English wine: This other Eden, demi-paradise - that's what I call terroir

The Gusbourne estate has been an entity on this ancient Kentish escarpment for over six hundred years. It has a brilliant position some six miles from the coast and is situated on entirely south facing slopes comprising a mix of chalky clay and sandy loam, ideal for the three classic Champagne grapes grown here. This dry, warm and sunny site gives the winemakers high quality fruit for the wines and while the sparkling styles are excellent, you'll see the quality of the vineyards perhaps best expressed in the Pinot Noir: our first ever English table wine. The estate is 200 hectares of which 20 are currently in grape production and another 10 hectares will be producing within a couple of years.

Confidence is high at Gusbourne, as it should be. A combination of their heritage, which is illustrated on the bottle by the three geese of the ancient Goosbourne crest, and the enormous investment that has been continuous over the last years, makes these wines some of the most successful English wines we've stocked. And what better way to celebrate/commiserate this morning's news than an English sparkler presented by Frenchman Eric Groulier.. /CW