English Wine Festival 2001

The 27th English Wine and Regional Food Festival was held at Plumpton on 1 and 2 September 2001. The wines were once again of excellent quality and, as Charles Metcalfe, Chair of Judges, commented, the real change this year was the quality of the red wines. There were eight "perfectly good" reds and the judges unanimously awarded first prize to the Chapel Down Epoch 1999. It is good - oaky and smooth. My favourite red however, Carter's King Coel 1998, didn't get a look in with the judges. But I'm not a MW!

An interesting innovation this year, all included in the £8 entrance price, was a tutored wine and cheese tasting. The irrepressible Martyn Doubleday partnered Eleanor Robins of Say Cheese matching white wines with cheeses - English, of course. Bearstead Bacchus with soft crumbly Lawton Log goat's cheese, Bruisyard Serenity with Bishops Blessing from British buffalos(!) and Colston Bassett Stilton with Sandhurst Late Harvest 1999 dessert wine - the poor man's equivalent of Roquefort and Ch d'Yquem and very good too.

Unfortunately the afternoon tasting was a reprise of the morning's, so one couldn't sensibly go to both tastings this year.

Ridgeview's Bloomsbury 1997 bubbly won the sparkling class hands down. No expense is spared in its making - even the constituents are authentic: pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier. Dry whites were the most numerous and are, says Charles Metcalf, what we should be doing in England. We have the climate, we have the vines and we have the winemaking skills.

The band was on good form as usual, the hog roast was delicious and there were plenty of stands only too willing to give you a free taste of their wares. Wines, beers, cheeses, sauces, fruit cake, even freshly brewed coffee.

Nice pies.

The 2002 English Wine Festival is 7 and 8 September 2002 at Bentley Wildfowl & Motor Museum, Halland near Lewes, East Sussex. If you like wine and will be in or around Sussex, give it a try!