Sparkling wine: England versus France

Post by **jdaw1** » 15:49 Thu 11 Jul 2013

The BBC, in a long article entitled [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23008300]English wine: Is sparkling wine better in England than France?[/url], wrote:The Duchess of Cornwall has called for a new name for English sparkling wine to match the grandeur of champagne. And for the first time, domestic wine is the most popular in the government's cellar. Have Britons developed a taste for a home-grown tipple?

Someone arrives with a bottle of English wine. Cue excitable voices saying, "Gosh, English wine is really quite good, you know - it gives champagne a run for its money."

The surprise used to be palpable.

But English wine has grown up. Today it regularly wins awards - there were four gold medals at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) this year.

!

Further down is mention of ‟Christian Seely”.

benread · Post by **benread** » 18:23 Thu 11 Jul 2013

But what would that name be?

Post by **DRT** » 22:30 Thu 11 Jul 2013

Perhaps it could be called Wessex?

Post by **jdaw1** » 22:34 Thu 11 Jul 2013

DRT wrote:Perhaps it could be called Wessex?

That’s good. Though accuracy might require a demarcated area called ‟Wessex and Kent”. Yes, the three-wordedness would be more distinctive.

Post by **Alex Bridgeman** » 09:16 Fri 12 Jul 2013

jdaw1 wrote:
DRT wrote:Perhaps it could be called Wessex?
That’s good. Though accuracy might require a demarcated area called ‟Wessex and Kent”. Yes, the three-wordedness would be more distinctive.

WAK Wine does have a certain distinctiveness to it.

What does Christian Seely call his sparkling wine?

But I rather like the "does what it says on the tin" approach to call English sparkling wine "English sparkling wine". We don't need a fancy name to sell our product or a long history that we can use to sell devalued rubbish to ignorant consumers. English sparkling wine has to be good stuff if it is going to sell!

Post by **PhilW** » 12:54 Fri 12 Jul 2013

AHB wrote:
jdaw1 wrote:
DRT wrote:Perhaps it could be called Wessex?
That’s good. Though accuracy might require a demarcated area called ‟Wessex and Kent”. Yes, the three-wordedness would be more distinctive.
WAK Wine does have a certain distinctiveness to it.

Good job it's not just North Kent.

But I rather like the "does what it says on the tin" approach to call English sparkling wine "English sparkling wine". We don't need a fancy name to sell our product or a long history that we can use to sell devalued rubbish to ignorant consumers. English sparkling wine has to be good stuff if it is going to sell!

Wessex, or WES could be an acronym for Wine, English, Sparling...

Post by **jdaw1** » 13:07 Fri 12 Jul 2013

AHB wrote:What does Christian Seely call his sparkling wine?

The BBC, in a long article entitled [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23008300]English wine: Is sparkling wine better in England than France?[/url], wrote:! The owners of Coates and Seely vineyard in the North Hampshire Downs have pushed the "Britagne" badge for sparkling wine.

"It is a brand which belongs to Coates and Seely, which we use for our own wine, and which we will invite other vineyards working closely with us to use," says Christian Seely. "It is definitely not intended as a generic term for all English sparkling wines." So Camilla's search for the right term goes on.

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 13:10 Fri 12 Jul 2013

jdaw1 wrote:
AHB wrote:What does Christian Seely call his sparkling wine?

The BBC, in a long article entitled [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23008300]English wine: Is sparkling wine better in England than France?[/url], wrote:! The owners of Coates and Seely vineyard in the North Hampshire Downs have pushed the "Britagne" badge for sparkling wine.

"It is a brand which belongs to Coates and Seely, which we use for our own wine, and which we will invite other vineyards working closely with us to use," says Christian Seely. "It is definitely not intended as a generic term for all English sparkling wines." So Camilla's search for the right term goes on.

I am against using a French word for English sparkling wine - it surely undermines the whole point!

Post by **jdaw1** » 13:19 Fri 12 Jul 2013

AHB wrote:But I rather like the "does what it says on the tin" approach to call English sparkling wine "English sparkling wine". We don't need a fancy name to sell our product or a long history that we can use to sell devalued rubbish to ignorant consumers. English sparkling wine has to be good stuff if it is going to sell!

‟English sparkling wine”, or ‟English Sparkling Wine”?

Post by **PhilW** » 14:33 Fri 12 Jul 2013

Any region-based word such as Wessex would naturally exclude English sparkling wine from other regions (such as East Anglia). Use of a non-regional word could presumably also be used by other nations, but this could be acceptable; consider "Diamond" as a term potentially used to indicate a high quality, highly sparkling wine; This could then be easily used in equivalent place of Champagne (by any country), as well as preceded by maker/brand. "Produce of <Country>", or "<Country> sparkling wine" could still be used in smaller lettering below, or <Country> Diamond (e.g. "English Diamond") used to clarify a specific country if wanted.

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 14:35 Fri 12 Jul 2013

PhilW wrote:Any region-based word such as Wessex would naturally exclude English sparkling wine from other regions (such as East Anglia). Use of a non-regional word could presumably also be used by other nations, but this could be acceptable; consider "Diamond" as a term potentially used to indicate a high quality, highly sparkling wine; This could then be easily used in equivalent place of Champagne (by any country), as well as preceded by maker/brand. "Produce of <Country>", or "<Country> sparkling wine" could still be used in smaller lettering below, or <Country> Diamond (e.g. "English Diamond") used to clarify a specific country if wanted.

Possibly sounds like high-strength cider?

Post by **DRT** » 18:51 Fri 12 Jul 2013

I think it is appropriate to have a demarcated area marked out by stone pillars and managed by a state monopoly if the producers of this stuff want it to be thought of in the same bracket as other regionally (not country) based wines of the world. "English" just doesn't define it accurately enough in terms of terroir. In no time at all you would have cheap and nasty stuff on the market made with wines grown in the suburbs of Hull, Newcastle and Blackpool.

Why not call it "Tory"? That would keep all those northern scumbags away

Post by **PhilW** » 14:24 Sat 13 Jul 2013

DRT wrote:I think it is appropriate to have a demarcated area marked out by stone pillars and managed by a state monopoly

Isn't that already called Stonehenge?

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 14:38 Sat 13 Jul 2013

PhilW wrote:
DRT wrote:I think it is appropriate to have a demarcated area marked out by stone pillars and managed by a state monopoly
Isn't that already called Stonehenge?

Perfect: The Stone Henges.

Post by **DRT** » 15:13 Sat 13 Jul 2013

djewesbury wrote:
PhilW wrote:
DRT wrote:I think it is appropriate to have a demarcated area marked out by stone pillars and managed by a state monopoly
Isn't that already called Stonehenge?
Perfect: The Stone Henges.

But then people would think it was impossible to buy.

djewesbury · Post by **djewesbury** » 15:43 Sat 13 Jul 2013

DRT wrote:
djewesbury wrote:
PhilW wrote:
DRT wrote:I think it is appropriate to have a demarcated area marked out by stone pillars and managed by a state monopoly
Isn't that already called Stonehenge?
Perfect: The Stone Henges.
But then people would think it was impossible to buy.

I don't know what you mean, I've got my allocation

(Should be delivered some time around 2014....)

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