English Sparkling wine is having a moment lately. Some very distinctive English wine producers have won awards for their wines, Denbies being one of them. In 2018 alone they scooped up 24 medals for their still and sparkling wines. Not surprisingly, Asda commissioned Denbies’s and it’s winemaker John Worontschak to come up with a premium sparkling wine. The result is Asda’s ‘Extra Special English Sparkling’ Brut, made with fruit from Denbies 2015 vintage. John has been in the business for 30 years, most of them at Denbies. He is therefore very proud to show off his new addition to the Asda, Extra Special drinks family.
John hopes for this year’s harvest ‘This year the UK has experienced one of the longest and hottest summers on record. Hopes are exceptionally high for a bumper crop of high-quality grapes for the 2018 vintage.”
Denbies Wine Estate
Denbies wine estate is an attraction in itself. You can easily spend a whole day here, enjoying the stunning views over Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty while touring the vineyards, tasting wine and taking a tour of the winery.
They also have a couple of restaurants, an informal cafe style on the ground floor, The Conservatory, next to the gift shop. The other more formal and elegant establishment, The Gallery restaurant, is on the 3rd floor of the main building and overlooks the 265-acre vineyard.
The Indoor wine tour is one-hour long and starts with an Indoor Cinema Vineyard Tour. There’s plenty to learn about the terroir, the history of Denbies, winemaking and bottling process and it ends at the cellar with a wine tasting.
The outdoor train tour takes a leisurely 50-minutes round trip with a stop half-way to take in the fantastic views and a glass of bubbly (at a small extra cost) overlooking the stunning vineyard scenery.
Denbies Wine Estate Ltd
London Road, Surrey Hills
Dorking, Surrey
RH5 6AA
T: 01306 876616 (advance booking required)
Opening hours: Open all year (excluding Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day)
Opening hours: https://www.denbies.co.uk/finding-us/
Parking: Free car park on site
Getting to Denbies by train: nearest station Dorking and Dorking Deepdene train stations are a 15-minute walk away
Tasting Asda Extra Special English Sparkling Wine
This sparkling wine is made using the traditional champagne method, with the second fermentation in the bottle for a minimum of 15 months. Made with the traditional varieties of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, it is quite fresh, crisp and light-bodied with a long finish that mirrors young champagne.
It’s a clear pale straw colour with persistent tiny and lively bubbles that travel gracefully to the rim releasing intense fruity aromas.
On the palate it’s fruity – think raspberries, ripe peaches, citrus, and baked apples, all of which bring balance and vibrancy to this sparkling wine.
Matching English sparking wine with food
Asda Extra Special English Sparkling Wine pairs beautifully with fish and seafood, red and white meat, grilled vegetables, and even risotto (I personally tried this at home)!
The classic pairings of lobster, oysters and caviar work fantastically with this sparkling wine too. The more casual foods like fish and chips, fried chicken and cheese are equally delicious pairings.
All in all, Asda Extra Special English Sparkling Wine is a very versatile drink that can be served with food or as an aperitif.
Available at Asda stores and Asda online @£25/bottle
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Disclosure: I was a guest of Denbies and Asda on this day long press trip to the winery. All opinions are my own.