The World's Finest Glass of Bubbly
Our English Sparkling Wine was recently awarded 'World's Finest Glass of Bubbly' in the 2021 Glass of Bubbly awards!
A host of international wine judges blind tasted their way through hundreds of bottles of sparkling wines and Champagnes from around the world. The highest scoring wine was Paxton & Whitfield’s English Sparkling Wine 2015 Brut Vintage. Launched in September of this year, the wine is produced by our award-winning producer Fox & Fox Mayfield in its East Sussex vineyards.
We caught up with our Buying Manager Suzanne Kennerley to learn more about our award-winning wine and her feelings on winning the award...
What was the inspiration behind launching Paxton's English Sparkling Wine?
It’s fair to say that at Paxton and Whitfield we are a bunch of foodies, and invariably every conversation will eventually turn to what we are currently enjoying eating, what cheese we have added to our recipes, and just as importantly, what we are drinking with it. And this is how, at the beginning of this year we started on a journey that lead to us launching Paxton & Whitfield’s first English Sparkling Wine.
Initially looking for a guest wine for our seasonal hamper offering, we were blown away by the quality of sparkling wine available in the UK, and the seed was sown. We looked at a number of wineries and what really stood out to us with Fox & Fox was not only the quality of their wine, it was the time care and attention they take in making it. This sits perfectly with the values we hold at Paxton & Whitfield around artisan food and drink, and we worked together to launch the perfect blend for pairing with cheese.
When did you find out the wine had won this prestigious award?
A few weeks ago I travelled down to Sussex to meet with Jonica from Fox & Fox. Sitting outside in the autumn sunshine overlooking the vines, notebook and a cup of tea in hand, we were discussing an on going project. Imagine my surprise when I saw a man walking towards us both with a huge trophy! It was the team from the Glass of Bubbly Awards - the Paxton & Whitfield blend English Sparkling Wine by Fox & Fox had won an award! Not any award, the top award for the Worlds Finest Glass of Bubbly. Our wine went head to head with sparkling wines of all types from around the world and went through two rounds of judging by a host of international Champagne and sparkling wine professionals before being awarded the top prize.
What an amazing day it was, seeing that all the time, care and attention we put in to launching the perfect English Sparkling Wine to complement our cheese range has been recognised.
Which cheese would you pair with this English Sparkling Wine?
The wine is actually made locally to the award-winning Golden Cross goats' milk cheese. The acidity of both the wine and cheese are perfectly in balance, while the bubbles cut through the dense fudge-like texture of the cheese. You could also try our 'Cheese for Fizz' selection - these cheeses are all specially selected for a delicious pairing with a glass of sparkling wine. Perfect for an evening-in with friends and an excellent gift idea.
You can now taste our World's Finest Glass of Bubbly - available to order online and in our shops.
