England’s leading wine producer Chapel Down took its best-selling sparkling wine to the Champagne region of France, to conduct the ultimate sparkling wine taste test.
Under the playful guise of “Chapelle en Bas”, a literal brand translation of ‘Chapel Down’, French consumers were invited to try Chapel Down’s Brut alongside a major Champagne brand.
Le verdict? 60% of consumers preferred Chapel Down to Champagne. Ooh la la!
Brits drink nearly three times as much Champagne than English sparkling wine due to outdated perceptions of being higher quality and making a better impression on others. But not only did the French love the English wine, they actually preferred it with 6 out of 10 preferring it to French Champagne. The English sparkling wine was praised by French locals and tourists alike – describing Chapel Down’s wine as “fresher” and “crisper”.
There were several shocked faces and raised eyebrows after revealing this mysterious cuvée hailed from England. In fact, some couldn’t believe the vines are grown and the grapes hand-picked and harvested in the Garden of England.
Chapel Down Chief Marketing Officer, Liam Newton, said:
“The French know a thing or two about sparkling wine, with their centuries of winemaking heritage, so what better place than Champagne to sample our Chapel Down Brut? We are incredibly proud of the exceptional quality of our English sparkling wine, and it was great to have this affirmed by the French themselves. A 60% result like this propels us even further in changing the way the world views English wine.”
Chapel Down have also recently been awarded eight medals across their range of Sparkling and Still wines at The International Wine Challenge 2023 and 9 Awards at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2023
A statement on the company website says:
“This is the perfect time to pay tribute to our winemaking team, led by Josh Donaghay-Spire, and we’re so pleased that their skill and passion for crafting exceptional wines has been recognised.
“We’re proud to be driving our nation’s reputation as a wine producer forward.”
Chapel Down is England’s leading wine producer with an award-winning range of sparkling and still wines. Based in Kent, in the heart of the Garden of England, they produce wines of the highest quality and “offer the best expression of England.” Their winery estate is open to the public for guided tours and experiences.
Andrew Carter, Chapel Down CEO says:
“As England’s leading wine producer, our mission is to change the way the world thinks about English wine. Our talented winemaking team produce award-winning premium sparkling and still wines, grown in the chalky terroir of the North Downs of Kent. Come and visit us at our home in Tenterden where we promise to excite and entertain you.”
Chapel Down wines are produced from grapes grown in the South East of England. They own some of the finest vineyards in England, primarily situated on the North Downs of Kent with a terroir very similar to that of Champagne. Their Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Bacchus vines are grown on south facing chalk soils and benefit from a warm, maritime climate. They also source high quality fruit from long-term partner vineyards across Kent, Sussex and Essex, resulting in balanced wines with unique flavour profiles.
Chapel Down’s world-class winemaking team have extensive experience in sparkling wine and cool climate wine regions. Their wines are made to the highest standards using the latest winemaking techniques, resulting in elegant wines with balanced acidity and rich fruit characters. In 2021 the company introduced their ‘Discovery Series’ which is a collection of wines produced from experimental plantings and modern winemaking practises to better understand the versatility of this relatively new and unexplored wine region.
Chapel Down wines are now served across many of the UK’s finest restaurants and bars, as well in leading supermarkets and independent wine merchants. They are one of the UK government’s Top 50 Food & Drink producers and are the first English winery to ever feature in the London Stock Exchange’s ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain’.
The company support other great English institutions too, including England Cricket, The Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race, Ascot Racecourse, The Royal Opera House and The Turner Contemporary.
To find out more about Chapel Down visit their website at www.chapeldown.com
Photo credits: Chapel Down
