer’s hottest sparkling wines and non-alcoholic alternatives, to help your party go with a bang…
Harrow & Hope Brut Reserve NV, Marlow England
£35.95 per bottle, 2poundstreet.com/shop
‘This is a World class fizz made right our doorstep and a firm favourite with our customers,’ says Michael Boniface, Manager and Wine Buyer at No2 Pound Street, Wendover. ‘A classic Champagne blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, it’s created by Henry & Kaye Laithwaite, who use only grapes from their own organically farmed vineyards in Marlow and make the wines themselves on the same site – fairly unusual for English fizz’
“A World class fizz made right our doorstep.”
Harrow & Hope Brut Reserve – photograph courtesy of Harrow & Hope
“The perfect bubbles for your bash while championing a local business at the same time.”
Celene Cuvee Royale Crémant de Bordeaux Blanc, A.C. Bordeaux, France
‘This is our best-selling sparkling,’ reveals Ollie Waddon, Wine Ambassador for Rothschild Waddesdon, based at Waddesdon Manor. ‘Crémant is a sparkling wine from around nine regions, and while lots of people have tried a Burgundy or a Loire crémant, few have tried a Bordeaux, like this. It’s made Champagne-style, with a second fermentation in the bottle for 24 months, and is available as a Blanc or Rosé, which are both equally as good. With lovely texture and freshness, we had a wine tasting for staff recently and this was the winner.’
Nalgora wine & champagne bucket by Nkuku
“Good glassware. Ice that lasts. A bottle worth sharing.”
The Nalgora wine & champagne bucket, £100 from Nkuku.
Real fermented sparkling tea (Blush, Sec or Dry)
£60 for a case of six 750ml bottles, Realalcoholfree.com
‘We created our slow fermented sparkling tea to offer something genuinely worth reaching for – not a substitute – and there’s nothing quite like it,’ explains David Begg, founder of REAL drinks, fermented on the historic Waddesdon Estate and served at The Pig, Le Gavroche and the Fat Duck, among others. ‘It’s slow fermented from tea over several weeks, which gives it a complexity not often found in non-alcoholic options, with bright acidity, layered flavour, and real structure.’ For summer gatherings, he recommends REAL Dry, ‘It’s crisp and elegant, made with pan-fired Dragonwell green tea; or the Blush if you want a well-rounded option with delicate fruit notes. They’re made to be served chilled and shared, where you want the occasion to feel special, with or without alcohol.’
David Begg, founder of REAL – photograph courtesy of REAL Alcohol Free
“Something genuinely worth reaching for – not a substitute.”
Gusbourne Brut Reserve 2016, Kent, England
‘I love English wine – it offers real value for money. So many English vineyards have gone up in the last two decades; the vines are getting older; and farmers are learning year on year,’ says Ollie. ‘This fizz is made by a Kent-based vineyard, and drinks beautifully – as it feels light and fresh, it’s great for summer drinking, and pairs particularly well with fish and chips!’
‘Chloe’ Prosecco, Althea, Veneto, Italy
£13.95, 2poundstreet.com/shop
‘Our house Prosecco for over ten years, we couldn’t be happier with this Italian beauty,’ says Michael. ‘Being family-owned and considerably smaller than the usual Prosecco behemoths, the focus here really is on quality. The winemaking is exemplary, resulting in a balanced, refreshing fizz, which is incredibly easy to drink.’
“The focus here really is on quality.”
Bolle Sparkling Blanc de Blanc, Europe
‘Non-alcoholic wines are huge at the moment, and it’s never been more important to have a strong alcohol-free offering at your party,’ explains Ollie. ‘I went to a wine tasting in London recently with 300 wines in the room, and this was easily one of my favourites – it’s fresh and light, with great texture, good flavour notes, and is easy to drink – all the things you’d expect from an alcoholic wine.’
With thanks to our experts:
Waddesdon Manor wine shop: Shop.waddesdon.org.uk
No2 Pound Street, Wendover: 2poundstreet.com/shop
REAL drinks, Waddesdon: Realalcoholfree.com
Lead image courtesy of Nkuku